New Delhi, Jun 21 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly advocated Yoga as means to fight COVID-19 pandemic, on the occasion of International Yoga Day on Sunday.

He said, many people all over the world infected by the deadly virus are benefitting from Yoga. He claimed they are gaining strength in fighting the disease through this meditation.

"The world has started to take Yoga more seriously due to the corona pandemic. If our immunity is strong, it becomes a lot easier to defeat this disease. Yoga can play a crucial role in increasing immunity. There are many asanas that can increase the strength of our body, make our metabolism more powerful," Modi said.

The PM added that the deadly infection attacks the respiratory system in particular. He had a solution for making the system stronger by use of pranayama.

"Pranayam helps immensely to make our respiratory system stronger," said Modi on Sunday.

Making a strong case for people to take up Yoga, he said, "Anybody can embrace Yoga. All you need is some time and empty space".

He added, "If we can fine tune our course of health and home, the day is not far away when the world will witness the success of healthy and happy humanity."

As on Sunday morning, there are more than 1 lakh 69 thousand active COVID-19 cases in India, while more than 2 lakh 13 thousand have either been cured or discharged. However, India has also witnessed 12,948 deaths too. Maharashtra has been the worst affected state, while Delhi is fast catching up.