The Origin of Yoga
In Sanskrit, the term 'Yoga' stands for 'Union'. A Yogi's ultimate aim is to be able to attain this union with Eternal Self with the help of certain mental and physical exercises.
Maharshi Patanjali has been credited for all the extant knowledge of Yoga and its practice in daily life. He was the first to define 'Yogasanas' and 'Pranayama'. In this momentous work, he describes the aim of Yoga as attaining the knowledge of the self. Revered as 'The Father of Yoga', he compiled 195 sutras which serve as a framework for integrating Yoga into the daily routine and leading an ethical life.
Over the years, several eminent scholars have contributed to the evolution of Yoga and are responsible for making it the comprehensive system that it is today. Among them, Sage Gheranda and Dhirendra Bramhachari are worth mentioning. While Sage Gheranda is credited with the compilation of Gheranda Samhita- the most encyclopaedic of the three classic texts on Hatha Yoga, it was Dhirendra Brahmachari who popularised Yoga among the masses through his weekly Yoga programme broadcasted on Doordarshan.
In today’s fast-paced lifestyle, most people have to deal with a lot of stress as well as anxiety. It is well-known that these can not only trigger certain disorders but also aggravate several diseases. Yoga has been well-proven to modulate stress response systems by reducing perceived stress & anxiety.
High cholesterol diets and hectic lifestyle are undoubtedly the primary causes of high blood pressure, which, in turn, becomes the root cause of several life-threatening diseases & conditions. Yoga helps to stabilize the heart rate, thereby lowering the blood pressure.
Yoga is perhaps the only form of activity which massages all the internal glands and organs of the body thoroughly, including those such as the prostate that hardly gets externally stimulated during our entire lifetime. This stimulation and massage of the organs, in turn, benefit us by keeping away diseases.
By gently stretching muscles and joints as well as stimulating the organs, Yoga ensures optimum blood supply to various parts of the body. This helps in flushing out toxins as well as providing nourishment to the body thereby providing benefits such as delayed ageing, energy boost up and a remarkable zest for life.
An undeniable trend of modern lifestyle is long hours of a desk job. While it certainly results in fatigue at the end of the day, it can also hurt our spine badly. Certain Yoga asanas can not only improve our posture but also keep neck and back pain at bay.
Yoga invigorates all the body parts to improve the metabolic process. It also motivates towards healthy eating as Yoga is not just a group of postures, but a complete lifestyle. In this way, Yoga asanas, promote vitality in our body and keep it fit.
The positive effect of Yoga asanas on blood circulation is derived from its beneficial impact on blood flow as well as its activity in achieving a proper hormonal balance. In short, Yoga makes sure that fresh blood gets circulated throughout the body, which our organs crave.
Yoga aids in the construction of a proper routine in more ways than one. This, in turn, creates a regular sleep pattern as well as helps one in maintaining it. In addition to that, it relaxes both the body and mind to give us a deeper and more peaceful sleep.
The immune system is the silent guardian that defends our body against diseases. A strong immune system is not only capable of repelling several diseases and infections, but it can also help the body recover from health problems faster. Yoga boosts an individual’s immunity, thereby strengthening it to fight off various disorders.
With the expansive development in technology and industries fuelled by it, we have seen an unprecedented rise in air pollution. This has made respiratory issues quite a common problem. Diverse Yogic breathing techniques improve overall lung function. Practising these techniques, in the long run, enhances lung capacity and helps combat numerous respiratory conditions.
The enormous physical benefits mentioned above are just a by-product of this powerful practice. What yoga does is, it harmonises the mind with the body and this results in real quantum benefits. It is now an open secret that the will of the mind has enabled people to achieve extraordinary physical feats, which prove beyond doubt the connection between mind and body.
What is Therapeutic Yoga?
We at Naturoveda Health World have immense faith in the healing power of natural therapies and Yoga is one of the most important among them. Realizing the overall benefits of this ancient system, which even modern science validates, we studied its various aspects. We found that practising Yoga every day drastically improves health and promotes wellness. This prompted us to delve deeper into its utility in combating diverse diseases.
We discovered that Yoga can play a vital role in nurturing physiological and mental well-being, as well as in combating numerous health problems. When practised in combination with proper medicines, it can aid the body and mind in overcoming several debilitating conditions. However, we also found that certain Yoga may not be much effective for people struggling with particular ailments. For this reason, it is of utmost importance to understand the disease before embarking on a Yoga routine.
This led to the foundation of a system of recommending Yoga Asanas, Mudras and Pranayamas based on the specific issues of the sufferers, now popularized as ‘Therapeutic Yoga’ by Naturoveda Health World. We have witnessed tremendous results in the treatment of chronic diseases when recommended Yoga is practised regularly along with taking the prescribed medicines and making suitable dietary changes. Lakhs of benefitted sufferers are proof that Therapeutic Yoga is an infallible part of Natural Treatment.
Role of Therapeutic Yoga in Combating Diseases
To better derive the restorative power of Therapeutic Yoga in combating diseases and promoting general well being, it has been divided into 7 different categories.
Research & Development
A study was conducted in Japan to find the effect of Yoga on mental health among young and senior people. A decrease in salivary amylase activity was observed in the participants, which was attributed to the reduction in sympathetic response. Reduction in State and Trait anxiety score signified that Yoga has immediate as well as long-term beneficial effects on anxiety reduction. Yoga helped to improve the mental health in both groups.
In a research conducted by Vivekananda Kendra Yoga Research Foundation at Bangalore, Fifty-three patients with Asthma underwent training for two weeks in an integrated set of Yoga exercises, including breathing exercises, Surya Namaskar, Yogasanas, Pranayama and meditation, and were told to practise them for 65 minutes daily. There was a significantly greater reduction in the weekly number of asthma attacks, scores for drug treatment, and peak flow rate when Yoga was practised along with taking medication.
The ‘International Journal of Preventive Medicine’ published a study that aimed to investigate the effects of Yoga on stress, anxiety and depression in women. The participants were advised to practise Hatha Yoga exercises for 4 weeks. It was inferred that Yoga has an effective role in reducing stress, anxiety and depression.
Dr. Padmini Tekur and her colleagues from the Division of Yoga & Life Sciences at the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation (SVYASA) in India carried out a seven-day randomized control trial featuring 80 patients with chronic lower back pain. The results showed that practising Yoga is effective at reducing pain as well as improving spinal mobility.
Researchers at Benson Henry Institute of Mind Body Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, have asserted that Yoga not just treats physical & psychological issues, rather its regular practice helps to improve our overall health.
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