International Yoga Day Recap & Tips: Top 5 Health Benefits of Ancient Practice

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Millions of yoga practitioners across the world took part in the International Yoga Day on Sunday.

The holiday, which was proposed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, was approved by the U.N. General Assembly. The Prime Minister, along with Cabinet members and foreign diplomats with thousands of Indians, practiced yoga at New Delhi's Rajpath Boulevard on June 21 which was declared as International Yoga Day.

Similarly, in other parts of the world, thousands of enthusiasts from all walks of life in Bangkok, Manila, Seoul, Beijing, Kuala Lampur and other places did the same thing to celebrate the holiday.

"We are not only celebrating a day, but we are training the human mind to begin a new era of peace and harmony," Modi said via CBS News. "This is a program for the benefit of mankind, for a tension-free world and to spread the message of harmony."

NPR reports that to celebrate the first International Yoga Day, a new Indian stamp and a commemorative coin was created.

Yoga is a type of ascetic discipline that uses both the mind and body. It is rooted from ancient Indian philosophy and is estimated to be 5,000 years old, according to Medical News Today.

The word "yoga" is derived from the Sanskrit word yuj that means "union or to join together." There are many types of yoga and it is widely believed that each has numerous health benefits, but the practices primarily involve meditation, breathing exercises and posing.

Some benefits include:

1. Flexibility

Yoga involves a lot of posing and it serves to stretch the muscles. According to one study, some people have increased their body flexibility by 35 percent just after 8 weeks of yoga, WebMD reports.

2. Immune System Improvement

According to a new Norwegian study, yoga can improve the immune system by boosting overall health. Daily Burn says yoga helps the body breathe, move and circulate better and improve organ function.

3. Stress Relief and Inner Peace

Yoga involves meditation and yoga postures that are effective in releasing stress and finding inner peace, according to the Art of Living. It can also detox the body and is purportedly one of the best ways to calm the mind.

4. Better Relationships

The yogic philosophy of honesty, kindness and temperance can make its practitioners become better persons. According to the Yoga Journal, a disposition that is relaxed, happy, and contented can help cultivate better relationships.

5. Better Sleep

A study from Harvard showed that insomniacs who underwent yoga daily for eight weeks have improved sleep. Yoga's breathing and mental exercises can help in dealing with stress and anxiety, enabling the person to sleep better at night, according to the Huffington Post.