Are We Prac cing Yoga Therapy or Yogopathy ?
Yogacharya Dr ANANDA BALAYOGI BHAVANANI MBBS, MD (AM), ADY, DSM, DPC, PGDFH, PGDY, FIAY, C-IAYT Director CYTER of Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth & Chairman ICYER at Ananda Ashram, Puducherry, South India. [email protected]
AB Bhavanani - SYTAR 2018 Keynote www.icyer.com
SRI BALAJI VIDYAPEETH (Deemed University Accredited with “A” Grade by NAAC) Ranked 72 in NIRF 2018 Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education and Research (CYTER)
Salutogenesis, our focus! Bridging the experien al wisdom of Yoga with empirical modern medical science. Yoga is usually found in Physical Edu & Sports dep s of universi es We at CYTER, have it in a medical ins tu on since 2010 – quality of life enhancing benefits for ~ 45000 pa ents – educa ng future Yoga therapists (PGDYT, M.Phil, PhD), – crea ng awareness amongst medical, dental and nursing students & professionals – scien fically researching Yoga, – 75 publica ons & 5 CMEs. – IDY celebra ons since 2015 Salutogenesis, our Focus • Moving from pathogenesis, the focus on disease towards salutogenesis, the focus on health!
Salutogenesis
Pathogenesis
• CYTER is striding forward on an innova ve path of promo ng holis c health for one and all. www.sbvu.ac.in Salutogenesis
• Deriva on of Greek + La n – La n: salus = health – Greek: genesis = source
• In combina on = Sources of health Sense of Coherence (SOC) The heart of Salutogenesis
“a pervasive, long-las ng and dynamic feeling of confidence that one’s internal and external environments are predictable and that there is a high probability that things will work out as well as can be expected” (Antonovsky, 1979) Ø SOC has strong posi ve correla ons to perceived health, mental health, and quality of life.
3 components of Sense of Coherence (SOC)
Ø COMPREHENSIBLE - Cogni on - “My world is understandable” Ø MANAGEABLE - Coping Skill - “My world is manageable” Ø MEANINGFUL - Mo va on - “My world has meaning” SALUTOGENESIS versus PATHOGENESIS…
Pathogenesis Salutogenesis • What causes diseases? • What causes health? • About avoiding problems • About reaching poten al •Reac ve - absence disease • Proac ve - presence health • Against pain or loss • For gain or growth • Prepares one to live • Discover how to live fully
It doesn’t matter how many resources you have.
If you don’t know how to use them, it will never be enough. To be a competent yoga therapist,
ü We require intelligence and empathy, ü be willing to share, ü need to understand our limita ons, ü realize we are not perfect and ü be willing to embark on a con nuously expanding learning curve.
The day we stop learning is the day we stop living!
Defini on of Health (WHO)
Physical well-being
Health is a dynamic Social well-being Mental well-being state of complete…
Spiritual well-being
And not merely the absence of disease. SWASTH: a dynamic state of wholesome Sama (balanced equilibrium) wellness Samadoshah samaagnishch • Dosha (Vata, pi a, kapha) samadhaatu malakriyah • Agni (Jatharagni, Bhutagni, dhaatuagni) prasanna atmendriya manah • Dhatu (rasa-rakta-as -mamasa-meda-majja- swasth ityabhidheeyate. sukra, navadushya, dwadasha krama) - Sushrut Samhita (15:41) • Acharya Sushrut (~600 BC) Malakriya (dynamic elimina on) defined health as “a dynamic balance of the elements and • Anava (asmita) humors, normal metabolic • Kannmam (klesha-karma bandha) a c v i t y a n d e ffi c i e n t • Maayai (tasya hetu avidya) elimina on coupled with a tranquil mind, senses and Prasanna (tranquil contentment) contented soul”. • Yoga is truly the best means • Athma (from self to Self) to achieve such a dynamic • Indriya (jnanedriya, karmendriya, et al) state of wholesome health at • Mana (chi a-mana-bhuddhi-ahamkara) all levels of existence. “Yoga therapy is the process of empowering individuals to progress toward improved health and wellbeing through the applica on of the teachings and prac ces of Yoga”. – IAYT
Structural existence (annamaya) Cellular Panchakosha !
Func onal mechanisms (pranamaya)
Cellular memory (manomaya)
Intelligent feedback (vijnanamaya)
Systemic interac vity (anandamaya) ∞ (High) Anxiety FLOW Increasing skills Channel Challenges Increasing challenges Increasing challenges (Low) Boredom 0 Increasing skills
0 (Low) Skills (High) ∞ • Is modern Yoga Therapy losing touch with the essence of Yoga?
• Has the uni ve spirit of Yoga been misplaced in the blinding maze of modern marke ng and dry, academic qualifica ons.
• Instead of seeking to understand the real cause behind the duhkha experienced by our clients, are we content in simply managing / suppressing manifest symptoms.
• Is this really Yoga Therapy? • Yoga aims to help regain our psycho- physiological balance, by removing the root cause of the dis-harmony.
• Disassocia on from inherent tendencies to iden fy with suffering, is Yoga!
duhkha samyoga viyogam yoga samjnitham- Bhagavad-Gita VI: 23. Yoga Therapy “without” Yoga
Is no longer Yoga Therapy! Cause of Disease According to Yoga
• Primary cause – Dwaitam – duality - dichotomy • Disease = dis + ease (Asana-s ra sukam and tado dwandwa anabigata) • Tri Dosha and their imbalance • Dwadasha Prana and their imbalance • Yoga Vashistha - psychosoma c and non psychosoma c disorders • Somato-psychic disorders According to Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri
• Yoga Chikitsa is the oldest w-holis c concept and therapy in the world. • The ‘return of the mind that feels separated from the Universe in which it exists’.
• Dwaitam, misplaced sense of duality d/t avidya is root cause of imbalance (adhi), manifes ng as disease (vyadhi) via psycho-soma c mechanisms. • Depending upon propensity (sabija karma) of the individual, manifesta on of the vyadhi may vary. “Fear arises from the sense of duality” - Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
& ...... duality leads to stress!!
Yogic understanding of Psychosoma c Disorders
AADHI Haphazard Hypo-cellular Flow of activity Prana (Ajeeranatvam)
Hyper-cellular VYAADHI Mental activity Physical Agitations (Ateejeeranatvam) Ailments
Altered cellular Unstable activity Nadis (Kujeeranatvam)
Manomaya Pranamaya Kosha Kosha Annamaya Kosha From the Yogic viewpoint of disease, psychosoma c, disorders progress through four phases.
1. Psychic Phase ü vijnanamaya & manomaya kosha 2. Psychosoma c Phase ü manomaya & pranamaya kosha 3. Soma c Phase ü pranamaya & annamaya kosha 4. Organic Phase ü annamaya kosha
* NARA ~ Psychic disassocia on ~
* A unique perspec ve as elucidated by Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj www.rishiculture.in A bad case of Nara!
• The Pancha Klesha model of Maharishi Patanjali clearly states that the ‘root’ of all suffering (duhkha) is AVIDYA (distorted percep on of reality). – tasya hetur avidya –PYS II:24
• Avidya as the root cause enables manifesta on of other kleshas in dormant, a enuated, manifest or overpowering forms leading to suffering. - avidya kshetram u aresham prasupta tanu vicchinna udaranam- Yoga Darshan II:4
Unless we treat the individual’s underlying psycho-soma c disassocia on (dwaitham) and misconceived sense of self iden fy (avidya), we are not prac cing Yoga Chikitsa.
YOGA THERAPY MODELS • Yoga Vasishta (Pancha Kosha) model • Chaturvyuha model: heya-hetu-hana-upaya • Klesha / Prana / Chakra models • Kaivalyadhama model – Cul va on of correct psychological a tudes – Recondi oning of the neuro-muscular and neuro- glandular system – Appropriate diet and encouraging the natural processes of elimina on • Thiruvalluvar, the Dravidian saint advises us to look for the disease, trace its root cause, understand the remedy and then mindfully apply it. – Noinaadi noimudhal naadi athuthanikkum vaai naadi vaippach cheyal -Tirukkural 948
• The Vyuha model based on PYS has similar approach. – Heya : what are the challenges? – Hethu : what are the causes? – Hana : what are the goals? – Upaya : what are the tools? Managing and suppressing manifest symptoms using Yoga techniques without trying to find & correct the ‘underlying’ cause is be er described as
YOGOPATHY! ...... Pathy?
• a combining form occurring in loanwords from Greek, where it meant “suffering,” “feeling” ( an pathy; sympathy); • in compound words of modern forma on, o en used with the meaning “morbid affec on,” “disease” ( arthropathy; deuteropathy; neuropathy; psychopathy), and • hence used also in names of systems or methods of trea ng disease ( allopathy; homeopathy; hydropathy; osteopathy).
h p://www.dic onary.com/browse/-pathy • As Yoga therapists, unless we aim to correct the manifest psycho-soma c disassocia on as well as the underlying ignorant, distorted percep on of reality in the individual, we are not prac cing Yoga Chikitsa.
• Yoga Chikitsa is based on salutogenesis
• Yogopathy is based on pathogenesis Yogic 12-Point System of Diagnosis and Health Evalua on Triguna • The Three Basic Quali es Tridosha • The Three Humors Trivasana • Psychological Tendencies Prana • Energy flows Abhyasa • Personal Discipline Jiva Karma • Life Style Chetana • Quality of Thoughts Vacha • Quality of Speech Aahara • Diet and Food Habits Viparita Buddhi • Destruc ve Habits Jiva Vri s • Individual Body Rates Sankalpa • Ideals of the Individual • Managing and suppressing manifest symptoms with Yoga techniques is just as good or bad as modern Allopathic medicine that focuses primarily on symptoma c management without considering the deeper “root” cause.
• How many doctors look at the emo onal, social, spiritual and psychological issues that are o en the primary cause of the problem in their clients?
• Remember, the concept of psychosoma cs is not older than a hundred years in modern medicine. • When Yoga therapists also merely focus on trea ng manifest symptoms without remedying the ‘root’ cause, I prefer to call it YOGOPATHY!
• Eg. Using just Shavasana or other techniques to manage hypertension without addressing the primary cause.
• Such symptoma c management with yogic techniques is merely Yogopathy. • Another common example is of different asanas to relive musculoskeletal issues without looking for the real cause of the pa ent’s condi on. • When we do this, how are we any different than the modern doctors who prescribe drugs or exercise for these pa ents? • Where is the real Yoga in this type of therapy? • Where is the effort to find and deal with the primary cause? • Is it enough to work on ‘just’ the ‘body’?
How does it work? PRINCIPLES OF YOGA THERAPY
• Become aware of your body, emo ons & mind • Improve your dietary habits • Relax yourself consciously • Let your breathing be calm and deep • Let your mind focus inwardly • Improve flow of Healing Prana • For fy yourself against omnipresent stressors. • Increase your self-reliance and self-confidence • Facilitate natural emana on of waste. • Self responsibility for health and happiness. Yoga places great importance on a proper and healthy lifestyle whose main components are:
Ø ACHAR – healthy physical ac vi es & exercise Ø VICHAR – right thoughts and right a tude towards life that are vital for wellbeing. Ø AHAR – healthy, nourishing diet with adequate intake of fresh water; balanced intake of fresh food, green salads, sprouts, unrefined cereals & fresh fruits. Sa wic diet, prepared & served with love & affec on. Ø VIHAR – proper recrea onal ac vi es to relax body and mind are essen al for good health. Ø VYAVAHAR – healthy rela onships for social health
E = mc2 E = mc2 Power of the mind! SELF Psycho Transpersonal Level
LOVE WILL UNDERSTANDING
EGO Psycho Developmental Level
THOUGHTS FEELINGS
BRAIN Psycho Biological Level
CENTRAL NERVOUS ENDOCRINE SYSTEM SYSTEM
IMMUNE Psycho Informa ve Level SYSTEM
BODY Physiological Level Defini on of Health (WHO)
Physical well-being
Health is a dynamic Social well-being Mental well-being state of complete…
Spiritual well-being
And not merely the absence of disease.
Some final words…….
• Yogopathy, is more about "doing" than "being".
• Yoga Chikitsa empowers an individual to “BE” at ease with themselves, an integrated state of coherence, their own Sukha Sthanam Some final words…….
• The need of the hour is for a symbio c rela onship between Yoga and modern science.
• Living, human bridges combining the best of both worlds need to be cul vated.
• I i ………….. The way forward! We need to focus on wholesomeness & salutogenesis and move consciously from duhkham to sukham…. We, as Yoga therapists, must make a sincere & determined a empt to strengthen that one important link in the “Chain of Yoga”
- the link of our own personal, ‘every moment sadhana’. This is our dharma, our responsibility as a Yoga Therapist.
And we truly only become human, when we live our dharma! May we all be blessed to do so!
Hari om tat sat
Thank You!