Pics: World bends, stretches, twists to mark 1st Yoga Day

Tens of thousands yoga enthusiasts around the world on Sunday took to mats and stretched, bent and twisted their bodies in complex postures in a symbol of universality of the ancient Indian spiritual practice as they marked the maiden International Day of Yoga. Over a thousand people participated in dozens of events across Australia to mark the day, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott appreciating Yoga's universal appeal. "For thousands of years, yoga has provided its followers with a guide to bringing their minds, bodies and spirits into balance. "Yoga's universal and growing popularity demonstrates its appeal to people from all the walks of life and its great potential to foster better health among individuals and populations around the world," Abbott said.