Context:
10th International Yoga Day was celebrated on June 21st
Background:
- Idea of International Day of Yoga (IDY) was proposed by India during the opening of the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), held in 2014.
- UN proclaimed 21st June as IDY by passing a resolution in December 2014.
- 1st Yoga Day celebrations – In 2015 at Rajpath in New Delhi
Yoga:
- An ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India.
- During the Indus valley civilization, seals and fossils have been found with people doing Yoga Sadhana.
- The word ‘Yoga’ was 1st mentioned in the ancient Sanskrit texts of Rig Veda which dates back to 1500 BC.
- Maharshi Patanjali – Father of Yoga – 1st yogi to truly understand and explain the meaning of Yoga and the true purpose behind it, in his Yoga Sutras.
- 1st commentary on the Yoga Sutras by Veda Vyasa was written in the classical period.
- One of the 6 Schools of Indian Philosophy.
- Remaining are Vaishesika, Nyaya, Samkhya, Purva Mimansa and Vedanta or Uttara Mimansa
- Proponents of Yoga in the modern period – Swami Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi and Ramakrishna Paramahansa
Related Initiatives:
- M-Yoga App – Collaboration between the WHO and the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India.
- Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports recognized Yoga as a sports discipline and placed it in the ‘Priority’ category.
- Ministry of Ayush in its ‘Common Yoga Protocol’ has listed Yama, Niyama, Asana, etc. among popular yoga ‘sadhanas’.
- Yoga is also a part of the Fit India Movement.
Source: The Indian Express
Previous Year Question
Which one of the following pairs does not form part of the six systems of Indian Philosophy?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2014 Prelims]
(a) Mimamsa and Vedanta
(b) Nyaya and Vaisheshika
(c) Lokayata and Kapalika
(d) Sankhya and Yoga
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
Lokayata and Kapalika do not form part of the six systems of Indian Philosophy. The Kapalika tradition was a non-puranic, tantric form of Shaivism in India. The term Lokayata and Charvaka belongs to the philosophical school of Indian Materialism.
