The Indus valley tribes

The Indus valley tribes of peoples also have one of the remaining mysteries of the world today- an untranslatable written language. The art of the bronze and Stone Age is detailed and sophisticated for this time period. The Dancing Girl and other sculptures appear to be very close to scale. That has not been typical of ancient art in other cultures. When the Aryans invaded, the population of the region changed dramatically from dark-skinned to lighter-skinned peoples and introduced a new language that is now the classic language of India. The Aryans also had an effect on the social class divisions. From the untouchables, the people with the lowliest jobs, up to the priests and scholars- the most highly regarded professions in the society. This caste system was strict and very hard on the lower classes. Two of India’s greatest stories, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, come from inner conflict within the Aryans. Both epic accounts are as equally valued in this society as the Iliad and the Odyssey are in Hellenic cultures. The Vedas, to the ancient civilizations of the Indus Valley, was a combination of songbook, prayer book, religious guide, and astronomy text. It also was a book about the gods. Namely the sky, fire, and sun gods, as they are the most important. Hinduism, one of the oldest religions in the world, comes from the Indus Valley. There are some theories to explain how the Indus Valley Civilization ended. One theory is by the first excavators, which is that because the Indus Valley Civilization was not warlike society, it was ended by the Aryan invasion. There is no perfect proof to show it really happened but excavators found Jewries left as they were hidden from somebody, skeletons with no head-part, dead bodies in one place as they were hiding and so on. Other theories were by later excavators. One is that flooding caused disappearance of Indus Civilization. Flooding put the end to their agriculture and because their living was depended on agriculture, the Civilization was ended. Another theory is that because the Indus Valley Civilization was growing and population was growing, they needed more bricks to build houses. To make bricks, they needed more woods and they cut down too much trees and they could no longer support their needs. Whatever the reason of the disappearance was, culture in the Indus Valley Civilization was changed. The reason of the culture change could be new people came in or change of peoples thought had changed. Excavators found out that bricks made before the disappearance and after the disappearance was very different. The quality of bricks got worse after the disappearance. Another thing was that before the disappearance, people used to be buried but after, dead bodies were cremated. Because of these factors, it might be the change of the people who lived there.

Stop Child labor

Child labor is a serious problem in many parts of the world, especially in developing countries. Labor is defined as physical or mental work especially of the hard or bothersome kind.

Child labor has been an issue of concern for decades. Poverty and lack of proper education aid child labor. In rural areas poverty affects 34% of the population and in urban areas poverty strikes 37% of the population (International Labor Organization). Families need as much money as possible to survive and the children provide needed income. The children of families don’t get an education and become illiterate. From working since the age of four or five they wear down their bodies and die at the age of forty or fifty passing on their debts to their children. Without and education it makes it near impossible for them to get out of poverty as adults. Their children after inheriting their parents’ debts are forced into a life of poverty, which creates an almost never-ending cycle. Sometimes the creditor of a child will release the child in favor for younger children, which helps some but then they have no education and are forced to continue in poverty. India has many crises affecting it at this time. 

Among them is the important and sad issue of child labour. Most child laborers work in the agriculture field but most organizations for human rights focus on the bonded laborers in the cities. Bonded child labor “refers to the phenomenon of children working in conditions of servitude in order to pay off a debt” .In bonded child labor a creditor loans the parents a small amount of money in exchange for their child’s labor. The labor is extremely cheap and the children work until the loan can be paid off in one lump sum. This almost never happens because the interest rates are greater than the wages of the child.

* Information on the traditional uses and properties of herbs/ yoga are provided on this site is for educational use only, and is not intended as medical advice. all image credit goes to their Photographers.

Yoga - Classical system of Hindu Philosophy

Yoga is one of the six classical systems of Hindu philosophy .Yoga is  a school of thought in the Hindu religion, and a system of mental and physical exercise developed by this school. All forms of yoga originated in India. People who follow this school, and practice any form of yoga are called yogis, or yogins. Students study under prolonged and careful guidance of the teacher, known as the guru. The first syllable “gu,” in Sanskrit means light; the second syllable, “ru” means light. A guru is a spiritual teacher who leads the pupil from darkness to light. Literally, yoga means “the union of mind and body.” In Sanskrit, the language of India, yoga means discipline. Many people in western countries practice some form of yoga exercise in hope of improving their health, and achieving peace of mind. Various forms of yoga have become popular in Europe and the United States. Transcendental Meditation is a simplified version of the yoga of Hinduism. Bhakti-Yoga involves the dedication of all actions and thoughts to a chosen God. Hatha-Yoga, stresses difficult bodily postures and breathing techniques. It has become very popular as a method of gaining and improving health. Certain people also study this form of yoga because of the control they develop over certain bodily functions. A new concept in fitness combines gentle stretching with techniques from Hatha Yoga to perform the most effective, relaxing ways of exercising. There are other forms of yoga that are practiced in India. There is Prana Yoga, Brahma Yoga, Kriya Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Tantra Yoga. Yoga is used for many purposes. From cleansing the body, to activating the nervous system, to improving one’s intelligence or sex life. Stretching in yoga is quite relaxing. There are perscribed positions known as asanas. In our society, Hatha Yoga seems to be the most commonly practiced. Yoga is basically a way of life which enables one to conserve energy and coordinate the power of body, mind, consciousness, which keeps the body healthy and the mind relaxed. Yoga is one of the world’s oldest branches of spiritual inquiry, and one of the longest standing, most intense experiments of the human spirit, . Yoga teaches guidelines and values to follow, and practices for purification for the body, mind and spirit. It is the exercise of discipline and the practice of purification. The spiritual tradition of yoga training has been passed down from generation to generation. In the last one hundred years, yoga has become available to the public as never before, presented through hundreds of centers throughout the world, through classes, workshops, videos, books, audio tapes and even television programs.

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What is Alzheimer’s disease? Is yoga & Mediation Helps to treat Alzheimer?

Alzheimer’s is a disease that causes dementia. Alzheimer’s causes nerve cell death and tissue loss throughout the brain. The damage harms memory, speech, and comprehension. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear in their mid-60s. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia among older adults. Alzheimer's disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German doctor. In 1906, In Alzheimer’s disease, brain cells start to deteriorate. The body attempts to stop this process by producing a protein called amyloid. However, amyloid deposits build up in the brain, leading to further deterioration. These deposits of amyloid are referred to as "plaques" and cause the brain cells to shrivel up and form "tangles", which in turn lead to changes in the brain structure and cause the brain cells to die. The formation of plaques and tangles also prevents the production of some important brain chemicals, called neurotransmitters. Over time the loss of brain cells causes the brain to shrink.

Symptoms of Alzheimer’s:

Regularly forgetting recent events, names and faces.

Becoming increasingly repetitive.

Regularly misplacing items or putting them in odd places.

Confusion about the time of day/ Night.

Disorientation, especially away from your normal surroundings.

Problems to finding the right words..

Mood changes, including irritability and anxiety

Difficulty processing new information and learning new things

Loss of spontaneity and initiative, Confusion about time and place

Communication difficulties, Decline in ability to perform routine tasks.

Still there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s and no way to slow the nerve damage it causes in the brain. But there are medications & Therapies that appear to help maintain mental skills and slow the disease’s effects.

How Yoga & Meditation helps in Alzheimer's

The ancient Indian practice of yoga has been improving the mind-body connection under the appearance of a distinct philosophy for over 5,000 years through breathing, posture, and meditation exercises.

Yoga & Meditation plays an important role in slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s and dementias. The word "yoga" comes from the Sanskrit root word "yuja", which means "to yoke" the spirit and physical body together. Yoga has evolved over thousands of years to embrace a wide range of disciplines. Yoga is a popular activity for all. Yoga can be modified to suit all levels of fitness. Yoga has been proven to lower blood pressure and increases strength and flexibility. Yoga energizes our bodies and calms our minds. Yoga is an art as well as a science. It is a science, because it offers practical methods for controlling body and mind, thereby making deep meditation possible. And it is an art, for unless it is practiced intuitively and sensitively it will yield only superficial results. Yoga is not a system of beliefs. It takes into account the influence on each other of body and mind, and brings them into mutual harmony. So often, for instance, the mind cannot concentrate simply because of tension or illness in the body, which prevent the energy from flowing to the brain. So often, too, the energy in the body is weakened because the will is dispirited, or paralyzed by harmful emotions. Yoga works primarily with the energy in the body, through the science of pranayama, yoga for energy-control. Prana means ‘breath.’ Yoga teaches how, through breath-control, to still the mind and attain higher states of awareness. Yoga for those with Alzheimer’s disease is a safe, effective way for them to stay physically strong as well as mentally engaged. Often exercise can stimulate areas of the brain that remain otherwise unused. Yoga is an art as well as a science. It is a science, because it offers practical methods for controlling body and mind, thereby making deep meditation possible. And it is an art, for unless it is practiced intuitively and sensitively it will yield only superficial results. Yoga is not a system of beliefs. It takes into account the influence on each other of body and mind, and brings them into mutual harmony. So often, for instance, the mind cannot concentrate simply because of tension or illness in the body, which prevent the energy from flowing to the brain. So often, too, the energy in the body is weakened because the will is dispirited, or paralyzed by harmful emotions. Practicing yoga poses cleanses and detoxifies the body, by increasing the circulation of fresh blood through the body, you will be able to cleanse and flush out toxins which are the direct result of an irregular lifestyle, unhealthy habits, and poor posture.

“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of mediation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom”.- Mahatma Buddha….

Mantras originated in the Vedic religion of “Aja Nabha Varsha” as nowadays Modern India, later becoming an essential part of the Hindu tradition and a customary practice within Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. The use of mantras is now widespread throughout various spiritual movements which are based on, or Branches of, the practices in the earlier religions. Saying any word produces an actual physical vibration. Over time, if we know what the effect of that vibration is, then the word may come to have meaning associated with the effect of saying that vibration or word. This is one level of energy basis for words. The most basic or primordial mantra is Aum, also known as the “Super Logical Mantra”, is the source of all mantras. Aum is regarded to be the most fundamental and original mantra. Aum represents the reality and totality of the world. Thus, Aum can be prefixed and suffixed to all Sanskrit Mantras or Shlokas. Chanting of mantra was also a concept of the Vedic saints whose end is seen as Nirvana.

Benefits of Chanting Aum ॐ

The ॐ chanting removes toxin from your body. It gives you better immunity and self-healing power.

It improves your concentration and helps you focus on your target.

The ॐ chanting improves your voice and gives strength to vocal cord and muscles during old age.

Om Mantra has a cardiovascular benefit too which keeps blood pressure normal.

It helps in keeping your emotions controlled and thus by putting a control over emotions and leads you to excel in life.

The ॐ chanting produces a vibration and sound which is felt in your vocal cord and sinus. It opens pore which in turn helps in removal of sinus problems gradually and if done in complete faith.

ॐ वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय कोटिसूर्यसमप्रभ ।

निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा ॥ ॥ ॐ

O Lord Ganesha, of huge body with elephant head, shining like

Billions of suns, O God, remove all obstacles from my endeavors, forever.

* Information on the traditional uses and properties of Yoga are provided on this Article is for educational use only, and is not intended as medical advice. Author: Vikas Acharya