Yogic
Management of Common Illnesses
Man today is sick
because he thinks he is sick. Sickness and disease have not place in the life
of a man who does not accept and tolerate the self -limiting thoughts which are
the real seeds of our myriad ailments. We stand hypnotized by the belief that
disease and illness are our fate and destiny, rather health and bliss, which are
truly our birthright and heritage. In order to emerge from mass hypnosis and collective
hysteria and to experience health, joy and creative fulfillment, we must make
a systematic application of Yoga in our daily lives.
Pramahansa
Satyananda (www.satyananda.net)
Benefits of Yoga
While Yoga's central
theme remains to attain the highest goal of the spiritual path in life to "be
one with the God" or to "be united with the Cosmic Self", Yogic
practice give direct and tangible benefits to everyone, regardless of their spiritual
aims. Physical and mental therapy
is one of Yoga's most important achievements, what makes it so powerful and effective
is the fact that it works on the holistic principals of harmony and unification.
Yoga has succeeded as an alternative form of therapy in diseases such as Asthma,
Diabetes, Blood Pressure, Arthritis, Digestive Disorders and other ailments of
chronic and constitutional nature where modern science has not.
Health Benefits of Yoga
This health benefits of
Yoga are grouped into three categories-physiological benefits, psychological benefits,
biochemical effects-and is based on the regular practice of traditional asana,
pranayama, and meditation.
Physiological Benefits of Yoga
-
Stable autonomic nervous system
equilibrium -
Pulse
rate decreases -
Respiratory
rate decreases -
Blood
pressure decreases (of special significance for hypo reactors) -
Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) increases -
EEG - alpha waves increase (theta,
delta, and beta waves also increase during various stages of meditation) -
EMG activity decreases -
Cardiovascular efficiency increases -
Respiratory efficiency increases -
Gastrointestinal function normalizes -
Endocrine function normalizes -
Excretory functions improve -
Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint
range of motion increase -
Posture
improves -
Strength
and resiliency increase -
Endurance
increases -
Energy
level increases -
Weight
normalizes -
Sleep
improves -
Immunity
increases -
Pain
decreases
Psychological
Benefits of Yoga -
Somatic and kinesthetic awareness
increase -
Mood
improves and subjective well-being increases -
Self-acceptance
and self-actualization increase -
Social
adjustment increases -
Anxiety
and depression decrease -
Hostility
decreases -
Psychomotor
functions improve:
~Grip
strength increases
~Dexterity and fine skills improve
~Eye-hand coordination
improves
~Choice reaction time improves
~Steadiness improves
~Depth
perception improves
~Balance improves
~Integrated functioning of body
parts improves
Cognitive function improves with Yoga
-
Attention improves -
Concentration improves -
Memory improves -
Learning efficiency improves -
Symbol coding improves -
Depth perception improves -
Flicker fusion frequency improves
Biochemical
Effects of Yoga The
biochemical profile improves, indicating an anti-stress and antioxidant effect,
important in the prevention of degenerative diseases.
-
Glucose decreases -
Sodium decreases -
Total cholesterol decreases -
Triglycerides decrease -
HDL cholesterol increases -
LDL cholesterol decreases -
VLDL cholesterol decreases -
Cholinesterase increases -
Catecholamine decrease -
ATPase increases -
Hematocrit increases -
Hemoglobin increases -
Lymphocyte count increases -
Total white blood cell count decreases -
Thyroxin increases -
Vitamin C increases -
Total serum protein increases
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