Dubai, Jun 21 (IANS): Residents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) followed yoga gurus on-screen during a Facebook live yoga session organised by the Consulate General of India in Dubai on Saturday evening, a day ahead of the sixth International Day of Yoga.

This year the consulate, as well as yogis globally, went digital on its page (facebook.com/IndianConsulate.Dubai) for the annual event instead of mass gatherings because of the coronavirus pandemic, reports the Gulf News.

Besides over 100 virtual followers of the session, roughly two dozen people also assumed the positions on consulate premises – face masks on while maintaining social distancing norms.

Joining the small group was Vipul, the consul general of India in Dubai, who addressed the gathering before taking part in yoga.

He said this year Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for yoga at home to mark the international day, in light of the pandemic.

The theme for this year is ‘Yoga at Home, Yoga with Family'.

"That's why we thought that we will use these digital means so that people can join us on the internet to do yoga with us," Gulf News quoted Vipul as saying.

"In the pandemic situation, it is important that we keep up with yoga. It is important for our physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing... especially in the pandemic situation when everyone is constrained to be home most of the time; everyone's anxiety levels are very high. I think yoga can provide us with that much-needed support so that we can calm ourselves down."

Last year, more than 4,000 people from different nationalities attended the International Day of Yoga in Dubai, organised by the consulate. One of the supporting the event was Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) for Dubai and the Northern Emirates.