Something about India...

India, officially the Republic of India (Bharat Ganrajya),is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Burma and Bangladesh to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four world religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—originated here, whereas Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium.
The Indian economy is the world's tenth-largest by nominal GDP and third-largest by purchasing power parity (PPP). Following market-based economic reforms in 1991, India became one of the fastest-growing major economies; it is considered a newly industrialised country.

Veda

The Vedas are the ancient scriptures or revelation (Shruti) of the Hindu teachings. They manifest the Divine Word in Vedahuman speech. They reflect into human language the language of the Gods, the Divine powers that have created us and which rule over us. There are four Vedas, each consisting of four parts. The primary portion is the mantra or hymn section (samhita). To this are appended ritualistic teachings (brahmana) and theological sections (aranyaka). Finally philosophical sections (upanishads) are included. The hymn sections are the oldest. The others were added at a later date and each explains some aspect of the hymns or follows one line of interpreting them. The Vedas were compiled around the time of Krishna (c. 3500 B.C.), and even at that time were hardly understood. Hence they are very ancient and only in recent times has their spiritual import, like that of the other mystery teachings of the ancient world, begun to be rediscovered or appreciated even in India. Like the Egyptian teachings they are veiled, symbolic and subtle and require a special vision to understand and use properly.

Rig Veda: The Rig Veda is the oldest of the Vedas. All the other Vedas are based upon it and consist to a large degree of various hymns from it. It consists of a thousand such hymns of different seers, each hymn averaging around ten verses. The Rig Veda is the oldest book in Sanskrit or any Indo-European language. Its date is debatable. Many great Yogis and scholars who have understood the astronomical references in the hymns, date the Rig Veda as before 4000 B.C., perhaps as early as 12,000. Modern western scholars tend to date it around 1500 B.C., though recent archeological finds in India (like Dwaraka) now appear to require a much earlier date. While the term Vedic is often given to any layer of the Vedic teachings including the Bhagavad Gita, technically it applies primarily to the Rig Veda.

Sama Veda: The Sama Veda is the Yoga of Song. It consists of various hymns of the Rig Veda put to a different and more musical chant. Hence the text of the Sama Veda is a reduced version of the Rig Veda. Its secret is in its musical annotation and rendering. The Sama Veda represents the ecstasy of spiritual knowledge and the power of devotion. The Rig Veda is the word, the Sama Veda is the song or the meaning. The Rig Veda is the knowledge, the Sama Veda its realization. Hence the two always go together like husband and wife. The Rig Veda is the wife and the Sama is the husband.

Yajur Veda: The Yajur Veda seen by the outer vision is the Veda of ritual. On an inner level, it sets forth a yogic practice for purifying the mind and awakening the inner consciousness. Several versions of the Yajur Veda exist, which differ in a number of respects. It was the main Veda used by the priests in ancient India and has much in common with the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

Atharva Veda: The Atharva Veda is the last of the Vedas. It has not always been accepted as a Veda, which are often spoken of as three. It still contains many hymns from the Rig Veda but also has some more popular magic spells which are outside of the strictly ritual-knowledge orientation of the other Vedas.

Ayurveda

Ayurveda is made up of two Sanskrit words: Ayu which means life and Veda which means the knowledge of. To know about life is Ayurveda. However, to fully comprehend the vast s cope of Ayurveda let us first define "Ayu" or life. According to the ancient Ayurvedic scholar Charaka, "ayu" is comprised of four essential parts. The combination of mind, body, senses and the soul.

Ayurveda is an intricate system of healing that originated in India thousands of years ago. We can find historical evidence of Ayurveda in the ancient books of wisdom known as the Vedas. In the Rig Veda, over 60 preparatison were mentioned that could be used to assist an individual in overcoming various ailments. The Rig Veda was written over 6,000 years ago, but really Ayurveda has been around even longer than that. What we see is that A yurveda is more than just a medical system. It is a Science of Life. We are all part and parcel of nature. Just as the animals and plants live in harmony with nature and utilize the Laws of Nature to create health and balance within their beings, we, too, adhere to these very same principles. Therefore, it is fair to say that Ayurveda is a system that helps maintain health in a person by using the inherent principles of nature to bring the individual back i nto equilibrium with their true self. In essence Ayurveda has been in existence since the beginning of time because we have always been governed by nature's laws.

Yoga

Yoga is a way of life, an art of righteous living or an integrated system for the benefit of the body, mind and inner spirit. This art originated, was perfected and practiced in India thousands of years ago. The references to yoga are available in 'Upanishads' and 'Puranas' composed by Indian Aryans in the later Vedic and post- Vedic period. The main credit for systematizing yoga goes to Patanjali who wrote 'Yoga Sutra', two thousand Years ago. He described the principles of the full eight fold yogic discipline. He composed the treatise in brief code words known as 'Sutras'. 'Yoga Sutra' is the most important basic text on Yoga. It is through this basic treatise that the essential message of yoga spread throughout the world. Aim of Yoga is the attainment of the physical, mental and spiritual health. Patanjali has recommended eight stages of Yoga discipline. They are
Yamas- Yamas (abstentions or restrains)

Niyamas- Niyamas (observances)-austerities, purity, contentment, study, surrender of the ego
Asanas- Physical postures or exercises
Pranayama- Control of vital energy (Breathing control)
Partyahara- Withdrawal of the senses
Dharana- Concentration of the mind (Contemplation)
Dhyana- Meditation
Samadhi- Attainment of The super conscious state

Meditation

What is Meditation
Meditation is one of the five points practiced in Yoga. Meditation relates to positive thinking. Since ancient times sages and saints of India have been practicing Meditation. Meditation is done to reach positive and holistic health. Meditation can be practiced to develop the awareness and the energy required to transform deep-rooted mental habit patterns.

Forms of Meditation
The various forms of meditation comprise of Chakra, Yantra and Mantra. They all aim at calming the mind through concentration. Meditation, the state of extreme absorption leads to peace and empowerment. Meditation is practiced in various styles like concentrating on an image, chanting or regulatory breathing. All of the styles aim at preventing thoughts and aiming at the energy centers in the body.

The Benefits of Meditation
The techniques of meditation are simple and easy to learn, though the ability to keep the mind focused takes time, patience and practice. The practice of meditation, regularly, gives the benefits like reduction of stress, tension, anxiety and frustration, as well as improved memory, concentration, inner peace and physical well being. Meditation have also proved themselves to be highly effective in treating psychological problems such as obsessive-compulsive disorders, depression, schizophrenia, anxiety and irrational fears.

The Practices Covered in Meditation
Meditation is one of the most important components of Yoga. Meditation is a mind-body therapy involving a series of exercises. The word 'Meditation' covers many practices from visualizing situations, focusing on objects or images, thinking through a complex idea, or even getting lost in a provocative book. However in Yoga, Meditation generally refers to the practice of focusing the mind and observing oneself in the moment.

Meditation and Ecosystem
Meditation is an Eco-Friendly way to treat the body, mind and soul. Meditation is a form of treatment, which does not harm our environment and our ecosystem. Our Ecosystem remains intact, as Meditation does not require in biological system to produce treatment.