Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): On the occasion of International Yoga Day, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday urged locals not to misunderstand yoga as a religious practice while adding that everyone, irrespective of caste, must practice asanas in order to stay fit and healthy.

"When you perform 'Padmasana' you inhale while raising both your hands; now that is not a common effort but a kind of an exercise. That will help modulate our minds positively. That need not be misunderstood as a religious practice. Anyone can practice yoga; people irrespective of religious and caste boundaries should practice yoga," he said at the state-level celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram.