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Yoga as Therapy

17 05 13

Written by Carrie Mabie

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By Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani

Dr. Ananda is one of our amazing guest writers. He is the chairman of the ICYER (International Centre for Yoga Education and Research) Ananda Ashram in Pondicherry, India. You can find more information about him in our guest writer post or on his websites:  www.icyer.com, www.rishiculture.org. 

Dr. Ananda

Dr. Ananda

Yoga as a mode of therapy (yoga chikitsa) has become extremely popular, and a great number of studies and systematic reviews offer scientific evidence of its potential in treating a wide range of psychosomatic conditions. Yoga understands health and well-being as a dynamic continuum of human nature and not merely a ‘state’ to be reached and maintained. Yoga helps the individual to establish sukha sthanam, which may be defined as a dynamic sense of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj, the visionary founder of Ananda Ashram at the ICYER (www.icyer.com) and one of the foremost authorities on Yoga in the past century exclaimed lucidly, “Yoga chikitsa is virtually as old as Yoga itself, indeed, the ‘return of mind that feels separated from the Universe in which it exists’ represents the first Yoga therapy. Yoga chikitsa could be termed as “man’s first attempt at unitive understanding of mind-emotions-physical distress and is the oldest wholistic concept and therapy in the world.”To achieve this Yogic integration at all levels of our being, it is essential that we take into consideration the all encompassing multi dimensional aspects of Yoga that includes the following: a healthy life nourishing diet, a healthy and natural environment, a holistic lifestyle, adequate bodywork through asana, mudra-bandha and kriya, invigorating breath work through pranayama and the cultivation of a healthy thought process through Jnana Yoga and Raja Yoga.

The ultimate responsibility for health, well-being, and healing lies, of course, in the hands of each individual.  What we can do as therapists is to empower our clients, to strengthen and support them in their efforts towards self-healing. Indeed Purananuru, one of the oldest available collections of Dravidian (Tamil) poems of Sangam literature (200 BCE – 100 CE) says, “Life’s good comes not from others, nor its gifts, nor ills. Man’s pains and its relief are both found within.”

The International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), USA has taken this idea into account in defining Yoga therapy as follows: “Yoga therapy is the process of empowering individuals to progress toward improved health and well-being through the application of the philosophy and practice of Yoga”. This has been further elaborated by the IAYT in its “Recommended Educational Standards for the Training of Yoga Therapists”, published on 1 July, 2012 (www.iayt.org).  This, in my opinion, is the best document on standards in Yoga Therapy and is a path breaking effort covering comprehensively all aspects of Yoga as a holistic therapy.

Dr. Ananda

Dr. Ananda

In India Yoga Therapy is under Dept of AYUSH in Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and MDNIY is the National Institute of Yoga run by the Govt of India (www.yogamdniy.nic.in). Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) is an autonomous organization registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and fully funded by Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India. The therapeutic potential of yoga has been recognized world over and studies have shown its beneficial effects in numerous psychosomatic disorders like diabetes, hypertension, asthma, arthritis and other chronic diseases that are a great burden on our health care delivery system. Central Council for research in Yoga and Naturopathy is also functioning under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (www.ccryn.org). they are funding many research studies in yoga in India and also running a National Programme on Yoga and Naturopathy at present.

We are today faced with numerous debilitating chronic illnesses related to aging, environment, and a hedonistic lifestyle, such as cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular diseases as well as many incurable diseases such as AIDS. Modern medical advancements provide the rationale for the integration of various traditional healing techniques including Yoga to promote healing, health, and longevity. According to Dr B Ramamurthy, eminent neurosurgeon, Yoga practice re-orients the functional hierarchy of the entire nervous system. He has noted that Yoga not only benefits the nervous system but also the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine systems in addition to bringing about general biochemistry changes in the yoga practitioners.

Yoga is an in-depth, holistic, science of man and indeed the only science that deals simultaneously with all aspects of the philosophy, psychology and practicality of conscious evolution. While modern science tends to look outward through an experimental model, the science of Yoga enables us to search the depths of our own self, thus realising the ultimate truth through an experiential model. This body of knowledge gained through intense, systematic, introverted investigation into the workings of the human mind has been handed down from master to disciple through millennia.

Dr. Ananda

Dr. Ananda

It is imperative that advances in medicine include the holistic approach of Yoga to face the current challenges in health care. The antiquity of Yoga must be united with the innovations of modern medicine to improve quality of life throughout the world. While modern medicine has a lot to offer humankind in its treatment and management of acute illness, accidents and communicable diseases, Yoga has a lot to offer in terms of preventive, promotive and rehabilitative methods in addition to many management methods to tackle modern illnesses.  While modern science looks outward for the cause of all ills, the Yogi searches the depth of his own self. This two way search can lead us to many answers for the troubles that plague modern man.

It is suggested that a two way integration of the experimentally tempered modern science with the experientially modeled science of Yoga can lead us to many answers for challenges plaguing modern humankind such as debilitating chronic illnesses related to aging, environment, and a hedonistic lifestyle.

Modern medical advancements provide the rationale for the integration of various traditional healing techniques including Yoga to promote healing, health, and longevity. It is imperative that advances in medicine include the holistic approach of Yoga to face the current challenges in health care. The antiquity of Yoga must be united with the innovations of modern medicine to improve quality of life throughout the world.

The need of the hour is for a symbiotic relationship between Yoga and modern science. To satisfy this need, living, human bridges combining the best of both worlds need to be cultivated. It is important that more dedicated scientists take up Yoga and that more Yogis study science, so that we can build a bridge between these two great evolutionary aspects of our civilization. Yoga is all about becoming “one” with an integrated state of being. Yogopathy, in contrast, is more about “doing” than “being”. When viewed from this holistic perspective, Yoga can never really ever be an intervention. This role must be left to Yogopathy. We, as Yoga practitioners, teachers, researchers, and therapists, must make a sincere and determined attempt to strengthen that one important link in the chain of Yoga– the link of our personal, ‘every moment sadhana’. This is imperative, for the very strength of the ‘Chain of Yoga’ depends on it. We owe it not only to ourselves as evolving human beings; we owe it to Yoga as well.

Read more from Dr. Ananda in his article “Yoga in the Modern World“.

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A Return to Health

03 05 13

Written by Carrie Mabie

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One Woman’s Ayurvedic Experience

by Jodi Boone

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Ayurveda in India

Over a cup of tea, she told me how they found her tumour. Mira, a middle-aged woman with large blue eyes and a gentle smile, holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Development and works as an administrator for the Swedish Army.

She explained how the stress and long hours of her work had culminated in 25 kilos of extra weight and high blood pressure. “For 20 years, I didn’t have time for myself – no time for exercise and no energy to shop or cook meals at home,” Mira said. Devoted to her studies in her 20’s and later to her career, Mira acknowledged that her trip to India in 2010 was the first time in her life she’d taken to focus on her health.

“I’d never been to India before, and I’d never heard of Ayurveda,” said Mira. One evening, as she searched the internet for weight-loss programs, she came across an Ayurvedic centre in Kerala. She was completely drawn to the centre’s website and their holistic and natural approach to weight loss. “I imagined myself flying to a weight-loss camp in the UK or, maybe to the US, but never to India,” she laughed.  A month later, Mira was in Cochin.

The first morning at the centre she met with an Ayurvedic physician. “I was surprised by how much time he spent with me – we talked for nearly three hours,” Mira said, slowly shaking her head in disbelief. “At home, a doctor would never take this kind of time.”

After her consultation, she was informed of her Ayurvedic constitution: Kapha-Pitta, as well as given an outline of her treatments over the next month. Every day would begin with yoga, followed by daily Ayurvedic treatments. The afternoons were dedicated to quieter Hatha yoga practices, like pranayama, meditation and yoga nidra. All practices, treatments and meals were specifically chosen to help bring Mira, and her constitution, into balance.

“When the doctor showed me my schedule for the month, I felt so excited! I knew I’d landed in the right place,” Mira said.  After her consultation she was escorted to the treatment room, where she would receive Abhyanga, the traditional Ayurvedic hot oil massage. “The doctor felt this was the perfect first treatment to help me arrive, get over my jet-leg and settle in.”

Abhyanga often begins with the practitioner laying her hands upon the abdomen, which is how it began for Mira. “The therapist started gently massaging my belly in a circular motion, and then she just stopped.”

The therapist excused herself, saying she needed to get the doctor. Moments later the doctor came in and began palpating Mira’s abdomen. “His face turned black,” she said. He explained to Mira what he felt: a large growth in her belly. He advised her to go immediately to the hospital for an ultrasound. Within the hour, Mira was sitting in a hospital waiting room.

She spent several days going between the Ayurvedic centre and the hospital, while tests were run. Some days later she received the results: a benign tumour, the size of a cantaloupe, weighing more than two kilos.

At first, Mira thought she would need to fly home immediately for surgery, but after consulting with her physician in Sweden, she was given another choice.  Because her tumour was benign, her physician felt no pressing urgency to remove it. In fact, her doctor said it would take a few weeks to schedule Mira in for surgery. Her physician suggested that staying in India and undergoing Ayurvedic treatments could be beneficial.

For four weeks, Mira lived in the centre’s sattvic, or pure, environment.  “To be honest, I had never felt so much love and care in my life. The Ayurvedic doctors and practitioners were beautiful.”

Ayurveda Spices II

Ayurveda Spices

The Hatha yoga practices melted away her stress and tension. The Ayurvedic treatments nourished her on every level – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The food was lovingly prepared, simple, yet delicious. “I got my taste buds back!” Mira said. She was referring to Ayurveda’s low sodium, no sugar and low fat food preparations. Too much salt, sugar and fat can inhibit our ability to truly taste food. Ayurvedic recipes highlight foods’ natural tastes of sweet, salty, sour, bitter, astringent and pungent, subtly complimented by herbs and spices.

“I learned to listen to my body’s natural cues telling me when enough is enough,” she said.  In Ayurveda it is believed that once we begin eating a meal, we will experience a ‘first burp’ at some point. This first burp, which we are often unaware of, is the sign that we have consumed enough.  Another tip to help us determine the right amount of food is to ‘cup’ our two hands together. Our cupped hands represent the size of our stomach, and we can fill this space with 50 percent solid food, 25 percent liquid, leaving 25 percent for air, which is essential for digestion.

“At the end of the program, I’d lost 12 kilos and my blood pressure was 120/80!” Mira said. Something else quite unexpected happened too. Upon returning to Sweden, her craving to eat meat had completely disappeared.  “Becoming vegetarian was not a desire of mine. I’d always felt strongly that people needed meat for protein,” said Mira.

The philosophical teachings of yoga state that when we live a sattvic lifestyle, our cravings and desires –things we thought we couldn’t live without – fall away without effort.

When Mira returned home, family, friends and co-workers commented on how different she looked. “It wasn’t just the weight-loss, I actually looked different. I certainly felt different,” she smiled. The Ayurvedic treatments also prepared her for surgery. She was healthier, and therefore, healing post-surgery would go much smoother.

I met Mira in 2011 while teaching a yoga and Ayurvedic cooking retreat.  I returned to India as soon as I could!” Mira said. She wanted to study Ayurvedic cooking, plus she’d fallen in love with yoga while at the centre in Kerala. “The first trip to India saved my life, and my intention for this trip is to learn how to extend my life, “she smiled.

Jodi Boone

Jodi Boone

Jodi Boone - Satsanga Retreat, Goa, India: www.satsangaretreat.com, www.jodiboone.com

Jodi has certifications in both Yoga and Ayurveda and she holds a bachelors degree in international studies and a masters degree in nonprofit leadership. She has extensive knowledge in pre-natal and postnatal yoga and is a certified Doula. Today, Jodi offers workshops and teacher trainings in pre-and postnatal yoga as well as Ayurveda, both in Japan and Goa, India, where she has lived the past three years co-directing Satsanga Retreat.

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The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice by TKV Desikachar

07 03 13

Written by Carrie Mabie

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The Heart of Yoga

The Heart of Yoga

Book Review by Jane Mason

This book is written by T.K.V. Desikachar, Son of Sri Krishnamcharya and was published in 1995. It is a tribute to his father’s teachings and is a must for all teachers and students of Yoga alike.

As the name implies, the book expounds the essence of Classical Yoga with the aim of assisting the development of a personal and deeper practice based on knowledge and understanding.

Desikachar covers a broad spectrum of yoga theory and practice and presents it to the reader in an easy and straightforward manner. He achieves this through a mix of explanations written in an informal and personal manner accompanied by various diagrams, pictures (of Krishnamcharya himself) and example practices.

“The Heart of Yoga” is a timeless piece of writing on yoga and anyone, no matter which style of yoga or level of experience, will benefit from this book. I loved the emphasis on the breath, vinyasa karma, simplicity in practice and the importance placed on understanding the theory of Yoga and the reasons for the practice. It also includes a clear and inspiring commentary of the Yoga Sutras.

It was a pleasure to read a book with unquestionable authenticity that explores a myriad of tools of yoga. This is a book you will read over and over again. A classical text on classical yoga that provides a strong and, I believe, essential foundation for the practice of Yoga.

A must for all yogis.

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Atmavikasa Centre of Yogic Sciences, Mysore

05 03 13

Written by Carrie Mabie

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Venkatesh and Hema are a husband and wife team who run the Atmavikasa Centre of Yogic Sciences in Mysore. They describe their yoga as “Traditional Hatha Yoga with the inspiration of the perfection of Iyengar and the intensity of Ashtanga”. At the age of thirteen, Venkatesh was attending yoga competitions (and winning them) and by the age of sixteen teaching others. His ability to see an asana and immediately replicate it perfectly shows his impeccable body awareness. Hema, his wife, is the backbone of the center and runs her own therapeutic yoga programme and the philosophy section.  The two make an excellent team as you will see in this video. Enjoy!

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Yoga and Commerce: Finding the Balance

02 03 13

Written by Carrie Mabie

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Introduction

Thank you to those of you who responded to our poll on Facebook. We love getting your feedback and opinions. We realize this question can be considered controversial however, we find it comes up often in the emails we receive from visitors to our website. So, to further to our poll this week and the responses we received, we thought this question was worth exploring – especially since yoga has become an international business with an ever-growing number of yoga teachers, studios, training courses, retreats, workshops, DVD’s, podcasts, studios and product lines. In this post, Jane Mason gives us her humble opinion to the question: Do commerce and yoga mix? Can we stay true to yogic values and be successful in business?

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Yoga and Commerce: Finding the Balance

by Jane Mason

There are more and more people heading to India to study and learn yoga, many of these people desire to take these teachings back home with them and pass them on to others. We wonder if the Yogi’s of the past ever imagined that yoga would be a global enterprise. Is the sattvic life from inside the ashrams or the ancient teachings of yoga transferrable to our modern world of business?

It was not so long ago that ‘yoga’ and ‘money’ were alien concepts. Indeed, Sri Tirumulai Krishnamcharya commonly referred to as the father of modern day yoga lived for 7 years with his teacher, Sri Ramamohan Brahmachari. No money ever passed between them, just a promise to return to the world, marry and teach yoga. Krishnamacharya and his wife were to live in poverty for many years, because yoga was not profitable. For 20 years he worked to popularize yoga and is responsible for much of the yoga practiced around the world today. In his wisdom, Krishnamcharya was able to adapt yoga to a modern world while maintaining its authenticity.

Today we see many yoga teachers struggling to make ends meet. They struggle with the practicality of how to make a living teaching yoga and also with the ethical dilemma – “Is making money from my practice compatible with my yogic values?”

Most of us live in a society where we need money to survive, we have mortgages or rent, perhaps children to support,  and a  multitude of household and personal expenses. For yoga to flourish in western society, there is a need to find a way for the two different cultural practices to co-exist.

Of course we need to reject questionable business practices and have as the focus of our business, the spread of the yoga word – rather than the generation of money.  We do not have customers but students who come to us for guidance along their yoga journey. If we are mindful of this and strive at the same time to be true to yogic values, there is no reason for an incompatibility to exist between the commercial practices and the values that the yoga business expounds.

Such a business would be built on the same foundation as our yoga practice, with the Yamas: Sathya (truth), Ahimsa (non-violence), Astheya (no stealing), Aparigraha (no storage/hoarding) and Brahmacharya (discipline).

It would be a business where members of staff are encouraged and supported to act in accordance with the Niyamas: Shoucha (cleanliness), Santhosha (contentment), Svadhyaya (self study), Tapassu (burning of negativity) and Ishwari Pranidana (surrender).

Yoga can adapt to meet the different needs of people or national cultures, while at the same time respecting the foundational teachings.   However, it is the respected yoga bodies/alliances that will uphold the standard and authenticity of teachings. It is the teachers of yoga who will strive to ensure that the seeds planted today come from the same source as those sown by the great yogi’s of the past.

An awareness of these challenges should not detract from the benefits to society of the increasing popularity of yoga.   Rather it is an opportunity for further growth and awareness. The global expansion of yoga is a wonderful and positive message and just as Krishnamcharya refined and adapted, I think the yoga community, with awareness, can find a balance between commerce and yoga that respects the past teachings and supports us in our modern lives.

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Do commerce and yoga mix?

28 02 13

Written by Carrie Mabie

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We want to know what you think… Do commerce and yoga mix?

In the past, yoga was passed down from guru to student and no money was involved. Today, however, free classes or even donation classes are rare – whether you are in India or any other part of the world.

So, is it possible to stay true to yogic values and be successful in business?

We’ve put together a poll on our Facebook Page. Please let us know what you think! All your comments are most welcome.

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Yoga in the Modern World

16 02 13

Written by Carrie Mabie

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By Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani

Dr. Ananda is one of our new guest writers. He is the chairman of the ICYER (International Centre for Yoga Education and Research) Ananda Ashram in Pondicherry, India. You can find more information about him in our guest writer post or on his websites:  www.icyer.com, www.rishiculture.org

Dr. Ananda

Dr. Ananda

There is a modern trend found everywhere nowadays. It seems like anyone who just attends a Yoga class can call themselves a yogi. There was even a recent article that said matter of fact, “Those who practice Yoga are known as Yogis”. Many years ago, Swamiji and Ammaji were returning after a long world tour and decided to make a list of the ten top yogic personalities they had met on that long tour. At the end of the whole exercise, it was most surprising to find that not even one of the top ten were “practicing yogis”!!

Traveling all over the globe in recent years has given me the privilege of experiencing both the similarities and dissimilarities between the East and the West. I grew up in the Ananda Ashram and having been exposed to students belonging to a multitude of nationalities I thought I knew all about them. Yet, I have now realized, one needs to experience a dolphin in the water and not on the dry ground if one is to know it truly. I have also come to know that many sharks abound too!

I have also had the chance to be “up to date” on all modern Yoga news thanks to the numerous Yoga journals that come to us from every part of the globe in exchange for Yoga Life, the wonderful monthly journal of our ashram that is now in its 42nd year of publication under the excellent editorship of Ammaji. The general impression one gets from most Yoga magazines is that the west is only interested in the physical aspects of Yoga or take to it as a fancy that lasts not too long. I have however found that my experiences in the west have been quite different! I have found that there are many sincere seekers who desire the ‘real thing’ and some who have imbibed Yoga into their very essence.

Dr. Ananda

Dr. Ananda

Generally Indians seem to have Yoga built into their genes whether they know of it or not. Scratch any Indian and you will find a Yogi hidden inside. However we take our cultural heritage for granted and will not appreciate ‘that’ which is right in front of us. We lack a sense of discipline and easily fall back on the crutch of ‘it’s my karma’. On the other hand, I find western Yoga students more disciplined and capable of greater intellectual analytical understanding. Yet, they are handicapped by the lack of a typical Indian understanding of universal connective-ness and don’t have the benefit of cultural concepts that have been around for thousands of years. Ultimately a good student transcends every barrier and every limitation and I have wonderful students and members of my Yoga family from every corner of the globe today.

Dr. Ananda

Dr. Ananda

A few years ago I was invited to present at the International Yoga Therapy Conference in the USA and had the chance to interact with great American Yoga teachers such as Larry Payne, Rama Jyothi Vernon and the eminent researcher Dr Sat Bir Singh Khalsa. It was also a pleasure to meet the famous personalities of Yoga such as Mukunda Stiles, Nina Priya and Amy Weintraub who are amazing human beings. I had one of those very special astonishing experiences during the first panel presentation when Larry Payne who was to speak got up from the panel and invited me to come and take his place and share my views instead. I was blown off my feet with that magnanimous gesture that I would have never expected anywhere in the world and it was happening right here in the USA! Larry set the stage for a successful conference with that heartfelt gesture that I will treasure for my whole life. I hope that I will be able to do the same for others in the future as it propelled me to do my best in all ways possible. All in all I can only describe my American experience as a magical one that enabled me to see that there are sincere people on the Yoga path willing to see the grandness of Yoga.

I was also recently invited to be major presenter at the “Reunion in Yoga”- IYTA World Yoga Convention held at Sydney, Australia in September 2010 with nearly 200 delegates attending the convention held after a gap of 13 years. It was something special to note that previous such special invitees have been Swami Satyananada Saraswathi, Swami Gitananda Giri, Swami Satchitananda, BKS Iyengar, Andre Van Lysbeth, Lilias Folan, Howard Kent, Mansukh Patel and Swami Maheshwarananda. It was a truly lovely experience to meet and interact with so many loving souls who were motivated by the ‘real thing’.

Dr. Ananda

Dr. Ananda

Personally it was such an honor to be invited as the Major Presenter at the convention and share the stage with eminent personalities representing Yoga ‘down under’. It was indeed a pleasure to meet and interact and exchange views with such loving people like Wendy Bachelor, Leigh Blashki, Louise Wiggins, Margo Hutchison, Trish Brown, Michael de Manincor, Anne Nakhoda and Mary- Louise Parkinson. We met so many wonderful people and the love, respect and attentiveness of all participants moved us greatly.  It was a joy to share with such human beings and, ‘Do your best and leave the rest” became a household word for us all.

What I have understood from all these experiences is that there are sincere Yogis and Yoga Sadhakas everywhere in the world and that we must not label the East or West either as good or bad. Instead we need to work on imbibing the best of the East and the best of the West in a true yogic integration.

If you liked this article or have any questions or comments – we would love to hear from you. Please comment below. 

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