"Keep back straight, open your shoulders, take a few deep breaths." Let's do yoga together. Yoga— the word shows peace and calm. Yoga is now popular around the world and it has joined the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists(非物质文化遗产).
The International Yoga Day is now celebrated on June 21st every year.
Most people know yoga as a kind of exercise. Yoga is a group of physical and mental practices. It aims at developing strength and flexibility (灵活性). To practice yoga, you should learn a series of postures, where you put your body into different positions. Correct breathing is also important. However, yoga is really about more than just exercise.
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi once said, "A lot of people have benefitted greatly by practicing yoga in difficult times. It is a deep tradition of India." He felt that yoga could not only help people feel healthier, but also help people connect to each other and to nature.
Yoga is now practiced by the young and the old all over the world. It is good for the mind and body. Although you won't really get out of breath, like you might while playing football or running, it does help to keep your heart healthy and lose weight. It can also help with back pain. The breathing taught in yoga can help people reduce stress and anxiety (焦虑). It has been accepted for its influence in society, from health and medicine to education and art.
