Watch video: Dog doing yoga with NDRF team ahead of International Yoga day

A trained canine from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) stole the spotlight during a yoga session held at the 13th Battalion campus in Sui, Udhampur, just a day before the 11th International Yoga Day on June 21. The session, attended by NDRF personnel, featured the four-legged participant flawlessly mimicking yoga asanas alongside its human counterparts.

A video shared by news agency ANI captured the dog patiently sitting on a yoga mat, waiting for cues from its trainer. With a simple command, the canine rose on its hind legs and flowed smoothly into a side stretch, mirroring the group in perfect harmony. The dog has undergone two years of training and now regularly takes part in NDRF yoga drills, making its presence both impressive and endearing.

The session comes as India prepares to mark the 11th International Yoga Day under the theme “Yoga for One Earth, One Health.” The theme emphasizes the link between personal well-being and environmental harmony, reflecting yoga’s holistic approach to health and balance.




The significance of June 21 lies in its alignment with the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Symbolizing energy, renewal, and harmony with nature, the date captures core elements of yoga philosophy.

The idea of International Yoga Day was first proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address at the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. Later that year, the UN officially designated June 21 as the International Day of Yoga, a resolution supported by 175 member states.

This year’s celebrations will include 10 nationwide initiatives, with a large-scale event, ‘Yoga Sangam’, scheduled to take place at 1,00,000 locations across India. Other campaigns include Yoga Bandhan, Yoga Park, Yoga Samavesh, Yoga Prabhava, Yoga Connect, Harit Yoga, Yoga Unplugged, Yoga Mahakumbh, and Samyoga.

Together, these efforts aim to raise global awareness of yoga’s physical, mental, and emotional benefits, promoting it as a practice that unites body and mind, thought and action, and individual well-being with collective harmony.