30/09/2022
Yoga is a concept in Indian culture, in a broad sense, meaning a set of various spiritual, mental and physical practices developed in different directions of Hinduism and Buddhism and aimed at managing the mental and physiological functions of the body in order to achieve an elevated spiritual and mental state by the individual. In a narrower sense, yoga is one of the six orthodox schools (darshans) of Hindu philosophy.
The main areas of yoga are: raja yoga, karma yoga, jnana yoga, bhakti yoga and hatha yoga. In the context of Hindu philosophy, yoga refers to the system of Raja Yoga set forth in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and closely related to the fundamental principles of Sankhya. Yoga is discussed in various Hindu scriptures such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Shiva Samhita and Tantras. The ultimate goal of yoga can be completely different: from improving physical health to achieving moksha. Outside of India, the term "yoga" is often associated only with hatha yoga and its asanas - physical exercises, which does not reflect the spiritual and mental aspects of yoga. One who studies and practices yoga is called a yogi or yogi.
On December 1, 2016, UNESCO, noting the significant impact on numerous aspects of the life of Indian society in the fields of health, medicine, education and the arts, included yoga in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
