Yoga practices have repeatedly demonstrated its superiority over medication in keeping us hale & hearty without side effects and risks. It is time we espouse the Yoga route rather than pills for the health of our mind, body and spirits.
The ancient art & science of healing, ‘Yoga’ is the buzz word in health sector, the world over. The burgeoning literature and periodicals on Yoga are testimony to its growing popularity. Yoga was propounded by Maharshi Patanjali, who collated and finetuned its diverse aspects in ‘Yog Sutras’. Yoga practice emanates from premise that we are all connected with the universal soul. It addresses the physiological, mental, psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects of man resulting in holistic wellbeing of the individual. Lord Shiva is acclaimed as Adiyogi i.e. foremost of among Yoga gurus, God Krishna being next in row.
Yoga – Panacea for mental issues: Yoga works at the systemic level so that its impact is of abiding nature. No wonder, Yoga exercises have been incorporated in daily schedule of leading educational institutions and work places worldwide. At a juncture with epidemic of loneliness looming large, as US Surgeon-General Vivek Murthy has warned, and mental sicknesses growing exponentially, it is time we espouse Yoga cult of Indian origin in our own interest. Based on many comprehensive studies, last year, AIIMS New Delhi proclaimed, “Yoga not only promotes health but can also prevent the onset of diseases and can be used as an adjunct in the management of diseases.”
In Oriental school of thought, keeping healthy is not an end in itself but a modality to attain spiritual enlightenment (Shariramadyam dharm khalu sadhanam i.e. the body is the first essentiality to achieve the ultimate objective). It is one’s duty to maintain one’s health so that the tasks ordained by God can be served. “To keep the body in good health is your duty,” said Buddha. The tenets of Yoga are intertwined with the lifestyle and philosophy advocated by Ayurveda that has clear guidelines on keeping our body, mind and spirits in order through appropriate food intake, breath control, purity of thought, developing harmony with what Nature warrants, etc. It elaborates on the recommended quality, quantity and nature of food intake and emphasises survival on the minimal food intake, plea for incorporating utmost of local produce in daily diet, the specific posture and temperament to be adopted when ingesting food.
Global appeal after India’s initiative in UN: Global attention to espouse Yoga was rekindled after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposal at the UN General Assembly in 2014 to observe 21 June as International Yoga Day to promote global health, amity and peace was supported by an overwhelming majority of 177 member-states.
Complete curative system: Yoga is a comprehensive system covering body fitness, and ultimately meditation & mindfulness, a stage when the individual soul is enabled to recognise itself as integral part of universal soul in which it finally subsumes. The basic tenets of Yoga consist of physical postures including Asanas; breathing techniques; meditation; and finally, mindfulness. For many years, among others AIIMS New Delhi has been conducting studies on effect of Yoga practices on disorders of heart, respiratory system, musculo-skeletal system and other ailments, and proclaimed that many medical issues can be significantly mitigated or resolved via the Yoga route. A recent 6-week study by AIIMS Delhi on the effect of yoga on fertility outcomes concluded that “Yoga … results in a significant improvement of both mental and physical health and improvement in all domains of quality of life.” It also brought to fore that “Regular Yoga practice with improvement in sperm parameters and improvement in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA integrity may aid in couples to conceive spontaneously … by reducing incidence of pregnancy losses, implantation failures and significant morbidity and mortality in the offspring.”
Yogic Asanas particularly Surya Namaskar have demonstrated significant benefits in arthritis and bone problems. Anulom-vilom and deep breathing brought immense benefits in asthma and other respiratory disorders. Todasan or tree posture provides enough relief to people with complaint of lower back pain. Uttanasana curbs depression, triangular poses yielded favourable outcomes for diabetics. Patients of liver, polycystic ovaries and other chronic medical conditions also report satisfaction with Yoga exercises.
Breathing – the mainstay of Yoga: The mainstay of Yoga exercises is on breath control. At higher echelons, Yogis are known to survive without breathing for days, weeks, months even longer. The direct, long-term benefits accruing to the Yoga practitioners are multi-fold. In the stress-ridden world we live today, Yoga comes as a ready help to enhance mental clarity, reduce anxiety levels, improve attention span, boost mood, induce quality sleep and enhance self-awareness. It has rejuvenating and renewing impact. Yoga gurus like Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, Swami Sivananda Saraswati, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Swami Rama, B.K.S Iyengar, Krishna Pattabhi Jois, Jaggi Vasudev, Paramahansa Yogananda, and most recently Baba Ramdev who have contributed immensely to the richness of Yoga cult. The Yogashrams in Rishikesh, Pune are being consistently thronged by seekers, mostly the foreigners. That many of these are working on commercial lines should not impinge on the advantages we can derive from Yoga. Why we Indians should be left behind?
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This article was published in Orissa Post with the title, ‘Art and Science of Yoga’ on 21 June 2024 (edit page).
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Very nice stuff.