YOGA INDIA

Yoga
Yoga is primarily a philosophical science, born out of man's need to fathom the meaning of existence. Patanjali, the father of yoga, states in the second sutra, (the yoga sutras):"Yogah cittavrtti nirodhah." (yogah = integration of all levels of our being; citta = consciousness; vrtti = fluctuation or state of mind; nirodhah = restraint) - meaning, "Yoga is the cessation of consciousness."

The ultimate aim of yoga is self-evolution. In ancient times, when people lived the yogic way, good health was the natural result of their lifestyle. But, as health deteriorated with man's changing values, yoga gained ground in its use as therapy.

Patanjali explained that uncertain action, giving rise to violence, whether done directly or indirectly, or condoned, is caused by greed, anger, or delusion in different degrees. This causes endless pain and ignorance. Through introspection comes an end to pain and ignorance. This sutra explains the essence of the genesis of ill-health in today's world and also the method of management. Diseases are due not just to physical reasons but to decay in moral standards also. So the curative methods, should not be confined to the material plane alone.


Yoga and Modern Medicine - A Comparison
The fact that yoga can prevent and cure many ailments is well known. Yoga should not be viewed as an alternative system of medicine but as a primary form of cure in those areas in which yoga alone can cure ill-health. Yoga can tackle many major illnesses non-invasively; it is not just a stress-reliever or a panacea. This places yoga in a different dimension altogether. Modern medicine uses bio-feedback as a stress-relieving technique, but yoga works on the inner senses and mind in a conscious process and is more direct in its approach. It is an automatic feedback system.
Modern medicine undergoes constant change. Theories alter by the minute. Terminologies are modified in each national or international conference. Newer drugs are being discovered to tackle old and new illnesses; old illnesses are vanishing and new ones taking their place.
The science of yoga however, has remained unchanged, as the yogic procedures have been researched on and determined by our ancient seers. There are clear-cut guidelines for both prevention and cure. Today when, in despair at the failure of Western medicine to deliver every time, we are turning to natural remedies, yoga is coming into its own.
The ancients said that the mind is the cause of all diseases, physiological or mental. Modern medicine has corroborated this with the word `psychosomatic'. Now there is clear proof that mental stress produces many diseases coronary and respiratory illness, peptic ulcers, weak immune systems. Mental stress is due to disorganised behavior inside the psyche. The soma or body is influenced by the sense organs (which are the agents of the mind). On coming into contact with a pleasurable situation or object for example, a cigarette they give feedback to the mind. The organs of action pursue the same object to perpetuate the experience.
Thus, the mind and senses are caught in a vicious cycle each reinforcing the other, being themselves reinforced by the experience. Patanjali emphasised that the cause of pain lies in the identification of the seer with the seen, and the remedy lies in the disassociation. If the mind is silenced by the practice of asanas and pranayama and the senses are quietened, one's perception is altered, leading to a sense of detachment in observation. The senses are not stimulated. The person uses innate intelligence to remain unaffected by pleasurable situations. In other words, realising the transient nature of everything, he or she is equanimous in all situations.
The relation between the psyche and soma is harmonized by the practice of yoga. Drugs may cure illnesses, but the basic inner foundation for achieving health, the harmonization of the inner psyche, is not established. Yoga is of most value in this.

Yoga is an ancient system of relaxation, exercise, and healing with origins in Indian philosophy. Yoga has been described as "the union of mind, body, and spirit," which addresses physical, mental, intellectual, emotional and spiritual dimensions towards an overall harmonious state of being.
Yoga as an alternative medicine is a healing system of theory and practice, its a combination of breathing exercises, physical postures, and meditation, practiced for over 5,000 years.

Yoga is considered a mind-body intervention that is used to reduce the health effects of generalized stress.
Yoga is believed to calm the nervous system and balance the body, mind, and spirit.
It is thought by its practitioners to prevent specific diseases and maladies by keeping the energy meridians open and life energy (Prana) flowing.
Yoga is usually performed in classes, sessions are conducted at least once a week and for approximately 45 minutes.
Yoga has been used to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and improve coordination, flexibility, concentration, sleep, and digestion..
Yoga, one of the complementary alternative medicine therapies, is a healing and releasing self therapy.
Yoga is a great complementary alternative medicine therapy to release stress and to come out of the negative feelings that your body is holding onto.
Yoga is an art, if you do it correctly. You can learn it easily and you can also continue it on a daily basis. The more you practice yoga the greater are the benefits you can get.
Yoga can cure and treat you in more than one aspect of your life. Simply speaking it is a holistic treatment that treats your mind, body and soul.
Power of the Human Mind
With regard to many of the benefits of yoga, the mechanisms are at very subtle levels. The concepts of treatment in Yoga are different from those of western medicine. Sometimes, we in the medical profession, having been tuned to a particular way of approaching the human body, find it difficult to accept other systems of cure. It is a fact that the human mind is the source of immense energy. We use only one-tenth of our brain cells, the remainder being inactive. In a yogi, with accomplished capacity for supernormal healing, it is postulated that much more of the brain is active. Yogis have demonstrated their healing powers time and again; but this cannot be as objectively studied as western medicine would like it to be. There are no medical yardsticks to measure many of the effects of asanas and pranayama. There is no way of studying the workings of the mind in the material plane. Mind is energy, and energy can heal or destroy, depending on the proper balance in and around us.
Life is an offshoot of the basic energy in all living things, and when this is depleted, there is a state of death. This energy balance is disturbed in many illnesses. When a drug is administered, it is not that alone which cures; the inner strength of the body also aids it. If this fails, in spite of the medicine, the patient can die. The human will has been recognized as a considerable force in overcoming many illnesses. Beyond this, western medicine refrains from comment. But, yogic science has explored this and has realised that it is possible to achieve a state where the mind triumphs over matter.
A simple example is the ability to shut off pain. It is possible to avoid experiencing severe pain physically by intensely repositioning the mind in a different direction. In this respect, yogis have always demonstrated the supreme capacity of mind over matter. A telling example is that of the very famous sage, Sri Ramana Maharishi of Tamil Nadu in India. When sarcoma was diagnosed, and an operation was imminent, he refused an anesthetic and felt no pain at all.