COME National Day, yoga enthusiasts of all ages from Malaysia and overseas will be gathering to celebrate freedom and liberate their body of pain and stress at the Malaysian International Yoga Competition (MIYC) 2012.

Some 800 yoga practitioners and 5,000 spectators are expected to converge at Kandiah Hall, SJKT Vivekananda, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, for the event that will be held on Aug 31 from 9am to 6pm.

The event is organised by the Malaysian Yoga Society (MYS) with the support of Malaysian Association of Yoga Instructors (Mayi).

MIYC, which was held at a national level during its initial two years, expanded to include international yoga practitioners last year.

It is expected to have 25% of this years participants hailing from countries such as Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, India, Sri Lanka, Iran and Australia.

MYS and Mayi founder Mani Sekaran said the event aims to create awareness that yoga is for everybody, serve as a platform to network and meet people with similar interests, and encourage a healthy lifestyle.

It is also an opportunity for the public to see for themselves the benefits of yoga and dispel myths associated with the practice the prevalent ones being that one needs to be of a certain gender, weight and age to practice yoga, he said.

Yoga is accessible to all regardless of age, size, background and physical limitations.

It provides an avenue for everyone to become healthy, both physically and mentally, without needing any special athletic skills.

Mani, who has 35 years experience in yoga including 15 years as instructor, said yoga is a mind and body practice that requires practitioners to focus on their breathing and be mindful of their body.

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800 yoga practitioners set to wow the crowd at the MIYC 2012