'Flexible at 40, Energetic at 50': PM Modi Leads International Yoga Day Celebrations From Kolkata's Red Road

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, June 21, led the nation in observing the 12th International Day of Yoga from Kolkata’s Red Road, where thousands of people joined him in performing the morning exercises.Participating in the Common Yoga Protocol session, PM Modi performed yoga alongside thousands of practitioners at the iconic venue, flanked by the Indian Army’s Eastern Command headquarters on one side and the sprawling Maidan on the other. He was also joined by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Governor RN Ravi. Addressing the attendees, PM Modi said that yoga has become the world's largest community celebration, bringing people together across countries and cultures. He said that June 21, the longest day on the Earth, is now

recognised worldwide as a day of yoga."Yoga is not just physical exercise. It is not restricted to any age group. It is an expression of the human spirit," PM Modi said. "June 21, which marks the longest day on Earth, has now become the largest community celebration day because of yoga. Yoga brings people together. I congratulate the people of the world on this occasion," he said.The PM also said people should not restrict yoga to only particular occasions, and it must be made part of people's lives.Emphasising the importance of healthy ageing, PM Modi said efforts must be made to ensure that advancing age does not reduce human potential."When we speak of yoga for healthy ageing, we can work to ensure that age does not reduce human potential. Our target is to be more flexible at 40 than we were at 20. We aim to be more energetic at 50 than we were at 30," he added.Since the inception of the International Day of Yoga in 2015, following the adoption of India’s proposal by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to observe June 21 as Yoga Day, PM Modi has led celebrations from various locations, including New Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Mysuru, New York, Srinagar and Visakhapatnam. This year’s theme is "Yoga for Healthy Ageing," highlighting the role of yoga in promoting physical health, mental well-being, emotional resilience and active ageing.