Yoga brings harmony in all walks of life and prevents disease
& promotes health
India is set to celebrate International Day of Yoga on 21st June 2015 to
highlight the importance, relevance and usefulness of this ancient Indian
technique to the overall benefit of mankind. On December 11, 2014, the 193
member UN General Assembly approved observation of 21 June as
"International Day of Yoga" by consensus with a record 177
countries co-sponsoring the resolution. It is a great opportunity for all of us
to explore ways and means of propagating this knowledge through multiple
strategies.
It all started when the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi
while addressing the 69th session of United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA) on September 27, 2014 extolled the delegates to adopt Yoga.
"Yoga is an invaluable gift of ancient Indian tradition. It embodies
unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment;
harmony between man and nature and a holistic approach to health and
well-being. Yoga is not about exercise but to discover the sense of
oneness with ourselves, the world and Nature. By changing our lifestyle
and creating consciousness, it can help us to deal with climate change.
Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day”, he said.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is essentially a spiritual discipline based on an extremely subtle
science which focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body. It is an art
and science for healthy living. The literal meaning of the Sanskrit word
Yoga is "to add", "to join", "to unite", or
"to attach" is derived from the root yuj. In the
context of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the root yuj samādhau (to
concentrate) is considered by traditional commentators as the correct etymology.
The ultimate goal of Yoga is Moksha (liberation) though the exact definition of
what form this takes depends on the philosophical or theological system with
which it is linked. Apart from the spiritual goals, the physical postures of
yoga are used to alleviate health problems, reduce stress and make the spine
supple in contemporary times. Yoga is also used as a complete exercise program
and physical therapy routine.
The aim of Yoga practice (sādhana) is to overcome all kinds of
sufferings that lead to a sense of freedom in every walk of life with holistic
health, happiness and harmony. The science of Yoga has its origin thousands of
years ago, long before the first religion or belief systems were born. Yoga is
widely considered as an outcome of the Indus Valley Civilisation – dating back
to 2700 BC – and has proven itself to cater to both material and spiritual
uplift of humanity. Though Yoga was practiced in the pre-Vedic period, the
great sage Patanjali systematised and codified the then existing Yogic
practices, its meaning and its related knowledge through Patanjali's Yoga
Sutras. After Patanjali, many sages and Yoga masters contributed greatly for
the preservation and development of the field through well documented practices
and literature. In early 11th century, the Persian scholar Al Birunivisited
India, lived for 16 years and translated several significant Sanskrit works
into Arabic and Persian languages. One of these was Patanjali's
Yogasutras. Al Biruni's translation preserved many of the core themes of
Patañjali's Yoga philosophy, but certain sutras and analytical commentaries
were restated. Al Biruni's version of Yoga Sutras reached Persia and
Arabian peninsula by about 1050 AD.
Yoga has spread all over the world by the teachings of eminent Yoga
masters from ancient times to the present date. Today, everybody has conviction
about Yoga practices towards the prevention of disease, maintenance and
promotion of health. Millions and millions of people across the globe have
benefitted by the practice of Yoga and the practice of Yoga is blossoming and
growing more vibrant with each passing day.
Yoga works on the level of one's body, mind, emotion and energy. This
has given rise to four broad classifications of Yoga: Karma Yoga where we
utilise the body; Jnāna Yoga where we utilise the mind; Bhakti Yoga where we
utilise the emotion and Kriya Yoga where we utilise the energy(breath or pran).
Each system of Yoga we practice falls within the gamut of one or more of these
categories.
Yoga sadhanas
The widely practiced Yoga sadhanas are: Yama, Niyama, Āsana,
Prānāyāma, Pratyāhara, Dhārana, Dhyāna, Samādhi, Bandhas and Mudras,
Shatkarmas, Yuktāhāra, Mantra-japa, Yukta-karma etc. Yamas are restraints
and Niyamas are observances. These are considered to be pre-requisites for
further Yogic practices. Āsanas, capable of bringing about stability of body
and mind, "kuryat-tadasanam-sthairyam", involve adopting various
psycho-physical body patterns and giving one an ability to maintain a body
position (a stable awareness of one's structural existence) for a considerable
length of time. Prānāyāma consists of developing awareness of one's breathing
followed by willful regulation of respiration as the functional or vital basis
of one's existence. It helps in developing awareness of one's mind and helps to
establish control over the mind. In the initial stages, this is done by
developing awareness of the "flow of in-breath and out-breath" (svāsa-prasvāsa)
through nostrils, mouth and other body openings, its internal and external
pathways and destinations.
General Guidelines for Yoga Practice
A Yoga practitioner should follow the guiding principles while
performing Yogic practices:
Cleanliness - includes cleanliness of surroundings, body and mind.
Yogic practice should be performed in a
calm and quiet atmosphere with a relaxed body and mind.
Yogic practice should be done on an
empty stomach or light stomach. Consume small amount of honey in lukewarm water
if you feel weak. ·
Bladder and bowels should be empty
before starting Yogic practices. ·
A mattress, Yoga mat should be used for the practice. ·
Light and comfortable cotton clothes
are preferred to facilitate easy movement of the body. ·
Yoga should not be performed in state
of exhaustion, illness, in a hurry or in acute stress conditions.
In case of chronic disease/ pain/
cardiac problems, a physician or a Yoga therapist should be consulted
prior to performing Yogic practices.
Yoga experts should be consulted before
doing Yogic practices during pregnancy and menstruation·
Breathing should be always through the
nostrils unless instructed otherwise.
Do not hold body tightly, or jerk the
body at any point of time.
It takes some time to
get good results, so persistent and regular practice is very essential.
Yoga session should end with
meditation/ deep silence / Śhānti paṭha.
Bath may be taken only after20-30
minutes of practice.
Food may be consumed only after 20-30
minutes of practice.
Benefits of Yoga
Yoga is essentially a path to liberation from all bondage. However,
medical research in recent years has uncovered many physical and mental
benefits that Yoga offers, corroborating the experiences of millions of
practitioners. A small sampling of research shows that Yoga is beneficial for
physical fitness, musculoskeletal functioning and cardio-vascular health. It is
beneficial in the management of diabetes, respiratory disorders, hypertension,
hypotension and many life style related disorders. Yoga helps to reduce
depression, fatigue, anxiety disorders and stress. Yoga regulates menopausal
symptoms. In essence, Yoga is a process of creating a body and mind that are
stepping-stones, not hurdles, to an exuberant and fulfilling life.
The benefits of Yoga in physical and mental well-being of the people
have been quite established. Incorporating Yoga in to the curriculum of medical
education is a much needed intervention. In the context of increasing
life-style related health problems, and rising cost of curative treatment, the
conventional curriculum guided by Western medicine is no more compatible. Even
considering the amount of stress generated among medical and health
professionals, Yoga appears to be the only ray of hope for facing the enormous
challenges. Every medical college should therefore seriously think in terms of
introducing Yoga for the faculty as well as students for disease prevention and
health promotion. Some can specialize in therapeutic uses of Yoga.
To conclude, Yoga provides a holistic approach to health and well-being
and wider dissemination of information about the benefits of practicing Yoga
for the health of the world population. Yoga also brings harmony in all walks
of life and thus, is known for disease prevention, health promotion and
management of many lifestyle-related disorders.
21st June is the International Day of Yoga
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