Tashkent, Sep 18 : Highlighting the growing relevance of Yoga in Central Asia, the 7th ICCR International Yoga Conference 2025 in Uzbekistan on Thursday brought together experts from 10 nations, including India, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Armenia, Mongolia, and Russia, discussing 'Challenges and Opportunities for Yoga in Central Asia'.

The 7th International Conference on Yoga titled 'Yoga for One Earth One Health' - the first-ever such event held in Central Asia - was organised by the Indian Embassy in Tashkent under the aegis of Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) New Delhi and in partnership with Yoga Federation of Uzbekistan with the support of Uzbek Ministry of Sports, on September 17 and 18.

On Thursday, the interactive plenary session on integrating yoga into traditional and modern medical practices hosted by Ram Narayan Mishra, an official from the Ministry of Ayush, focused on dynamic exchanges between Central Asian health leaders, the Ministry of Ayush, and yoga institutions.

The discussions explored the future of holistic healthcare with ancient wisdom powers and modern medicinal practices.

Earlier on Wednesday, in her opening remarks, India's Ambassador to Uzbekistan Smita Pant noted the increasing popularity of Yoga in Uzbekistan and offered India's support in training the teachers and capacity building. She also mentioned that the WHO has recognised the physical and mental benefits of Yoga.

Deputy Director General (DDG) of ICCR Abhay Kumar speaking on the occasion said that it is for the first time that the ICCR is organising an international conference on Yoga in Central Asia, with robust participation from Eurasian countries. He added that it will truly help in making yoga popular among the younger generation of Uzbekistan and all the participating countries.

International Yoga Conference is a flagship event of ICCR organised annually. Earlier conferences have been held in New York (2018), London (2019), New Delhi (2021), Seoul (2022), Meinberg, Germany (2023), and Durban (2024).

Apart from an interactive plenary session on 'Integrating Yoga into Traditional and Modern Healthcare Systems: Local healing traditions & modern medical practices from Central Asian region', panel discussions on current status, challenges and opportunities for yoga in Central Asia, benefits of yoga in treating chronic health conditions, latest trends and innovations and capacity building and skill development in yoga were also organised.

/IANS