The word yoga means to join together or yoke together. It unites the body and mind together as one. Yoga can be traced back to 5,000 years ago. It began on the Indian subcontinent of the Indus Valley. The word yoga was first mentioned in the Vedas, which are a collection of hymns containing some of the oldest yogic teachings. This is known as the Pre-classical Yoga Period. Yoga played an important role in the Upanishads, which are also known as the Gnostic texts. The teachings of the Upanishads differ from the Vedic texts. The Vedas taught the art of sacrifice, and the Upanishads concentrated on four specific truths. Your true essence or soul, everyone would experience birth, death, and rebirth, your present actions would determine the nature of your rebirth, and you can reverse the effects of bad karma through specific spiritual practices.
Next came the Classical Yoga Period. During this period was the first systematic presentation of yoga which was Patanjali's Yoga-Sutras. Patanjali believed in a eight-limbed path of yoga. The eight steps of Classical Yoga are yama which is restraint; niyama which is observance of purity, tolerance, and study; asana which are physical exercises; pranayama or breathe control; pratyahara which is preparation for meditation; dharana which is concentration; dhyana which is meditation; and samadhi which is adsorption in the sublime. Patanjali was considered the father of yoga.
Some time after Patanjali yoga masters designed some practices which would rejuvenate the body and prolong life. This introduced the Post-Classical Era of Yoga. Post-Classical Yoga can best be described as an appreciation of the present moment. People during this period rejected the teachings of the Vedas and saw the physical body as the means to achieve enlightenment. They invented Tantra Yoga which uses techniques to cleanse the body and mind and to break the knots that bind us to our physical existence.
Exercising today is very important to a persons health. Exercising is mainly for cardiovascular fitness. Some people do it because they just enjoy it. Exercising also gently improves your health. There are three good benefits to exercising. Health benefits sush as helping weight management, improve your quality of life, and reducing the feelings of depression and anxiety. Another benefit is environmental. When people are active it can contribute to the created healthy environment. Places where people feel comfortable to walk, would be safer because more people are out and about. Social benefits is one of the best ways to meet new people while exercising. The most common risk in exercising is injury to the muscles and joints. This usually happens from exercising too hard or for too long. Heat exaustion or a heat stroke are also risks of exercising. Symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke are dizziness, headache, nausea, and much more. Both heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be avoided if the person exercising drinks plenty of fluids, preferably water. Some people have had heart problems from exercising even have died from it. Most deaths are caused by overexertion from people who have already had heart conditions. Now research studies have shown that physically inactive people are more likely to have sudden, fatal heart attacks than active people. Exercising too hard is not a good idea. A person should always be at a pace that he/she can handle. Another important thing to exercising is eating, especially after you exercise. Always avoid exercising if there are going to be thunderstorms or lighting. Exercising in too hot weather could damage the lungs, skin, and heart. If he/she exercising has diabetes and require insulin than the active participation in the management of his/her condition essential. Regular exercise has many physical benefits, including cardiovascular conditions, drop in blood pressure and lipid...
