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Yoga Therapy Using Japanese Naikan Meditation for Psychosomatic

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Yoga Therapy Using Japanese Naikan Meditation for Psychosomatic YogaTherapyusingJapaneseNaikanMeditationfor PsychosomaticIllness,a“Self-AnalysisApproach” JapanYogaNiketan KeishinKIMURA <Abstract> TheincreaseofStress-inducedpsychosomaticdiseasesinmodernsocietyhasshown thelimitationsofwesternmedicineandtheneedforalternatives.Becausepsychosomatic diseasesarephysicalillnessescausedbyunhealthyconditionsofthemind,webelievethat thebestwaytotreatthemistohelppatientsrecognizetheirownunhealthystatesofmind throughself-analysisandshowthemhowtheycanworktobringtheirmindsintobalance. WehavefoundthatthepracticeofPatanjali'seightstepsofyogacanbeusedeffectivelyto healtherootofthesepsychosomaticdiseasesinthisway. ThepracticeofPatanjali’sAshtangaYogaincreasesourawarenessandbringsour bodyandmindintobalancethroughintegration,purification,andtranscendencestepbystep, beginningatthelowestlevelwithoursocialrelationshipsandreachinguptothesubtlest levelorhighestTruth,whichisourRealSelforAtman.TheTaittiriyaUpanishadalso mentionsfivelayersofexistence,orfiveselves:food,vitalforce,mind,intellect,andbliss. BymergingthesetwotheoriesinourYogatherapyactivitieswecanshowtheintegral connectionbetweenthemindandthephysicalbody,andhelpourpatientsunderstandhow theycanimprovetheirphysicalhealthbychangingthewaytheyrelatetotheirworld.We guidethepatientsinself-analysissothattheycanchangetheiroutlookbygainingabetter understandingofthemselvesandothers.ForthatpurposeweuseNaikan,aJapanese meditationtechniquethathelpsthepatientslookwithin. BelowaretheeightstepsofPatanjali’sYogaSutrasshowingthedifferentstagesor aspectsofascentinunderstandingoneself,andhowtheyfittogetherwiththeTaittiriya Upanishad’sPanchaKoshasorfivesheaths: 1)Yama:Fivevowsofrestraintforself-controlofdestructivebehaviortowardsothers. 2)Niyama: Fiveobservancesforafoundationofspirituallife. 3)Asana:UnderstandingtheFoodSheath(AnnamayaKosha)orphysicalbody. 4)Pranayama:Steadyingtheprana orVital-AirSheath(PranamayaKosha). 5)Pratyahara: TranscendingthesensesthroughtheMindSheath(ManomayaKosha). 6)Dharana: PracticingconcentrationthroughtheMindSheath(Manas/ManomayaKosha). 7)Dhyana: MeditationusingtheIntellectSheath(Buddhi/VijnanamayaKosha). -1- 8)Samadhi: TranceusingtheBlissSheath(Ahamkara,Chitta/AnandamayaKosha). InJapanwearecombiningthisyogawithaJapaneseintrospectivetechniquecalled Naikanforthetreatmentofpsychosomaticillnesses.Inthispaper,wewillexplainNaikan andreporthowouryogatherapystudentsinJapanareusingitintheirpracticeofthe yamas tobecomehealthier,well-balancedindividuals. -2- Preface TheincreaseofStress-inducedpsychosomaticdiseasesinmodernsocietyhasshown thelimitationsofwesternmedicineandtheneedforalternatives.Becausepsychosomatic diseasesarephysicalillnessescausedbyunhealthyconditionsofthemind,webelievethat thebestwaytotreatthemistohelppatientsrecognizetheirownunhealthystatesofmind throughself-analysisandshowthemhowtheycanworktobringtheirmindsintobalance. WehavefoundthatthepracticeofPatanjali'seightstepsofyogacanbeusedeffectivelyto healtherootofthesepsychosomaticdiseasesinthisway. PracticeofPatanjali’sAshtangaYogaincreasesourawarenessandbringsourbody andmindintobalancethroughintegration,purification,andtranscendencestepbystep, beginningatthelowestlevelwithoursocialrelationshipsandreachinguptothesubtlest levelorhighestTruth,whichisourRealSelforAtman.(1)TheTaittiriyaUpanishadalso mentionsfivelayersofexistence,orfiveselves:food,vitalforce,mind,intellect,andbliss. BymergingthesetwotheoriesinourYogatherapyactivitieswecanshowtheintegral connectionbetweenthemindandthephysicalbody,andhelpourpatientsunderstandhow theycanimprovetheirphysicalhealthbychangingthewaytheyrelatetotheirworld.We guidethepatientsinself-analysissothattheycanchangetheiroutlookbygainingabetter understandingofthemselvesandothers.ForthatpurposeweuseNaikan,aJapanese meditationtechniquethathelpsthepatientslookwithin. Thetraitsofpsychosomaticdiseasesare:(2) 1.lackofemotion 2.lackofimagination 3.inabilitytoverbalizeconflicts 4.lessenedexperiencingandexpressingofemotion 5.describingendlessdetailsratherthanfeelings 6.difficultyincommunicatingwiththeinterviewer 7.lessawarenessoftheneedsofthephysicalbody 8.over-adaptation. Thefollowingisaprofileofpsychosomaticpatients: 1.serious-minded 2.workaholic 3.well-behaved 4.a"sticker" 5.can'tsay“NO” -3- 6.self-sacrificing 7.good-natured. Psychosomaticdiseasesaregenerallydividedintotwogroups:1)RealPsychosomatic diseases,whicharerelatedtothestressofrealdailylife,and2)PersonalityPsychosomatic diseases,whicharerelatedtothepersonalityofthepatient.Sinceunderthesamerealdaily stressestherearesomepeoplewhodonotdevelopstress-relateddiseases,wethinkthatall psychosomaticdiseasesarerootedinthewaythepatientrelatestotheworld. SwamiVivekanandasaidthatpleasureandpainleaveuponoursouldifferent pictures,andtheresultofthesecombinedimpressionsiswhatiscalledman'scharacter.The characterofanymanisreallybuttheaggregateoftendencies,thesumtotalofthebentofhis mind;andinsomeinstances,miseryisagreaterteacherthanhappiness.(3)So,wehave startedtreatingpsychosomaticillnesseswithacombinationofyogictechniquesandNaikan meditationandfoundthataspatientsgainedabetterunderstandingofthemselves,they becamehealthier. Patanjali'seightstepsofyogaarethefoundationofouryogatherapyprogramin Japan.FormorethantenyearswehaveworkedwithVivekanandaYogaResearch FoundationinBangalore,India,toorganizeYogaTherapistInstructorCoursesandconduct yogatherapytreatment.Inthispaperwewillpresentsomeactivitiesofouryogatherapy programinJapan. -4- PATANJALI'SASHTANGAYOGA,ANDTHETAITTIRIYAUPANISHAD'S THEORYOFTHEFIVESHEATHSORLAYERSOFEXISTENCE TheUpanishadictraditionusesafour-stepsystemforfindingReality,asfollows:(4) 1.Shravana(Hearing) 2.Manana(Contemplation) 3.Nididyasana(DeepMeditation) 4.Jnana(Realization) WebeginourYogaTherapywithShravana,hearingthephilosophyofPatanjaliand howitcorrespondstothesheathsoftheTaittiriyaUpanishad.Weexplaintothemthatthe firsttwostepsinAshtangaYoga,theYamasandNiyamas,buildafoundationof understandingandself-controlatthelevelofsocialrelationshipsanddealingwiththeouter world.Thethirdlevel,Asana,worksonourphysicalbody,theFoodSheath(Annamaya Kosha).Thefourthlevel,Pranayama,focusesonstabilizingthebreathorVital-AirSheath (PranamayaKosha).Thefifthlevel,Pratyahara,quietsthesenseorgansthroughtheMind Sheath(ManomayaKosha).Thesixthlevel,Dharanaorconcentration,beginstocontrolthe mindthroughtheMindSheath(Manas/ManomayaKosha).Theseventhlevel,Dhyanaor meditation,worksthroughtheIntellectSheath(Buddhi/VijnanamayaKosha).Thelastand eighthlevel,Samadhiortrance,istranscendencethroughtheBlissSheath(Ahamkara, Chitta/AnandamayaKosha).Andfinally,wewillbecomeawareoforrealizeourtrueSelf, theAtman.(5) ThisishowwecombinePatanjali’sAshtangaYogaandtheTaittiriyaUpanishad’s fivesheaths.Ourgoalistoguideourpatientssotheycanexpandtheirawarenessthrough eachlevelandfindtheirownhighertruths. AfterthisShravana,weuseNaikanmeditation,aJapanesetechniquetranslatedas "introspection,"forMananaorcontemplationonthreeYamas:ahimsa (non-violenceor harmlessness),satya(truthfulness),andasteya (non-stealing). ThemethodoftheNaikancourseistointensivelyreviewourpastactionsandtryto seeveryobjectivelywhatwehavedoneandwhatothershavegivenus,workingwiththree themes: 1)whatwereceivedfromothers, 2)whatwereturnedtoothers, -5- 3)whattroublesanddifficultieswecausedtoothers. Eachmeditationsessionfocusesonaspecificthree-tofive-yearperiodofourlives, andthesessionsprogressfromourbirthuptothepresent,oruntiltherelationshipended. TheNaikancoursebeginswithreflectingonourrelationshipwiththeclosestperson ofourchildhood(themother,orprimarycaregiver).Weassignthepatientsoneofthe Yamas,forexample,ahimsa, orharmlessness,andaspecifictimeperiodintheirlifeto rememberbacktoandfocuson.Thepatientsthenhavesixtytoninetyminutessittingin isolationtoreflectandexaminetheirpastandtrytodiscoverinstanceswheretheyhave causedtroubleforthatpersonduringthoseyearsoftheirlives.Whenthetimeisup,a counselorvisitsthemandaskswhattheyhavefound,makingsuretheyhavenotgotten sidetracked.Thepatientsreceivetheassignmentforthenextsession,whichisusuallythe samethemebutfocusingonthenextfewconsecutiveyears,andbegincontemplationagain. Theyworkonassignmentslikethisfrom6a.m.to9p.m.foroneweek. ThereasonNaikanbeginswithourmotheristhattherelationshipbetweenachild andmotheristhebasisforallpersonalrelationshipsandpersonalitybuilding.Ifthepatients havelosttheirmother,wecansubstitutesomeoneelsewhocaredfortheminplaceoftheir mother,suchasagrandmotherorfather. AfterdoingNaikanMeditationonourmotherfrombirthuptothepresentoruntilthe relationshipended,wewillfocusonourfather,thenourspouse(ifwearemarried)orthe peopleinourworkplace,concentratingonthesamethreethemes(whatwereceived,whatwe returned,andthetroublesanddifficultieswecaused).Wecontinuethesemeditationsessions foroneweekfromearlymorninguntilnight. OtherYamathemesoftruthfulness(satya)andnon-stealing(asteya)arealsousedin Naikantogiveusachancetoreconsiderthefacesthatwehavebeenpresentingtoothers. ResultsofNaikanMeditationattheTottoriUniversityHospital&YonagoNaikan TrainingCenter ThefollowingaretheresultsofNaikanMeditationsconductedbyProfessorMikiof theClinicalPsychologyDepartmentofOsakaUniversity,showinghowthecharacterof patientschangedafterNaikan.(6) <Method> 1)Target--128peoplewhocametotheNaikanTrainingCenter. -6- 2)Tool--TheYatabe-GuilfordPersonalityTest(Y-GTest).Thisquestionnaireoffers 120questions(e.g.,“Areyouimpatient?”).Answersareselectedfromthechoiceof“Yes,” “No,”or“？ ”Thisisareliablepersonalitytest. <Procedure> OnthemorningoftheseconddayofNaikan,ProfessorMikigatheredthepatients, explainedthestudy,andgavethemtheY-GTest.Theytookthesametestagainbymail abouttwotosixmonthsafterNaikan.Includedinthisresearchwerethe128peoplewho
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