In pics: Watch the world celebrate International Day of Yoga 2016

Yoga literally means union. Ancient yogis believed that in order for a person to be in harmony with themselves and their environment, they needed to integrate their body, mind, and spirit.

Originally, yoga wasn't done to achieve a great body or look a certain way. Instead, yogis used it to train their minds to balance spirituality, discipline and devotion. The body was an instrument, and not the end all for yoga.

Little did they know what shape yoga would take one day. The world welcomed the second International Day of Yoga on Tuesday morning with folded palms.

This day was marked for yoga by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who successfully lobbied the United Nations to dedicate 24 hours to the art in September 2014.

Modi commemorated the occasion by joining thousands of people in the city of Chandigarh for a large yoga demonstration. Yoga was celebrated throughout the country by millions of people. Events were organised in schools, public spaces and government establishments.

Last year, the people of Delhi set a world record for the largest yoga demonstration at a single site, Rajpath. This year, the PM released a set of commemorative postal stamps showing the variations of the "surya namaskar," or sun salutation.

Images of different Yoga postures were also displayed at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York to mark Yoga Day.

From Times Square in New York city to the Sydney Opera House, here are our favourite images from the world over.