Gautam Gambhir takes part in yoga day celebration at Delhi's Ganga Ram hospital

Lok Sabha MP Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday took part in an event held at a leading private facility here to mark the International Day of Yoga. The cricketer-turned-politician performed various 'asanas' along with many doctors, staff and students at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, officials said.

Gambhir praised the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in making yoga popular all over the world. He also stressed on increasing research in this field.

The celebration was held by the yoga unit of alternate systems of medicine at the hospital.  Many attendants of patients also voluntarily joined the programme, officials said.

Dr D S Rana, Chairman, Board of Management, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said, "We at the hospital were the first in Delhi, in the private sector, to have started a yoga unit in 2002.

"Till now it has benefitted thousands of patients. It is an integral part of the department of alternate medicine, like homeopathy and acupuncture." Ramesh Kumar, a yoga teacher at the hospital, said , "Besides normal use for patients, yoga has been specially used extensively during the Covid pandemic. It gave wonderful and surprising benefits to patients. Most important, it helped reduce stress levels in patients."