Yoga the Opportunity for Health
Dr. Swami Vivekananda Saraswati
MB, BS [Syd], MANZCP, DPM
From the beginning of man's existence on earth, life has been a struggle,
but as we trace the development of the human being, we see the gradual
emergence of his ability to master the environment. With his superior
intelligence, ingenuity and amazing adaptability to different situations,
he has progressively gained power over his external foes. The predators,
the prey, the weather, the terrain, all have fallen under his dominance.
However, he is still a victim of his internal foes- the illnesses of the
mind and body - and as we look around the world today we sometimes wonder
if he is really making headway with these problems.
Modern medical science, which has given us community hygiene, nutrition
and scientific treatments, has freed a large number of people from the
illnesses of old times, but these have been replaced by new problems.
The diseases of malnutrition have, in much of the world, been replaced
by those of over-nutrition. The injuries of the ancient hunter have been
replaced by the hypertension, ulcers, and heart problems of the man who
is still a hunter at heart, but whose outlet for his combativeness is
blocked. The uncertainty of life in the wide open spaces has been replaced
by the soul destroying constriction and pollution of the cities. The unpredictability
of life in the wild has been replaced by the dull monotony of the civilized
life, the frustrations of life without real challenge, and the host of
diseases that result from all those frustrations.
We have gained many benefits from gathering together in 'civilized' communities,
but we are also paying a great price. We have been taken away from our
natural habitat and are suffering from the depression, frustration, resentment,
and general lack of real direction in our lives, which has resulted from
this disruption.
Where are we going? What are we here for? Are we really meant for the
life we are leading or is there something else? When we become sick, to
what extent can we cure ourselves? Can we prevent illness altogether?
Can we remain completely healthy, and if so, how do we do it? More basically,
do we have another destiny? Are we really fulfilling our true potential
and moving in the right direction? Is this all there is, or is there a
greater potential within us which has been blocked? If there is, how can
we free ourselves of the blockage and release this potential?
For thousands of years, yoga has been addressing itself to these questions
and giving guidance to those who are sincerely seeking the answers. Yoga
is concerned with unfolding the potential that lies dormant within us,
but as a side-effect, it also frees us from the illnesses, both mental
and physical, of which we are victims.
Yoga viewpoint of health
Doctors generally agree that the majority of illnesses are due to mental
tension. Even the very 'physical' diseases, cancer or infections, now
appear to have their origin in the mind. For example, the onset of these
illnesses depends on inadequacy of the body's immune - defence system
and we now know that this system is very much under the influence of the
mind. Over recent decades the doctors have recognized more and more illnesses
as being a result of mental tension, but the yogis have always gone a
step further. They say that virtually all illnesses are directly caused
in the person by mental tension. There are exceptions of course, such
as malnutrition and toxic poisons, and we know that cosmic factors such
as phases of the moon, activity of the sun, the seasons, the weather etc.,
can be powerful precipitating factors. However, generally, according to
the yogis the roots of our illnesses are implanted in the mind, and that
is ultimately where we must look to eliminate them.
How does mental tension cause physical illness?
The mind, acting through the central nervous system affects the body
through three channels:
1. Somatic nervous system - controls the voluntary actions of the body
such as walking, talking and using the muscles any time we decide to
do so.
2. Autonomic nervous system - controls the involuntary actions such
as digestion, heartbeat and blood pressure.
3. Endocrine glands- produce hormones which are chemicals that affect
the body chemistry and its actions in a wide variety of ways.
It can thus be seen that every cell, organ and system within the body
is directly influenced by the mind, through the nervous system and its
outlets.
How does yoga therapy work?
Yoga therapy restores all the above systems to their normal state by
acting in four areas :
1. The affected part is restored to its normal function. For example,
if a person has a spinal problem due to mental tension, the yoga postures
relax the spasm of the muscles in that part of the spine. In this case,
yoga acts directly on the part that is affected, without creating an
imbalance or disturbance in any other part of the body.
2. The connections with the central nervous system are balanced and
normalized. For example, there are some practices such as kunjal kriya
which act directly on the autonomic nerves and plexuses. In the case
of asthma, the imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic
parts of the system are normalized, the bronchial tubes of the lungs
open, and thus the person can breathe freely again.
3. The, central nervous system itself may be directly affected. Some
practices such as brahmari pranayama appear to act on the brain itself,
and it is probably through this avenue that they produce a quick and
lasting relaxation.
4. Many yoga practices directly relieve the tensions of the mind. Meditation
is the best known, but yoga nidra and many of the physical practices
have a positive effect in this area.
The field of yoga is a complete one, all the way from the 'target organ'
to the fundamental cause of the problem, in the mind. This integration
is very necessary of course, because all parts of the system are so intimately
related.
Does yoga replace other treatments?
Obviously, if we have acute appendicitis, we need surgery quickly. This
is also the case with a ruptured ulcer and other surgical emergencies.
If we have meningitis, pneumonia or any of the other life threatening
infections, we should have antibiotics or sulfonamides. For most serious
acute illnesses, modern medicine is probably the treatment of choice,
although even in these, the correct yoga practices can also help. Similarly,
in many conditions, the problem can be cured by yoga in the early stages,
but when it has advanced, we need outside treatment.
However, yoga is emerging as the treatment of first choice for emotional
and mental illnesses, and their 'cousins' the psychosomatic problems such
as high blood pressure, peptic ulcer, asthma, arthritis and many others.
This is very fortunate too, because doctors admit that it is just these
sicknesses that medical science finds it most difficult to treat.
If a person with acute appendicitis has surgery, the appendix is removed
and usually there is no further trouble. However, most doctors have patients
with peptic ulcers who have been taking drugs for years and still have
their ulcers.
If a person has acute pneumonia, the previously fatal infection of the
lung, the doctor gives him antibiotics and he is well within days. However,
most doctors have patients with asthma who are totally dependent on pills,
inhalers and injections, who live a life in constant fear of an attack,
and who gradually become worse and worse.
If a child has meningitis nowadays, he is treated quickly with sulfonamides
or antibiotics and the infection goes without leaving a trace. There is
no indication for children to be left with deafness, mental retardation
and other complications of untreated meningitis.
However, most of the doctors have patients with anxiety neurosis, who
take increasing amounts of tranquillizer drugs for years without relieving
their problem, and who end up with the added complications of addiction
to the drugs.
It is quite obvious that the progress in medical science has been miraculous
in relieving mankind of the terrible diseases of old. However, there are
whole areas of human suffering in which it is not doing so well. These
are often just the types of illnesses which respond well to yoga therapy.
Let us now discuss some of these illnesses, and the results that have
been obtained from treatment by yoga.
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
This disease is known to shorten a person's life, often by decades. Indeed,
there is a form known as 'malignant hypertension' which is often rapidly
fatal. It is not surprising, therefore, that much yoga research has been
done on hypertension.
A cardiologist named Dr. K. K. Datey, in Bombay, India, has taught the
yoga nidra method of deep relaxation to his patients with hypertension
and has had very good results. Most of them no longer need drugs or have
been able to reduce their intake considerably.
Dr. Chandra Patel, in an article in Lancet, the respected medical journal
from Britain, reported on the use of yoga relaxation with bio-feedback
in the treatment of hypertension. It was found that a quarter of the people
could stop their drugs completely, while most of the others could reduce
the medication substantially, or at least had better control of the blood
pressure.
Dr. K.N. Udupa, director of the Institute of Medical Sciences, Benares
Hindu University, has found that the results are even better if the person
performs some easy physical yoga practices before the relaxation or meditation,
and we have found the same results. Udupa stated that, "Subjectively
all patients report that they feel much better, more sober and calmer."
A substantial number could safely stop taking the drugs and many others
were still reducing the dosage at the time of reporting. Drs. Stone and
De Leo (New England Journal of Medicine, January 1976) even found that
the simple yoga practice of being aware of the breath for ten minutes
in the morning and evening, reduced hypertension to a significant degree
over a six month period.
The benefits of yoga for people with hypertension are so convincing that
all people with this illness should be offered yoga training, parallel
with medical treatment, if drugs are really necessary.
Heart disease
Despite the best medical treatment, coronary heart disease is the most
common cause of death in the technologically advanced countries. In this
condition, the arteries which supply the heart muscle with blood become
narrow, and starve the heart of oxygen and nourishment. If it happens
severely (heart attack), parts of the heart may die, and so may the patient!
For centuries, the yogis have recommended physical yoga techniques and
relaxation for the treatment of coronary heart diseases, but it is only
recently that the rationale of these practices has been supported by medical
science.
Until recently, it was believed that a heart attack was caused by a blood
clot lodging in one of the coronary arteries. Now, however, we realize
that in most people with a heart attack, there is probably no blood clot
and the attack is a functional crisis caused by spasm of the artery. The
same applies to angina, a chronic ongoing form of coronary occlusion in
which spasm of the artery is an important factor. It appears that in both
of these common illnesses, the most important precipitating cause is spasm
of the coronary artery, irrespective of the structural changes. It is
quite likely, moreover, that the spasm is caused by mental tension acting
through the autonomic nerve fibres that supply the arteries.
This latter contention is supported by research that was carried out
about twenty years ago. In this investigation a group of people who had
been admitted to hospital with a heart attack was compared with another
group of people admitted for other reasons. It was found that most of
the coronary patients had suffered a deep and significant emotional 'hurt'
during the month before the heart attack. In the control group there had
been no such emotional crisis.
Dr. Chandra Patel, in other research, demonstrated that yoga relaxation
reduces the pain and invalidism in angina. The patients can undergo much
more activity before they experience chest pain, they feel subjectively
better, and the relaxation in the morning seems to last for the whole
day.
It is the experience in the ashrams of the International Yoga Fellowship,
that if simple postures are practised before relaxation, the results are
even better.
Asthma
The different types of obstructive airways disease, including asthma,
have been treated by yoga for millennia; and recent scientific studies
have supported their experience over the years.
Asthma is an illness in which the sufferer has recurring episodes of
constriction of the breathing passages (bronchi) of the lungs. As a result,
he experiences attacks of difficulty of breathing which can be very severe,
even fatal.
The mainstay of the treatment of asthma is the shatkarma group of practices,
especially kunjal kriya (swallowing warm salty water then regurgitating
it), neti kriya (pouring warm water through the alternative nostrils)
and sometimes vastra dhauti (swallowing a cloth strip then pulling it
out again to stimulate the oesophagus). Other practices such as surya
namaskara (performed slowly), shashank-bhujangasana, abdominal respiration
exercises, pranayamas and yoga nidra complete the series.
In fact, if kunjal kriya is performed in the early stages of an actual
attack of asthma, this alone can stop the attack. This is a very important
advantage, because the person with asthma then develops the confidence
that he can stop an asthma attack at any time by simply using his own
resources. Many asthmatics have said that this mastery was the most important
factor leading to their ultimate cure of asthma. Those of us who have
taught this practice for years have seen asthma attacks stop in minutes,
even in severely addicted people, by just practising kunjal.
Dr. G.B. Gupta, Professor G. C. Sepaha et al., of Raipur Medical College,
India, working in conjunction with Satyananda Ashram, Raipur, have shown
some interesting results in asthma patients who practised some of the
recommended yoga techniques. Two-thirds of twenty seven patients studied,
improved as a result of their experience with yoga. In addition to this
they showed that it was not just a subjective improvement, by testing
the people with spiro meter before, during, and after the course of yoga.
(A spiro meter is a medical instrument which, among other things, demonstrates
the degree of dilation of the bronchial tubes by measuring the freedom
of breathing). The tests on this apparatus showed that 62.5% of the people
had definite physical opening of their bronchial tubes as a result of
the yoga practices. Not only did they feel that they were breathing more
freely, but they actually were, because their bronchial tubes had relaxed.
A large number of other clinical investigations throughout the world
have shown similar results. Wilson and Hornsberg (Cli. Res. 1973, 21,
278) showed that simple meditation alone can markedly reduce the frequency
of attacks, the amount of drugs needed, the lung function and the skin
resistance (a test of anxiety).
In all investigations, however, the results are better for people who
start yoga early after the onset of the asthma, before it has developed
into the severe chronic stage. Hence, people with asthma are advised to
start yoga training as soon as possible following their first attack.
Bronchitis and emphysema
There is another group of conditions in which the bronchial tubes are
obstructed and the patient cannot breathe properly. The two main forms
are chronic bronchitis (long term inflammation of the bronchial tubes),
and emphysema (excessive dilation of the air sacs due to damage to their
walls). These two conditions are a real problem, because such patients
usually continue to deteriorate despite the best treatment medical science
can offer. In 1978, Dr. M. K. Tandon published in the journal Thorax an
account of his work with twenty two elderly patients with severe cases
of these conditions. Half of these people were given routine physiotherapy
treatment, and the other half received yoga training. Tandon found that,
"At the end of the nine months the yoga trained subjects reported
to have:
1. Improved exercise tolerance.
2. Quicker recovery after exertion.
3. Control over an attack of shortness of breath without the need of
medical help.
4. Definite improvement in their overall chest condition.
The breathing pattern of the yoga trained group was changed to a more
efficient one. It was deeper and slower as compared with their original
condition before the experiment and as compared with the shallow fast
breathing of the physiotherapy group which showed no improvement in the
breathing pattern."
We must remember too that these are severe diseases in elderly people
who, under ordinary conditions, would have deteriorated during the nine
months of the investigation, rather than improving as well as they did
with yoga.
Diabetes
This is a condition in which the body is unable to handle glucose, its
main fuel. In the most severe form, the body becomes saturated with glucose
because of the deficiency of insulin secretion, but at the same time the
tissues of the body are starved of the glucose because it can't enter
the cells. The complications of diabetes are due to these twin problems
and, if the course of the disease is not interrupted, the patient's life
may be shortened by decades.
The causes of diabetes are many; the person may have a hereditary tendency,
but it seems to be triggered by external factors such as stress, lack
of exercise, incorrect diet, and overeating. These come into contact with
a certain personality type said to be intelligent, sensitive and brooding.
When diabetes starts early in life - juvenile onset diabetes- it is usually
more severe and difficult to control. But even people with this type have
been helped considerably by the diligent practice of yoga.
A number of studies have shown that the results of yoga therapy are better,
especially juvenile onset diabetes, if the practices are started early
in the illness, before the body becomes dependent on outside insulin.
In addition to this, if it is treated early, the process is reversed before
there is damage to vital tissues such as kidney and pancreas, by the diabetes
itself or by the insulin.
The traditional yogic treatment of diabetes is fairly extensive and is
best carried out while living in a properly equipped yoga ashram for a
month or more. It involves special diet, shankhaprakshalana (compete bowel
wash out by drinking sixteen to twenty five glasses of warm salty water,
and meanwhile repeating specific exercises), kunjal (the vomiting practice),
special postures, breathing practices and a form of mantra meditation
known as ajapa japa. The results are very encouraging especially in new
cases, though some people with even long standing juvenile diabetes have
dramatic success.
Many clinical trials have been performed on the effects of yoga therapy
for diabetes, including those of Lavgankar in the Yoga Vidya Dham in Pune,
India; those of Varandani, Anandananda and Dharmveer M. D. of the Yoga
Treatment Research Center, Bapunagar, Jaipur, India, and those of Professor
N. C. Panda in association with Satyananda Ashram, Calcutta. All of these
have shown that about a third of the patients with diabetes responded
completely to the yoga therapy, about one quarter did not respond and
the rest were able to reduce the amount of medication. In the investigations
the people who did not respond, were usually from among those with severe
juvenile onset diabetes, who had been using insulin injections for years;
though even many of these became more stable. It must be remembered also
that these trials only extended over a few months. The classical yogic
teaching is that for diabetes, the practices must be continued for a long
time. If this is done, maybe even the most intractable cases will respond.
We must consider yoga very seriously as an effective treatment for diabetes.
Those who have experience with yoga therapy feel sure that the time is
not far off when people with this difficult and debilitating disease will
be able to successfully treat themselves with yoga practices rather than
be dependent on frequent injections of external insulin or the taking
of other drugs.
Yoga cures illness
Nowadays, people everywhere are coming to realize that yoga has a lot
to offer in the treatment of illness, in fact, yoga cures illness. When
I say that yoga cures illness, I am not including all illnesses, but those
to which it applies. However, I am using the word cure in its most definite
sense. If you are cured, you can stop the treatment, and the disease stays
away.
Yoga is definitely making inroads and is having a major influence on
modern medical science Not only is yoga accepted as a method of expanding
consciousness, but also for expanding our opportunities to maintain good
health and to cure disease.
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