Ashtanga, literally means Eight Limbs. It segregates the yogic lifestyle into eight distinct parts as follows:

1. Yama – your touchpoints and relationship with external world and society 

2. Niyama – relating with your own self 

3. Asana– postures, the most ubiquitous definition of yoga 

4. Pranayama – expansion of prana 

5. Pratyahara – turning inwards 

6.Dharana – concentration

7.Dhyan – meditation 

8. Samadhi – final freedom 

For a more nuanced understanding, we will explore these eight parts in our subsequent posts. For now, it is adequate to understand that the first five of these are called bahiranga (external) yoga and the final three are called antarang (internal) yoga. The sequence signifies that yoga is a journey from simplifying your personal and societal engagements to improving your body, mind, and breath, which will finally lead to Samadhi. The samadhi is not a mere word but is equivalent to liberation, complete wisdom regarding your own self.

For most yoga practitioners, Ashtanga yoga means a primary or secondary series of asanas, popularised by the Mysore school. But the true essence of ashtanga lies in Patanjali’s Yogasutra mentioned above. The importance of Asana is to lead you towards a healthy and fully functional physical body. Further, it leads you towards a stillness of mind.  

‘Yoga chittavrittinirodham’, states the Yogasutra- Yoga is the stopping of all fluctuations of the mind. It encourages you to experience the silence of the mind through the silence of the body. 

You can explore more about Yoga in other  posts.

1. Your diet should have a wide variety of foods with the appropriate calorie levels. For major macronutrients, 45 to 65% of calorie intake should be through carbohydrates, 25% through fats and 10 to 15% from proteins
2. Your diet should also contain micronutrients – vitamins and minerals. A diverse diet tends to be more reliable in delivering these nutrients
3. Follow the same eating pattern across your entire life. This will help maintain the right weight and reduce the chances of chronic diseases
4. Limit calories from sugar and saturated fat and reduce intake of salt
5. Cereals, millets, and pulses can offer all macronutrients. However, eggs, fish, chicken, and dairy can also be good additions for people who are not vegetarian
6. Try to eat a minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. The more types of different colored vegetables you take, the better it is. Vegetables and fruits provide vitamins and minerals (Calcium and Iron), dietary fiber and anti-oxidants
7. 1gm of fat contains 9 calories. A lot of the foods we eat also have hidden fats – like biscuits and namkeens or sweetmeats, etc. It is best to limit saturated fats like ghee, butter and consume fat in moderation
8. Avoid overeating – your calorie intake should not exceed requirements because that leads to weight gain which is a major risk factor for a variety of diseases
9. Minimize the use of processed foods that are typically rich in salt, sugar, and fats
10. Drink plenty of water. Choose fresh juice over packed ones. Avoid alcohol and carbonated beverages

With obesity becoming a prime factor in many diseases – high BP, certain cancers, stroke, gallbladder stone, coronary heart diseases, type 2 diabetes and many more – the measurement of obesity has become very important. Obesity is measured in various sophisticated ways like underwater weighing, bio electrical impedance, skinfold thickness measurement through callipers etc. But a very convenient and inexpensive way of measuring fatness and obesity is by calculating the BMI – Body Mass Index. Here is how you do it:

Weight in kgs divided by height in metres squared

Or

(Weight in pounds divided by square of height in inches) multiplied by 703

For example, if my weight is 70 kgs and my height is 150 cm or five feet, then my BMI I is calculated as 70/ (1.5) squared i.e. 31.1

0r 154.3lb/ (60) squared X 703 i.e. 31.1

BMI readings for adults are interpreted as follows:

Below 18.5 – Underweight

18.5 to 24.9 – Normal

25 to 29.9 – Overweight

30 and more – Obese

But don’t panic just yet. Always remember, BMI is an indicative measure and not a firm diagnostic tool. Depending on body composition, muscle mass, etc the BMI for a healthy individual could be outside the recommended normal range too. So if you are outside the recommended range, it is time to look at your diet and exercise again.

#776BC – The Olympics started in Olympia, Greece. The games were a time of celebration and peace when warring states ceased their hostilities. Starting off as one-day events, the Olympics changed to three days in 684 BC and to five-day events in the 5th century B.C.The ancient games had running, discus throwing, boxing, wrestling, pankration(a mix of wrestling and boxing) and chariot races. The heroes were widely feted, statues made in their honour and poems written about them. Some great winners like Leonidas of Rhodes in running, Kyniska of Sparta(a woman in chariot races) and Milon of Croton in wresting have become immortal.

#400BC – Hippocrates recommended walking, wrestling, and push-ups for maintaining fitness. He said: “Positive health requires a knowledge of man’s primary constitution and of the powers of various foods, both those natural to them and those resulting from human skill. But eating alone is not enough for health. There must also be exercise, of which the effects must likewise be known. The combination of these two things makes regimen when proper attention is given to the season of the year, the changes of the wind, the age of the individual, and the situation of his home. If there is any deficiency in food or exercise, the body will fall sick.” ~ Hippocrates

#5th Century AD: Even though there is mention of Yoga in the Rigveda, the entire school of physical, mental skills and practices(196 in all) was codified by Patanjali.

#9th Century Onwards: Rise of Football: There are references to ball games during the 3rd century BC in China and Japan. But the game of football, most similar to today’s version, started becoming popular from 9th century where two large groups of players would play with a ball-like object mostly during festivals.

#12th Century: Zhan Sanfeng is believed to have played a great part in formulating the Chinese school of exercises, like Tai Chi.

#1420: The ItalianVittorino Da Feltre established a school with a high importance on physical education.

#1553: The first book on exercise ‘El Libro del Ejercicio Corporal y Sus Provechos’, was published in Spain by Cristobal Mendez. He analysed all types of exercises from a medical standpoint. It recommended walking as the healthiest of exercises.

# 1786: The influential American liberation hero William Jefferson said that irrespective of weather, one should exercise for two hours every day.

#1810: A German, Friedrich Jahne, opened an open-air gymnasium in Berlin. He was the founder of Gymnastics as a sport and his ideas were widely copied in Europe and US.

#1899– The first magazine on fitness, ‘Physical culture’ launched in the US. The founder Bernarr McFadden strongly recommended daily vigorous exercises and elimination of stimulants like tea, coffee and alcohol.

#776BC – The Olympics started in Olympia, Greece. The games were a time of celebration and peace when warring states ceased their hostilities. Starting off as one-day events, the Olympics changed to three days in 684 BC and to five-day events in the 5th century B.C.The ancient games had running, discus throwing, boxing, wrestling, pankration(a mix of wrestling and boxing) and chariot races. The heroes were widely feted, statues made in their honour and poems written about them. Some great winners like Leonidas of Rhodes in running, Kyniska of Sparta(a woman in chariot races) and Milon of Croton in wresting have become immortal.

#1915 – The US Surgeon general recommended exercise to a quality that is just short of fatigue is essential for both men and women.

#1982– Jane Fonda’s exercise video took exercise to the masses and made it fashionable.

#2014 – The number of Marathon participants exceeds 5,00,000 in the US. For more fun facts, follow the links below:

– https://www.olympic.org/
– https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/the-history-of-physical-fitness/