International Yoga Day 2026: Indian Army, Navy practice yoga from Siachen glacier to submarines
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "International Yoga Day 2026: Indian Army, Navy practice yoga from Siachen glacier to submarines")
INS Satvahana conducted a unique session of Underwater Yoga on 20 Jun 26. Photograph: (Credit: @IN_Satavahana)
From Siachen to submarines, explore how Indian soldiers and sailors use yoga as a critical psychological tool to survive the world’s most hostile military deployments.
Every year on June 21, the world celebrates the International Day of Yoga, a global movement rooted in India's ancient heritage. Established by the United Nations in 2014, this day highlights yoga not merely as a physical workout, but as a holistic approach to health, inner peace, and mental clarity. It serves as a reminder of how simple breathing techniques and physical postures can restore balance to our chaotic modern lives. Deployed in some of the most hostile environments on Earth, Indian soldiers utilise yoga as a vital tool for survival, operational readiness, and mental resilience.
At the freezing, high-altitude peaks of the Siachen Glacier and remote outposts in Arunachal Pradesh, reaching heights of 9,000 to 18,000 feet, soldiers practise yoga amidst sub-zero temperatures and thin air. In these rugged, oxygen-depleted terrains, specialised breathing exercises like Pranayama are crucial. They help soldiers expand their lung capacity, optimise oxygen intake, maintain body temperature, and combat high-altitude sickness.
Simultaneously, the Indian Navy takes this ancient discipline to the opposite extreme: underwater. Divers and sailors aboard submarines and specialised training units, such as INS Satavahana, perform synchronised yoga postures beneath the ocean surface. Striking poses underwater requires extraordinary core strength, precise balance, and complete composure. For navy personnel working in cramped, high-pressure, and isolated maritime environments, yoga becomes a grounding practice. The focus on deep, rhythmic breathing directly improves underwater oxygen conservation, allowing them to remain calm under intense operational conditions.
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Across the length and breadth of India, Yoga Day transforms the country into a vast, interconnected canvas of wellness.
Historic, Monolithic Backdrops: Mass sessions are held at iconic locations, ranging from the intricate temples of Khajuraho to the majestic Mysuru Palace grounds.
Sun-Drenched Coasts and Border Zones: Thousands stretch in unison from the tropical beaches of Car Nicobar in the south to the stark salt flats of the Rann of Kutch in the west.
Northeast Valleys: In regions like Shillong and the remote valleys of Nagaland, thousands of armed personnel join local citizens, bridging communities through synchronous movement.
