President Vladimir Putin could soon be starting his day with sun salutations after he promised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi he would give yoga a try, Interfax reported Wednesday.
"One thing I've never done is yoga. But it's definitely tempting. I will try to do my best according to my sporting abilities," he was cited as telling Modi ahead of the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization summits in the Russian city of Ufa.
"When you see real yogis, it seems impossible to achieve such perfection," Putin said. "That is what's been putting me off," he added.
The first International Yoga Day was celebrated on June 21. A massive yoga class was held on the streets of Delhi to mark the occasion, attended by 35,000 people including Modi and other Indian politicians, Interfax reported.