Yoga, a five-thousand-year-old tradition from ancient India, combines physical, mental, and spiritual pursuits to create a harmony of body, mind, and spirit. 

Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Sandeep Arya said at a press conference in Hanoi on Friday that the immense popularity of yoga throughout Vietnam demonstrates a wide understanding of the benefits of practicing yoga and its adoption by Vietnamese people.

Mr. Sandeep Arya underscored top priority for this year’s Yoga Day to reaching more places in Vietnam, in more provinces.

“We hope to add 10 new provinces. Our second priority is to strengthen understanding of how yoga helps the individual and how it helps society. A third priority is to increase public awareness of yoga. Yoga is good for physical fitness, but it’s more than that. It’s about breathing to enhance physical health, emotional health, and mental soundness, and harmonizing action and thought,” he said.

The 10th IDY, a significant cultural and people-to-people connection between India and Vietnam, will be observed in Hanoi next Thursday at the Quan Ngua Sports Complex and in other cities and provinces throughout the month.