In Pics: People Pause, Stretch and Pose for International Yoga Day

Here is a collection of photos of men and women from around the world practicing yoga at various locations.

People practice yoga by the Stonehenge at dawn on the summer solstice near Amesbury, Britain on 21 June 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

Yoga practitioners took a relaxing break to bend, twist and pose on Wednesday for the annual international event celebrating the practice.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined 50,000 students and other residents for a mass yoga session in pouring rain in the northern city of Lucknow to mark International Yoga Day. Similar yoga displays were organised in villages, towns and cities across India and in other countries.

The United Nations designated 21 June as International Yoga Day in 2014.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, centre, performs yoga with thousands of Indians to mark International Yoga Day in Lucknow. (Photo: AP)

The practice began in ancient India, and Modi has described yoga as free health insurance and exhorted people to make it a part of their daily lives.

A yoga instructor leads a large group of Indian Army soldiers at a yoga session to mark International Yoga Day in Bangalore. (Photo: AP)

Here is a collection of photos of men and women from around the world celebrating International Yoga Day at various locations.

Yoga enthusiasts at a wetland park on International Yoga Day, in Zhangye, China. (Photo: Reuters)

In Myanmar, people performed exercises near the Shwedagon pagoda, the landmark Buddhist stupa in Yangon.

People practice yoga on International Yoga Day, in front of Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon. (Photo: AP)

A Nepalese woman performs Yoga during International Yoga day in Kathmandu. (Photo:AP)

Nepalese women perform Yoga during International Yoga day in Kathmandu. (Photo: AP)

People participate in a mass yoga session during the 3rd International Yoga Day, 21 June at the United Nations in New York City. (Photo: PTI)

People take part in a mass yoga session during the 3rd International Yoga Day on 21 June at the United Nations in New York City. (Photo: PTI)

Naval staff performs yoga on the deck of INS Sunayana at Southern Naval Command (SNC) in Kochi on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI) 

Participants perform yoga in a park ahead of International Yoga Day, in Brussels, Belgium on 18 June 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

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