The Fourfold Yoga

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Non-Fiction

The Fourfold Yoga - Part VI

Yoga Therapy
Non-fiction by G Kumar

"Excellence in action is Yoga " declares the Song Celestial ( Geetha ),
an authentic treatise on Yoga & the quintessence of the Upanishads.
Yoga, as the science of Holistic living, is a way of life. Yoga does not
mean physical exercises even though such exercises have been
prescribed for improving the skill of our body. Yoga comprises
techniques that transform our intellect, mind and emotions & provides
a comprehensive philosophy for Integral Life.

In order to live an integral life, we must develop skill in life. Aurobindo
defined Yoga as the Art of Conscious Self Finding. The first & fundamental
thing we should do if we are to expand the limits of our Consciousness,
is to gain mastery of the mind. This is not easy.

The incidence of most of the physical diseases that have plagued
humanity for centuries have been reduced by glorious advances in
medical sciences. The eradication of most infectious diseases and
the control of many metabolic disorders have been effectuated by
better drugs and surgical techniques. Soon, even routine genetic
interventions may be possible. But new and ever more common
causes of ill health haunt us today. They are psychosomatic ailments
& chronic stress. Allopathy is less than effective when dealing with
these complaints.

The cause of these are found to be attitudes & lifestyle and not
physiological anomalies. Allopathy by concentrating on a physical
and mechanistic approach to healing, can do little to relieve
conditions such as these. The frenetic pace of modern life exposes
many people to continuous high mental tension & unrelieved stress.
And if we are largely sedentary in our habits & overindulge in health
damaging substances & foods, as we are fond of doing, our well-
being & fitness will be further compromised. Eventually stress may
manifest itself in the form of physical disease or mental breakdown.
Allopathy is symptomatic, and has countered with symptom-
suppressing treatments, instead of tackling the root cause of the
problem. Lack of disease has been regarded as health, rather
than as a dynamic growth process in which we feel truly well on
physical, mental level and spiritual levels.

The Evolution of Medicine & the Three Eras of Medicine

Allopathic Medicine or " Physical Medicine" belongs to the first era.
It is Cartesian and creates a dichotomy between mind & body.
Treating a disease is like fixing a part of the machine.

The second era of medicine refers to 'Mind-Body medicine." It became
popular in the 1960s with the advent of Meditation, imagery, hypnosis
& bio-feedback. Mind and body are interconnected by messenger
molecules and these molecules are invoked to accomplish the healing
process.

The third era of Medicine refers to " Transpersonal Medicine ". It became
popular in 1990s with the advent of group support and spirituality to heal.

Yoga therapy supplements the second and the third eras of medicine.

Yoga therapy complements medical technology with a holistic system
of health care that addresses the triune problems - physical, mental
& spiritual. The author of Yoga Sutras, Patanjal, defined it as the
Science of the Mind. Mind is the root cause of bondage and in order
to redeem us from the thralldom of the mind, we have to annihilate the
mind. Extirpation of thought waves is Yoga. And it is through teaching
us to control our mind, our desires, and our reactions to stress, that
yoga can fundamentally help us. It is based on the tripod of Life - Body,
Mind & Self & the three levels of Being- Doing, Thinking & pure Being.

Mastery of the mind involves 2 aspects;

1) Concentration - The ability to concentrate our attention on any given
subject or object
2) Meditation - The ability to quiet our mind at will.

Though the first has been mastered partially by most people, the second
is very difficult. It is difficult indeed to lapse into a state of inner
peace, let alone at will. As an intellectual, skillful means for
quieting the mind, Yoga is unparalleled. A still mind is pure Spirit.

All aspects of the Fourfold Yoga work toward this in some way and if
we practice this master Science, we reach closer to our goal. Yoga
generates that inner mental peace perpetually, in all our actions, and
thereby we achieve physical and mental health. This calmness in action
is the secret to attaining the skill , according to Yoga Philosophy. This
is known as the strength of Superconscient stillness !

Stillness itself is inertia
Action itself is discord
When stillness and action equalise
Then is the Highest Cosmic Union ( Yoga )

Lo! steadfast a lamp burns sheltered from the wind
Such is the likeness of the Yogi's mind
Freed from sense storms and burning bright to Heaven
When mind broods placid, soothed with holy wont
When Self contemplates Self and in itself
Hath comfort ! ( The Song Celestial )

Health & Yoga Therapy

The World Health Organisation defines health as a state of complete
physical, mental & social well-being & not merely an absence of
disease and infirmity. WHO also suggests a fourth dimension -
spiritual well-being. It is clear from this definition that health should
be conceived as a continuous function indicating the state of well-being
and not a lack of ill health.

The approach of Yoga Therapy is based on the holistic concept of human
being; the five " sheaths " of existence of which the physical sheath
( Annamaya Kosha ) is only the first. The second is the Vital Sheath
( Pranamaya Kosha ), that is made up of the Vital Energy called Prana
which flows through invisible channels called Nadis. The third is the
Mental Sheath ( Manomaya Kosha ) The fourth is the Intellectual Sheath
( Vijnanamaya Kosha ) and the final sheath is the Bliss Sheath ( Ananda
Maya Kosha ). The Bliss Sheath is found to consist of the positive energy
associated with the Divine Self. It is from this sheath that the inner peace
characteristic of true Bliss emanates.

More information about Transcendental Philosophy & Yoga can be had from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yogamain.htm

Disease is defined as any imbalance in any of the three lower sheaths
of existence. Ego Consciousness, which is centered around the Self,
predominates in the physical, vital & mind sheaths. Harmony in these
sheaths can be easily disturbed as the ego is up in arms against the
world most of the time. The fourth & the fifth sheaths are permeated
by a larger, Cosmic Consciousness and cannot be disturbed as they
are closer to the Self. When we are truly healthy, the positive energy
in the higher sheath percolates freely through the lower ones and
brings total harmony & balance to all our faculties. But the imbalances
in the lower sheaths block the free movement of Bliss despite the
harmony of the higher sheaths being constant.

A great treatise on Yoga, the Yoga Vasishta, declares that there are two
types of physical illness, & each requires a different approach. The first
are the illnesses with a strong physical element, such as contagious
diseases & accidental injuries. These are most effectively dealt with
by conventional medicine, though Yoga can play a substantial supportive
role. Yoga is prophylactic & also helps prevent the occurrence of such
ailments by improving our general health & making us less accident-prone.

The other types of illness arises through disturbances in the mind sheath
and includes all the psychosomatic & degenerative ailments. In these
disorders, psychological factors play a much greater role, & conventional
treatment alone cannot effectuate healing. According to Yogic Psychology,
such ailments are thought to be caused by mental diseases
called Adhis. ( Adhi creates Vyadhi , disease ). These arise when
excessively strong feelings of like or dislike ( Raga & Dvesha )
becomes amplified & established acting to distort personality & to
obstruct the flow of positive energy to the lower sheaths. This causes
imbalances that result in physical ailments and also makes us feel
restless &discontented.

The positive energy from the bliss sheath is responsible for our natural
state which is Peace . While the flow of this energy is interrupted by
Adhis ( mental blocks), our sense of well-being is diminished, & in
our attempt to regain it, we may be further aggravating the problem
by behaving inappropriately.

We may eat the wrong type of foods, lapse into negative states of
mind, drive ourselves too hard, overwork ourselves, live in unhealthy
surroundings and add more tension and stress. These methods,
however will give only momentary relief & may be actually damaging
to our health.

Y T provides that all-important element that conventional therapies lack
while dealing with psychosomatic illnesses, as it acts directly on the
mental imbalances that underlie them. While Meditation & emotion-
culturing makes us conscious of the fact that thoughts and emotions
are tyrants, Happiness-analysis teaches how to look within ourselves
to find beatific peace and contentment. This effectively complements
allopathic techniques which improve the situation physically but are
unable to eliminate the root cause of the problem.

The root Cause of all Disease - Bhoga or Sensory enjoyments

Bhoga ( enjoyments of the senses ) is Roga ( Disease). It can only be
cured by Yoga ( Divine Alchemy ).

All food that is tasty is detrimental to the body, declares Prakriti
Therapy The food which cometh from Nature, fruits and vegetables,
are alkaline by nature. Maximum health is in an alkaline body. We can
only be healthy if we keep a 80%- 20% ratio. ( 80% alkalinity & 20%
acidity). This means we have to eat more natural foods & less processed
foods ( which are more or less acidic ). Truly speaking, processed
foods, even though they taste well, are robbers as they rob us of our
natural, vibrant health.

Happiness Analysis for Lifestyle Change

Happiness Analysis is a technique for analysing the cause of
happiness, what constitutes Bliss, the inner beatific peace that
characterises the fifth level of Being. It basically embodies the
realization that happiness comes from within and is not
dependent on material possessions or physical enjoyment.

When we achieve desires, we are happy temporarily because of
the satisfaction involved and happiness is often associated with
jubilation and excitement. But such feelings of euphoria are often
followed by negative feelings such as tiredness & disillusionment.
The Beatific Peace, which is the aim of Yoga, involves no great
effort and engenders no fatigue. The authoritative texts of Yoga
postulate that the Ultimate State of Bliss is a state of eternal
silence, wherein we are not troubled by tormenting thoughts &
fears and where we are freed from all sorrows.

Though Yoga practices lay the foundation needed for us to achieve
this, we must also make determined efforts to sustain a state of
perfect happiness by analysing our feelings of pleasure. The basic
hypothesis of Yoga is that actions bring pleasure when they briefly
evoke the inner silence that defines true happiness. When our
desire is fulfilled or when a goal is won, at the very instance of
success our thoughts vanish & our mind dips momentarily into the
Bliss sheath. Actually what we do is to open up temporary channels
to the higher sheath, hence evoking positive sensations. This is
merely a temporary feeling and cannot be perpetuated.

Can we generate that moment from within and free ourselves from
dependency on external aids? Yes, we can, if we try enough. Practice
makes one perfect and at first we may not be able to maintain inner
peace for long, but gradually we will become less vulnerable to
negative influences. The likes & dislikes ( Raga & Dvesha ) that can
lead to mental diseases ( Adhis ) will become less important and our
growing awareness of Cosmic Consciousness will give meaning &
coherence to every aspect of our life.

The Basis Of Yoga Therapy

Yoga therapy is fundamentally different from allopathic practice in its
approach to health care. Instead of trying to reduce the cause
of disease to a single factor and to correct it using a specific cure,
Yoga aims to treat illness by improving health on all the five levels of
Being - physical, vital, mental, intellectual & spiritual - simultaneously
& restoring inner harmony.

Ill-health occurs when the total balance of perfect health is disturbed.
And although the original disrupting influence may only affect one
level at first, viz the physical level, the disturbance soon spreads to
the other four levels. All the five sheaths of existence interact, thus
something that primarily affects the mind can soon spread to the
body & the subtler sheaths. A bad day at work may make us
irritable & it also increases stress reaction, makes our muscles tense
and often depletes our energy level leading to chronic fatigue.

While emotion culturing generates equanimity, Relaxation & Meditation
can calm our mind. Positive action produces harmony, just as negative
influences spread disruption. The different types of yoga practice
augment each other & are more effective when done together. All
wisdom is given in the one word " Relax".

Physical relaxation can be effectuated when we do the prescribed
Asanas & stretch our muscles as muscular tension is released.

Mental relaxation is effected when we relax our mind during Meditation
and release suppressed emotions.

This is the essence of Yoga Therapy, both prophylactic & therapeutic.
Daily practice of a complete Yoga session can restore our natural
balance and harmony, bringing positive good health to the three levels
of Being - physical, mental and spiritual.

The Therapeutic Potential of Yoga

Yoga, holistic science and integral life, has become popular because
it promotes positive health and is also useful in the prevention and
treatment of diseases. Its therapeutic potential has largely been
investigated for stress-related psycho-somatic ailments. But with
the recent interest in " Psycho-neuro- immunology" ( the effect of
psyche on the immune system ), there is also a possibility that Yoga
therapy can modify the course of infectious diseases.

One of the stress conditions which can definitely be controlled through
yoga therapy is bronchial asthma. Beneficial effects of specific yoga
practices, such as pranayamas, or kriyas can alleviate asthma. Patients
with type II diabetes mellitus were also shown to improve significantly
following yoga practice. Systematic studies on the effects of Yoga
therapy for essential hypertension has shown that Y T compares
favourably with bio-feedback. A study conducted in the UK on patients
with rheumatoid arthritis demonstrated that Y T reduced symptoms
and need for medicine.

Scientific studies also show that if pathological Angst ( anxiety )
patients practice Yogic techniques such as Pranayamas ( which
means the control of the Vital Force, Prana ), they show significant
improvement.

Yoga therapy has also been used in the rehabilitation of the mentally
handicapped. Ten months of yoga practice significantly improved the
IQ, eye-hand coordination and social adaptation of 45 children with
varying degrees of mental retardation.

Psycho-neuro-immunology has given rise to interest in the idea that
Y T can be used for the management of infectious diseases such
as pulmonary tuberculosis. Studies indicate two months of Y T along
with short term chemotherapy caused tremendous change for the
better. This beneficial effect of Yoga on the immune system has
delighted the alternate medical community. Holistic health practitioners
now talk about the the effect of Y T in cancer and even in
AIDS patients. It has been shown that the practice of Yoga reduces
the unpleasant side effects of chemotherapy in patients with
cancer of the uterine cervix. It is also interesting to study
scientifically investigated reports on cancer regression following
meditation. It is encouraging to note that there has been a scientific
study which showed that AIDS patients benefited ( clinically,
psychologically, immunologically ) from Y T.

Ayurveda, Tai Chi, Y T, Kai-Igaku, Pranic Healing, Reflexology, Reiki,
Acupuncture are all included amongst the 70 systems of Alternative
Medicine which are prevalent today. All these come under Holistic
Medicine which highlights the greatness of the Whole more than the
parts. ( " The Whole is greater than the sum of its parts " )

A good site where you can get quality information about Holistic
Medicine is www.holistic-alt.com

Yogic Diet & Prevention of Cancer

Modern research shows that diets such as smoked fish/ meat
or other foods known to contain carcinogenic chemicals should be
avoided at all costs. Because of the Western fast food type diet,
colon cancer in men, promoted by high meat ( beef ) and fat
consumption is on the increase in the West. There is no doubt
that a high fibre, low-fat diet reduces the risk of colon cancer.

Many compounds which are potent carcinogens are contained
in cigarette smoking as well as smoked or barbecued meat or fish
products. They include benzenes ( in the tar component of cigarette
smoke), heterocyclic amines & polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
( in smoked / barbecued meat or fish ). That explains why lung
cancer is on the rise in the Western male population during the
last century. Colon cancer has reached endemic proportions in
the West ( because of higher consumption of barbequed meat
and beef fat ) & stomach cancer occurs at an alarming rate in
Japan because of the Japanese habit of consuming fish.

Claims which need further research

While spices such as ( black or green) or spices such as fresh ginger,
garlic & turmeric have been reported to reduce the risk of colon
cancer, onion is claimed to lower the risk of stomach cancer.
Soybean products reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Skin
cancer is reduced, it is claimed, by topical application of some
constituents of ginger oil and ginger extract. It is true that more
research is needed on natural compounds. One breakthrough is
the discovery of taxol, a plant product which is of tremendous
benefit in certain cancers. There are many such waiting for their
discovery, particularly from indigenous plants in India, with proper
scientific research tools & testing.

Hygiea's Commandment that "Thou shalt eat unprocessed,
living natural food " merits consideration here. Naturopathy
asks us to consume 100 grams fruits & 300 grams vegetables
( organically grown ) daily. Yoga with its emphasis on a naturopathic
diet of fruits & vegetables can show us the path to perfect health &
Wisdom. Naturopathy is a branch of Ayurveda, the Science of Life,
which is allied to Yoga.

More info about Ayurveda can be had from http://www.chakrapaniayurveda.com

The Healing Centre in us

Yogic philosophy avers that true healing comes from within, the
Self, the divine component in man.

His great transparent mirror, Self !

Within each of us is the source of Life and health, the Divine Centre.
We have to learn to turn to that source and return to it again and
again. When we breathe it in, the freshness engages us. Yoga
frees us from the thralldom of both mind and matter & we become
more whole.

Article by G Kumar, Astrologer & Epistemologist of www.astrologiavedica.com
Recently he was awarded a Certificate by the Planetary Gemologists
Association ( www.p-g-a.org ) as a Planetary Gem Advisor. He has 25 years
psychic research experience in the esoteric arts. To subscribe to his Free
ezine, the Z Files, click here. mailto:zodiac20@vsnl.com?subject=subscribe.
He is contactable at zodiac20@vsnl.com. Address of his physical shop is
Zodiac Computers, 3/528 Tkss Bldgs, East Nada, Guruvayur Kerala, India
680101. Office Phone +91 0487-552851. Home Phone +91 0487-422060. He
has compiled Free Ebooks on AstroNumerology, Vedic Astrology & Pranic
Therapy.

Posted 2/04/2004