Shimla, Jun 21 (IANS): Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and his cabinet colleagues along with hundreds of schoolchildren and residents practiced yoga at the historic Ridge ground here amidst cloudy skies on Thursday.

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda was also present at the state-level event here.

Urging people to adopt yoga for a healthy lifestyle, the Governor said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has established yoga at the international level and the entire world is adopting it.

He urged the people to make yoga an integral part of life which has been part of the old traditions and stressed on making it a routine activity to evade negative energy in life.

The Chief Minister said yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient traditions as it embodies the unity of mind and body, thought and action with harmony between man and nature and a holistic approach to health and well-being.

There was great enthusiasm among youth, women, schoolchildren and various organisations about the event across the state.

At most of the places, participants started assembling at venues well ahead of the yoga sessions that started at 7 a.m.