7th International Yoga Conference Opens in Tashkent

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The 7th International Yoga Conference, and the first of its kind in Central Asia, opened in Tashkent on 17 September 2025 under the theme “Yoga for One Earth – One Health.” The event is organized by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in partnership with the Embassy of India in Tashkent and the Yoga Federation of Uzbekistan.

The opening ceremony was attended by Chairman of the Yoga Federation of Uzbekistan Jahongir Artikhodjaev, Adviser to the Ministry of Sports Sharifjon Muminjanov, Ambassador of India Smita Pant, ICCR Deputy Director General Abhay Kumar, and representatives of India’s Ministry of AYUSH. The keynote lecture, delivered by renowned expert and spiritual teacher Shri M, was dedicated to the theme “Yoga and Consciousness.”

In her welcoming remarks, Ambassador Smita Pant highlighted the growing popularity of yoga in Uzbekistan and underscored India’s readiness to support the training of instructors and capacity building in this field. She also noted the benefits of yoga for physical and mental health, as recognized by the World Health Organization. ICCR Deputy Director General Abhay Kumar emphasized that this was the first time the conference was being held in Central Asia with participants from ten countries of the region, expressing confidence that the event would help promote yoga among the youth of Uzbekistan and neighboring states. In his address, Shri M stressed: “Yoga is the perfect tool to explore the multifaceted phenomenon called consciousness, or Chetana.”

The two-day conference has brought together participants from India, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Armenia, Mongolia, and Russia. The program includes interactive plenary sessions and panel discussions devoted to integrating yoga into traditional and modern healthcare systems, its role in treating chronic diseases, training and professional development in yoga, as well as the latest trends and innovations.

At the conclusion of the conference, participants’ recommendations will be submitted to the relevant authorities of the participating countries for further review and implementation.