Amid film promotions, Akshay Kumar marks Yoga Day with community session

In the midst of promoting his upcoming film Welcome to the Jungle, Akshay Kumar kicked off International Yoga Day by hosting a community yoga session, spending the morning with fitness enthusiasts and reinforcing a message he has championed for decades that fitness is a way of life, not a seasonal trend.

International Yoga Day is celebrated every year on June 21. It was established by the United Nations in 2014 after a resolution was supported by 177 countries. The date was chosen because it coincides with the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a day to highlight the role yoga can play in promoting physical, mental and emotional well-being. This year’s theme, “Yoga for Healthy Ageing”, is about how yoga can help people stay active and healthy through every stage of life.

Few public figures embody that philosophy as consistently as Akshay. One of the industry’s most enduring fitness icons, the actor has long sworn by yoga as an important facet of his daily routine. A practitioner since his early years, he has often credited yoga for helping him maintain discipline, focus and balance despite the demands of a hectic career.