8th International Day of Yoga

• 22 Jun 2022

Why in News?

Eighth International Day of Yoga (21^st June 2022) is being celebrated across the world.

• Theme 2022: ‘Yoga for Humanity’.

What is Historical Background and Significance?

• Background:
  • The idea of International Day of Yoga (IDY) was proposed by India during the opening of the 69^th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), held in 2014.
  • The UN proclaimed 21^st June as IDY by passing a resolution in December, 2014.
  • The first Yoga Day celebrations in 2015 at Rajpath in New Delhi created two Guinness World Records.
    • It was the world's largest yoga session with 35,985 people.
    • 84 nationalities participated in it.
• Yoga and its Significance:
  • Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India.
  • The word ‘yoga’ is derived from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness.
  • Today it is practiced in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity.
  • Yoga plays an important role in the psycho-social care and rehabilitation of Covid-19 patients in quarantine and isolation.
  • The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also asked its member states to practice Yoga and has included it in its Global Action Plan for physical activity 2018-30.

What is the Significance of the Day?

• The International Yoga Day is observed to spread awareness about the practice of yoga and its holistic approach to physical and mental well-being.
• The International Day of Yoga aims to inculcate a habit of meditation for the peace of mind and the self-awareness which is necessary to survive in a stress-free environment.

What are the Related Initiatives?

• M-Yoga App:
  • The Prime Minister announced the M-Yoga App which will help in achieving ‘One World One Health’.
  • The app is a work of collaboration between the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ministry of AYUSH), Government of India.
• New website for International Day of Yoga (IDY):
  • This web portal provides all the updated and relevant information relating to International Day of Yoga.
  • It has a social wall where all the social media interactive platforms are available for the visitors to keep track on the discussions and participate in them.
  • The portal is also linked to important web pages such as Swachh Bharat, Make in India, etc.
• Yoga recognised as a Sports Discipline:
  • The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, after reviewing categorization of various Sports disciplines, recognised Yoga as a sports discipline and placed it in the ‘Priority’ category in September 2015.
• Common Yoga Protocol:
  • The Ministry of AYUSH in its ‘Common Yoga Protocol’ has listed Yama, Niyama, Asana, etc. among popular yoga ‘sadhanas’.
• Vocational Education Courses in Yoga:
  • The Beauty & Wellness Sector Skill Council (B&WSSC) has vocational education courses in Yoga for CBSE schools.
  • B&WSSC is established as a non-profit organization under the aegis of National Skill Development Corporation, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
• Various Skilling initiatives:
  • Thousands of candidates have been trained as yoga instructors and trainers through various skilling initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).
  • PMKVY is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
• Fit India Movement:
  • Yoga is also a part of the Fit India Movement.
  • Fit India Movement is a nation-wide campaign that aims at encouraging people to include physical activities and sports in their everyday lives.

Source: IE