Strike a Pose: International Yoga Day celebrations captured in pictures

United Nations announced June 21 as International Yoga Day in 2014, and since then, it's been celebrated to raise awareness about the many benefits of flexing, stretching, and finding zen with the ancient practice of yoga.

For International Yoga Day 2023, yogis of all shapes and sizes twisted themselves into pretzels, discovering new levels of flexibility and muscle strength. From city parks to sandy beaches, yoga mats popped up like mushrooms as participants showed off their best yoga asanas while even the most inflexible among us attempted to touch their toes. It was a day of unity, peace, and a whole lot of wobbly balance, reminding everyone that yoga is for everyone, no matter how flexible or not-so-flexible they may be. Here's a look at how the Eastern hemisphere performed as the Western hemisphere is waking up.

Image: Credits: Kabir Jhangiani/NurPhoto via Getty Images
People perform Yoga on the occasion of International Yoga Day, on the lawns of Kartavya Path, formerly known as Rajpath, in front of India Gate, in New Delhi, India, on June 21, 2023.

Image: Francis Mascarenhas/ REUTERS     
People perform yoga on a local train during International Yoga Day in Mumbai, India, June 21, 2023.

Also read: International Yoga Day: Yoga retreats set in exotic locations

Image: Debarchan Chatterjee/NurPhoto via Getty Images  
Students are seen performing Yoga Asanas during International Yoga Day observation at Victoria memorial hall in Kolkata, India, on 21 June 2023.

Image: Amit Dave/ REUTERS    
Students perform yoga at the Atal Bridge during International Yoga Day in Ahmedabad, India, June 21, 2023.

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Yoga lovers practice yoga at Tiande Lake Park in Taizhou, Jiangsu province, China, June 21, 2023. It is the International Day of Yoga.

Also read: Meditation made easy for corporate leaders

Image: Aamir QURESHI / AFP     
Practitioners take part in a yoga session on the International Day of Yoga in Rawalpindi on June 21, 2023.

Image: Sanjit Pariyar/NurPhoto via Getty Images     
Forty to fifty-year-old Nepalese citizens are practising Yoga in Tudikhel Ground on the occasion of International Yoga Day on June 21st, 2023, in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Image: Annice Lyn/Getty Images     
A yoga practitioner performs a headstand in front of Batu Caves on June 21, 2023 in Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia. The event was held as part of the 9th International Day of Yoga.

Image: James Manning/PA Images via Getty Images
People practice yoga inside pods on the lastminute.com London Eye in Westminster as the sun rises to celebrate the Summer Solstice on Wednesday, June 21, 2023.