New Delhi: Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice or discipline which originated in ancient India. There is a broad variety of Yoga schools, practices, and goals in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Among the most well-known types of Yoga are Hatha yoga and Raja Yoga.
In Vedic Sanskrit, Yoga means “to add” or “to attach” in its most common literal sense. The origins of Yoga have been speculated to date back to pre-Vedic Indian traditions, but most likely developed around the sixth and fifth centuries BC, in ancient India’s ascetic movements. The Yoga Sutras of ascetic Patanjali date from the first half of the 1st millennium but only gained prominence in the West in the 20th century.
Hatha yoga texts emerged around the 11th century. Yoga gurus from India later introduced it to the West, following the success of Swami Vivekananda in the late 19th and early 20th century. In the 1980s, Yoga became popular as a system of physical exercise across the Western world. Yoga in Indian traditions, however, is more than physical exercise, it has a meditative and spiritual core.
Many studies have tried to determine the effectiveness of Yoga as a complementary intervention for cancer, schizophrenia, asthma, and heart disease. The results of these studies have been mixed and inconclusive, with cancer studies suggesting none to unclear effectiveness, and others suggesting Yoga may reduce risk factors.
On December 11, 2014, the 193-member United Nations General Assembly approved by consensus, a resolution establishing 21 June as ‘International Day of Yoga’. The declaration of this day came after the call by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014.
The first International Day of Yoga was observed world over on June 21, 2015. About 35000 people, including Modi and a large number of dignitaries, performed 21 Yoga asanas (yoga postures) for 35 minutes at Rajpath in New Delhi. The event established two Guinness records – largest Yoga class with 35985 people and the record for the most nationalities participating in it - eighty four.
