Modern medical science is based on controlled clinical trials. Seeking and establishing this scientifically in an unknown area is indeed a challenging responsibility. The benefits of Yoga or Pranayam are established from personal experience and regular practice.
Adopting a new system in life is very difficult. Indians have adopted Yoga as a life-style since the beginning of civilisation. The practice of Yoga became less popular during the Middle Ages, but the present Yoga revolution is reviving the past, as millions of people are practising and getting the benefits.
Our aim is that Yoga should become a philosophy of life for everyone and people with any condition should take to Yoga to regain their health. The practitioners of Yoga should be able to experience ultimate happiness and a blissful state of mind, those feeling lost should find some direction. Those feeling dejected, insecure or suicidal may get on the path of self awareness.
Today, through Yoga, the strong humanistic, nationalistic, spiritualistic forces and those standing for truth and righteousness in the world are coming together, paving the way for world peace and welfare. Yoga is a blessing for those not only in
Today, Yoga has acquired global recognition and an exalted status as an ancient health-building system. While many medical practitioners and intellects are keen to test it using scientific evaluation methods, there are several others who are resisting this trend and inclusion of Yoga in medical science.
The welfare of patients is being overlooked for the sake of personal, commercial and business interests. We are not trying to question the ethos behind existing medical/health systems, but aim to start a healthy debate about health concerns internationally and secure the right to health for everyone.
Today, we have reached a state where every intellectual of the world has great appreciation for Yoga as a complete medical science and philosophy of life and accepts its scientific reasoning and basis. Yoga is not just a physical exercise, but a holistic medical science; it is a philosophy of life, a spiritual knowledge, a profound philosophical thought process, but it is also about having a simple, easy and balanced lifestyle. It is the path to gain eternal wisdom, ultimate truth and to unite the inner soul with the supreme soul through self realisation.
It is a tradition in which sages have attained immeasurable bliss, indescribable happiness and inexplicable peace by entering the supreme consciousness which is present beyond mind. It is the science that inhibits the agitations of the mind and takes it to its highest level. Yoga is the spiritual journey from ignorance to knowledge, mortality to immortality, obvious to hidden, peace to ultimate tranquillity. It is a holistic and scientific process to transform body, mind and life.
Yoga is the greatest Indian concept offered to the world. For a civilised society and for a successful individual, Yoga is perhaps the finest and most clearly laid out uplifting system available so far.
Our lungs contain approx 180-200 cubic inches of air. When we inhale we take in approx 30 cubic inches of air and exhale the same amount. In this way we can see that, out of the total amount of air inhaled, around 150 cubic inches remains in the lungs all the time. If we take a deep long breath then we can manage up to 100 cubic inches of air.
With the help of Pranayam we can influence a major part of this air present in the lungs. If the air is pure, the food is digested properly, the body organs become strong, and the body as a whole is purified and rejuvenated. Whatever food we eat comes into contact with oxygen that is inhaled in the process of respiration. This process prepares several important elements required by the body.
The carbon present in the food becomes carbon dioxide. It mixes with nitrogen, another gas that is present in the food, and is thrown out when we exhale. Phosphorus present in the food comes into contact with oxygen and becomes phosphate, which builds healthy bones in the body.
It needs to be mentioned that short, incomplete and shallow respiration is generally fast and the person taking short breaths tends not to live long. The longer, deeper and slower the breath, the longer the life. This is the secret behind the long life of a tortoise, which lives up to 200 years or even more. It takes three to five breaths in a minute.
Pigeons, pigs and other animals take 34-37 breaths per minute and live approx 10-12 years. Human beings take 15 breaths in a minute and by practising Pranayam they can increase their life span. Controlling the breath gives the ability to control the sensory organs, and leads to intellectual and spiritual attainment. History is full of references to stories of practitioners of Pranayam.
The mind is like a mirror, which reflects the image of an individual. It is the mind that creates peace in war and war in peace, harmony in disharmony and vice-versa. Our mind is the biggest problem and eventually also the solution to all problems.
According to Yoga our mind can be in different states or conditions. These are inaction, destruction, concentration and deep meditation. When we are worried, angry or sad our mind is lost somewhere or totally insensitive. In this state, passion is predominant and the mind is wandering engrossed in meaningless activities. When our body is weak and unconscious due to some disease the mind it is said to be in a state of confusion.
In this stage the mind is generally dominated with negative feelings like jealousy, hatred etc. and is a result of anger arising in the mind.
During this stage the person forgets their responsibilities and gets angry at the slightest thing and is inclined to negative actions.
The person who controls their feelings in terms of loss-gain, fame-defame, victory-defeat, happiness-unhappiness, life-birth and other worldly factors mainly is said to be associated with distraction.
When someone is able to concentrate on one particular subject totally, it is called concentration; deep concentration is when the mind is free from all kinds of thoughts in the mind. After reaching this stage, i.e., distraction, the person starts experiencing the possibility of concentrating the mind on one subject; during this stage the person tries to concentrate their mind on one goal or aim.
When the mind wanders in this state for some time it automatically gets into the stage of deep meditation. This is the ultimate stage of purity and positive thinking and the person experiences happiness and various levels of meditation and ultimately attains salvation.
The practice of Yoga destroys all the anguishes and strengthens the mind. Yoga practice improves resoluteness in a surprising manner and, as a result, life becomes balanced and joyful naturally. The directions, prescribed by modern science for having a balanced life are too superficial; the biggest challenge for anyone is to maintain balance and harmony during this age of complexity and adversity.
Stress is spreading like an epidemic owing to the increasing desire for material comforts, problems at home and in the work place, unfulfilled ambitions leading to frustration and sad memories. Restlessness, anger, anxiety, depression, stress, lack of concentration, non-productivity, loss of memory, irritability and insomnia are the results of stress. Stress leads to blood pressure and other diseases and disorders.
Specialists all over the world recommend meditation in order to get rid of stress. Many Western psychiatrists are using Yoga to a great extent; the patient under stress is asked to control their actions and mental conditions with the help of Pranayam and their mind in the form of guided relaxation - this is another form of meditation , but is also very beneficial.
Yoga has provided a fixed method to make the mind bright, intelligent and energetic through meditation and concentration. Whenever people think of this health revolution, they will certainly appreciate all the efforts brought together to bring you these articles so you and yours can also enjoy the benefits.
During these series of articles, 'Yoga in Synergy with Medical Science', we will be bringing Yoga and Ayurved along with other Indian Medical Systems currently in use around the world to the mainstream. In the forthcoming issues we will be looking at the effects of Yoga on various diseases and disorders. TT
Images -