'Before the idea of religion came, yoga was'

This Sunday India is marking the first International Day of Yoga with what it boasts will be the biggest yoga session ever.

More than 35,000 people are expected to turn out to tie themselves in knots on the vast ceremonial lawns outside the Indian parliament.

"Yoga is about turning your system for a higher level of perception, a larger slice of life," Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev told Today.

He dismissed claims Prime Minister Narendra Modi was using yoga as part of a Hindu nationalist agenda.

"Yoga predates all religion," said Jaggi Vasudev. "Before the idea of religion came, yoga was."

The leading yogi was speaking to BBC South Asia correspondent Justin Rowlatt in possibly the most stressful radio interview ever broadcast - for our correspondent's body at least.