Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday termed Yoga as a 'form of healthcare' and said if it is confinedwithin the frames of any religion, a vast majority of the society would be denied its benefits. Modern Yoga is not something that should be seen in connection with spirituality or any particular religion, the Marxist veteran said in his video message to mark the seventh International Yoga Day.

Stating that Yoga is beneficial for both the physical and mental well-being of people, he urged people to make the ancient practise part of their daily routine. "Modern Yoga is not something that needs to be seen in connection with any particular religion or spirituality. It should be seen as a form of healthcare,"Vijayan said. Saying that Yoga is a scientific physical exercise practise, he said it would ensure health and peace of mind to people.

"It's benefits will be denied to a larger section of the society if it is connected to any particular religion or spirituality and it should not happen," he added. The Chief Minister praised the efforts of the Kerala Yoga Association (KYA), a registered outfit in the southern state to promote yoga science, for its efforts to retain the 'secular nature' of Yoga. The outfit had imparted yoga training to at least 50,000 people in the state to fight the COVID-19 during the time of the severe spread of the pandemic, he added.