Hanoi (VNA) – As many as 1,200 people in the capital city of Hanoiwill join a yoga protocol performance at the Indoor Athletics Palace in Nam TuLiem district on July 16 in response to the International Day of Yoga, whichfalls on June 21.

The information was revealed by Indian Ambassador to Vietnam ParvathaneniHarish at a press conference on the fourth International Day of Yoga 2018 (IDY2018) in Hanoi on June 11.

IDY 2018, to be organised by the Embassy of India in Hanoi, in collaborationwith the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the People’s Committee ofHanoi, aims to improve health and life quality of Vietnamese people.

In addition to the yoga protocol performance, to be led by an Indian yogainstructor, the programme will also feature an Indian musical concert by a bandfrom northeastern India.

Yoga is a 5,000-year-old physical, mental and spiritual practice originating inIndia, which aims to transform both body and mind. June 21 has been declared bythe UN General Assembly Resolution 69/131 as International Day of Yoga.

The declaration came after the call for the adoption of June21 as International Day of Yoga by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi duringhis address to the UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014.

During the address, he said: “Yoga is an invaluable gift ofIndia's ancient tradition. It embodies the unity of mind and body, thought andaction, restraint and fulfillment, harmony between man and nature, a holisticapproach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but aboutdiscovering the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature.”-VNA