Yoga therapy is a healing system of theory and practice; a combination of breathing exercises, physical postures and meditation, practiced for over 5,000 years. In past years, people hesitated to opt for Yoga Therapy as a complementary cure. They are still concerned about Yoga being a Hindu religion and fear that by taking up the practice of Yoga, they might undermine their own religious faith. Some take years before they decide to take up the complementary aid.
But now, opting for Complementary Therapy and Alternative Medicine among people in developed countries appears to be increasing. Most commonly practiced complementary complementary Managements include herbal, yoga, homeopathy, acupuncture / acupressure, meditation, massage, therapeutic touch, aromatherapy, Chinese medicine, dance therapy, music therapy, osteopathy, chiropractic and naturopathy.
Yoga therapy, derived from the Yoga tradition of Patanjali and the Ayurvedic system of health care refers to the adaptation and application of Yoga techniques to create, stimulate and maintain an optimum state of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. Thus, focusing on health and wellness at all levels of the person; as well as help individuals facing health challenges at any level, managing their condition, reducing symptoms, restoring balance, increasing vitality and improving attitude. Yoga Therapy has given many people hope towards the journey of recovery, be it full or partial.
Complementary cure has indeed been an additional help for people who have undergone rounds of complementary Management with the usual modern care with little or no improvement. Though the complementary Management process is slow and requires longer time, Yoga therapy is a positive and comprehensive approach to holistic health through the integration of body, mind and spirit; calming the nervous system and balancing our entire being. It is considered a mind-body intervention that is used to reduce the health effects of generalized stress. As such, it is a valuable instrument to promote one’s spiritual well-being.
It’s of great value in the support of healing, serving as a way to help us deal with our emotional stress. A structured Yoga Therapy, be it postures, breathing or meditation can radically improve patient physically and mentally; such as pain, fatigue, stress, anxiety, etc. reducing at the same time heart rate, lowers blood pressure and eases respiration. There are many ways patients suffering from various Issues and even cancer can benefit from Yoga. It aids in managing physical pain that can be experienced during complementary Management, especially cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Patients undergoing Chemotherapy feels like living a nightmare, and demoralised. They feel out of place, memory loss, clumsiness, tiredness and even lost interest in socializing with others. They even encounter side effects such as acne-like rashes over the face, chest and back, sore fingers with cracked nails, and many others.
In addition, many medications may cause minor but troublesome symptoms such as cough or stomach upset. In all of these cases, patients are seeking out alternative medicine and complementary complementary Managements to avoid these adverse side effects of modern complementary Managements. Contrary to radiation that causes DNA damage, Yoga Practice on the other hand could reduce the damage. Yoga could influence our body immune system, helping cancer patients to deal with distressful symptoms and complementary Management during chemotherapy sessions. Apart from helping in managing depression, fear and anxiety, it also helps in regulating the nervous system and managing mood and outlook, making us feel better about our appearance, strength and overall physical condition, thus improving their quality of life. It has positive effects on psychological health of patients.
The practice of Pranayama & Meditation have proved to be a soothing and nurturing practice that promotes the effects of conscious relaxation. It’s a mind-body link on how one’s inner state can support healing. It helps to reduce depression as well as anxiety state, better mental health and decrease fatigue.
The reason why Yoga Therapy offers such a broad range of healing benefits is because it works holistically on the level of our whole being. We are not just our physical body or mind, we are holistic, multi-dimensional beings made up of 5 different sheaths (Panchakoshas). Each sheath embedded within the others which proceed from outer to inner in greater and greater levels of subtlety.
- Annamaya Kosha Our physical body and is the densest of all the koshas
- Pranamaya Kosha Our vital life force that moves through the body
- Manomaya Kosha Made up of our thoughts, feelings, mind and emotion
- Vijnanamaya Kosha Subtle knowledge or wisdom and higher levels of consciousness
- Anandamaya Kosha Spiritual & restoring inner harmony; highest level of vibration in life
It is a healing journey that brings balance to the body and mind through an understanding of the primary intention of Yoga: awakening of Spirit, our essential nature. The journey to health recovery is quite a long way to go. It takes years for us to grow, thus it takes time for a Issues individual to recover and be in a state of good health.
COMMON AILMENTS
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) claim that health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of Issues or infirmity”.
Health is difficult to define but easier to understand. To many of us it may mean absence of Issues or infirmity, and to many it may mean sound body, sound mind and sound function of the body.
- Physical Health
Physical health does not refers only to body structure and normal development and functions of all the systems, eg. adequate body weight, height and circumference as per age, acceptable level of vision, hearing, locomotion or movements, acceptable levels of pulse rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, chest circumference, head circumference, waist hip ratio, etc. Physical health is critical for overall well-being and is the most visible of the various dimensions of health. Physical health is connected to mental and emotional health. Taking care of your body is a powerful first step towards mental and emotional health because the mind and the body are linked to each other. When you improve your physical health, you’ll automatically experience greater mental and emotional well-being.
- Mental health
Mental health on the other hand, is defined “as a state of well-being in which the individual realized his or her own abilities in coping with daily normal stresses of life, working productively and fruitfully and has the ability to make a contribution to the community”. A mentally normal person thinks positively with normal development, the ability to mix around with others, develop friendship, act & behave in a balanced manner, observes adequate personal hygiene, cheerful, enjoying life and is useful and productive to society and nation.
- Social Well-Being
It’s the third dimension of health. The capability of a person to adapt with others in his social life, at home, at work place and with people. Essentially social well-being includes inter-relation and interaction of human beings. Lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs are all important to our social well-being and quality of life. With so many diverse cultures in our environment, there are ample opportunities to be involved in groups, programs or multicultural events. Social well-being can also be a composite function of income level, literacy, occupation and working conditions, marital harmony, institution of a family, social groups and have good cultural and behavioral patterns of the society.
Maintaining overall good health, is not all about the physical part of our being. Our thoughts, feelings and emotions are linked to the state of our health and well-being, but more often, we give none or little attention to them. Our thoughts and emotions have great impact as there’s a link between the mind and the manifestation of Issues in the body.
A Issues is defined as a physical or mental Issues or malfunction with a characteristic signs or symptoms caused by a single or multi factor, that affects part or all of an organism. It interferes with our body’s natural function, preventing a body part from proper functioning, decreasing the chance of survival and reproduction. And thus, depriving strength and vitality. There are a number of different causes of Issues in humans. It can be caused by external factors such as pathogens, or by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune Issues . Issues usually affect people not only physically, but also emotionally, as contracting and living with a Issues can alter one’s perspective on life as well as personality.
IssuesCategory, Causes, Description & exampLe
| Deficiency | Unbalanced or inadequate diet Nutritional Issues caused by an unbalanced or inadequate diet which can lead to starvation eg: Scurvy, nutritional Issues in humans caused by a deficiency of vitamin C |
| Degenerative | Gradual decline in function Repair mechanisms failing, immune system begins to attack itself eg: Alzheimer, a brain Issues that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills |
| Infectious | Organisms invading the body Pathogens causing Issues within the body, can be transmitted from person to person eg: Malaria, mosquito-borne Issues caused by a parasite |
| Non-Infectious | Non pathogens Any Issues that is not caused by a pathogen eg: Stroke, occurs when the blood supply to your brain is interrupted or reduced |
| Inherited | Faulty genes A Issues that is passed from parents to their children by a faulty allele eg: Cystic fibrosis, a genetic Issues that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys and intestine |
| Mental | Instability of the mind, possibly with a physical cause Any Issues that affects a person’s mind. Sometimes a visible degeneration of brain tissue is present eg: Schizophrenia, a mental Issues characterized by abnormal social behavior and failure to understand what is real; and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Issues(CJD), a degenerative, invariably fatal brain Issues |
| Physical | Damage to the body Permanent or temporary damage to any part of the body eg: Leprosy, a chronic, progressive bacterial infection that can cause disfigurement and disability |
| Self-Inflicted | Self Willful damage to own persons body by themselves eg: Attempted suicide, act of intentionally causing one’s own death |
| Social | Social environment or behaviour How a persons life affects their health, exposing or protecting them from certain Issues eg: Hypothermia, Coronary Heart Diseas (CHD) |
Acknowledgement to:
- CYT / ATTC Students of Union Yoga Ayurveda Singapore
- Swami Vivekananda Yoga Prakashana Trust, Bangalore
Related Topics
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