Yoga Therapy as a Whole-Person Approach to Health. Lee Majewski
Читать онлайн книгу.
stress continues, there is an increase in symptoms, along with the appearance of generalized physiological symptoms such as occasional hypertension or tremors. This phase can be correlated with the psychological (manomaya) and functional-physiological (pranamaya) aspects of one’s existence, and once again, yoga as a therapy can prove very effective in this phase.
• Somatic: This phase is marked by disturbed function of organs, particularly the target, or involved, organ. At this stage the diseased state can begin to be identified. This phase can be correlated with the anatomical-physical (annamaya) and functional-physiological (pranamaya) aspects of one’s existence. Yoga as a therapy is less effective in this phase, and may need to be used in conjunction with other methods of treatment.
• Organic: This phase is marked by full manifestation of the diseased state, with pathological changes such as an ulcerated stomach or chronic hypertension becoming manifest in their totality with their resultant complications. This phase can be correlated with the anatomical-physical (annamaya) existence as the disease has become fixed in the physical body. This is similar to the modern medical concept of target organ damage (TOD), and yoga as a therapy has a palliative and quality of life-improving effect in this phase. It also produces positive emotional and psychological effects, even in terminal and end of life situations. However, the early stages of the disease process are often overlooked, and the final stage is seen as an entity unto itself, having little relationship to one’s living and thinking habits and patterns. This is because modern medicine only looks at the physical aspects and neglects the influence of existential (pancha kosha) and subtle manifestations (trisharira) on health and disease.
Yoga as a therapy works very well at both the psychic and psychosomatic stages. Once the disease enters the somatic stage, yoga therapy as an adjunct to other therapies may improve the condition. In the organic stage, yoga therapy’s role is more of a palliative, pain-relieving, and rehabilitative nature.
The modern world is facing a pandemic of lifestyle disorders that require changes to be made consciously by individuals themselves. Yoga places great importance on a proper and healthy lifestyle, whose main components are:
• Achar: Yoga stresses the importance of healthy activities such as exercise, and recommends body–breath work (asana, pranayama, kriya) on a regular basis. Improved cardiorespiratory health, exercise tolerance, agility, and physical endurance are by-products of such healthy activities.
• Vichar: Healthy thoughts and a healthy attitude towards life are vital for wellbeing. A balanced state of mind is obtained by following moral self-restraints (yama) and ethical observances (niyama). As Mahatma Gandhi said, “The world has enough in this world for everyone’s needs, but not enough for everyone’s greed.”
• Ahar: Yoga emphasizes the need for a healthy vegetarian diet that has an adequate intake of fresh water along with a well-balanced intake of fresh food, green salads, sprouts, unrefined cereals, and fresh fruits. It is important to be aware of the need for food to be prepared and served with love and affection (sattvic).
• Vihar: Proper recreational activities to relax the body and mind are essential for good health. This includes proper relaxation, maintaining quietude of action-speech-thoughts, and group activities wherein one loses the sense of individuality. Serving others in a selfless manner (Karma Yoga) is an excellent way to achieve inner peace and joy.
• Vyavahar: Healthy interpersonal relationships that enable us to be the best “we” can be, learning to adapt to other people in our life and create a sense of teamwork, enabling the sublimation of the ego into a positive energy that sustains relationships rather than harms them. When we learn to live with gratitude, respect, love, and acceptance, life becomes much better, and we grow as individuals.
Role of yoga as a preventive measure
While it is popular to look for the curative aspects of yoga, we must not forget that the major role of yoga is as a preventive therapy, preventing the painful suffering that is yet to manifest.4
If the practice of yoga is taken up during childhood, we can help so many conditions from occurring later on in life. This is primary prevention. Once the condition occurs, once the disease has set in, we have secondary prevention, which is more in the nature of controlling the condition, to whatever extent we can. Tertiary prevention is done once the condition has occurred, as we try to prevent complications, those that affect the quality of a client’s life.
Clinical applications of yoga have been studied in pediatric and young adult populations with a focus on physical fitness, cardiorespiratory effects, mental health, behavior and development, irritable bowel syndrome, eating disorders, and prenatal effects on birth outcomes. Yoga has been suggested as an option for children to increase their physical activity and fitness, and may be a gateway for adopting a healthy active lifestyle in sedentary children who are intimidated by more vigorous forms of exercise. A detailed review5 showed that yoga may benefit children with mental challenges by improving their mental ability, along with motor coordination and social skills, and that restoration of some degree of functional ability is possible in those with physical disabilities. A notable point mentioned by researchers was that, “Regardless of the goal, Yoga appears to be a multitasking modality that simultaneously treats both physical impairments as well as more global issues such as stress, anxiety, or hyperactivity.”6
To achieve this yogic integration at all levels of our being, it is essential that we take into consideration the all-encompassing multidimensional aspects of human existence that include the following: diet, natural environment, holistic lifestyle, internal attitudes and thought processes, recurring negative emotions, adequate bodywork through conscious and steady postures (asanas), conscious channeling of energy through gestures and neuromuscular locks (mudras, bandhas), breath–body movement integrating practices (kriyas), and breath work through pranayama.
However, the most important point is that some responsibility for health, wellbeing, and healing lies in the hands of each individual. We, as therapists, empower our clients and facilitate their efforts towards self-healing. The Purananuru7 says, “Life’s good comes not from others, nor its gifts, nor ills. Man’s suffering and its relief are both found within.”
Principles of yoga therapy
When we set out to practice yoga therapy, it is vital that we understand and teach the principles of this unique system to our clients in the following way:
1. Developing awareness of the body, emotions, and mind: Awareness of the body can be achieved by conscious bodywork synchronized with breath and awareness in order to qualify as a psychosomatic technique. However, being aware of the emotions and thought processes is a challenge, and may take a lot of practice.
2. Changing dietary habits: Most disorders are directly or indirectly linked to unhealthy dietary patterns that need to be assessed and then addressed.
3. Conscious relaxation of the entire body: Relaxation is often all that most patients need in order to improve their physical condition. Stress is the major culprit and may be the causative, aggravating, or precipitating factor in many psychosomatic disorders. The relaxation part of every yoga session is important as it produces rest, rejuvenation, reinvigoration, and reintegration of all of the body’s systems, down to the cellular level.
4. Slowing down the breath, making it quiet and deep: Rapid, uncontrolled, irregular breathing is a sign of ill health, hyperventilation, and an overactive mind. Slow, deep, and regular controlled breathing through the nose is a sign of health. Breath is the link between body and mind, connecting physical, physiological, and mental factors. When the breath is slowed down, the mind is calm and the metabolic processes are also slowed; anabolic activities begin the process of healing and rebuilding.
5. Calming down the mind and focusing it inwardly: Breath work is the most convenient and effective tool for training and management of the mind. Together with the practice