Are We Praccing 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 experienal wisdom of Yoga with empirical modern medical science. Yoga is usually found in Physical Edu & Sports deps of universies We at CYTER, have it in a medical instuon since 2010 – quality of life enhancing benefits for ~ 45000 paents – educang future Yoga therapists (PGDYT, M.Phil, PhD), – creang awareness amongst medical, dental and nursing students & professionals – scienfically researching Yoga, – 75 publicaons & 5 CMEs. – IDY celebraons 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 innovave path of promong holisc health for one and all. www.sbvu.ac.in Salutogenesis

• Derivaon of Greek + Lan – Lan: salus = health – Greek: genesis = source

• In combinaon = Sources of health Sense of Coherence (SOC) The heart of Salutogenesis

“a pervasive, long-lasng 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 posive correlaons to perceived health, mental health, and quality of life.

3 components of Sense of Coherence (SOC)

Ø COMPREHENSIBLE - Cognion - “My world is understandable” Ø MANAGEABLE - Coping Skill - “My world is manageable” Ø MEANINGFUL - Movaon - “My world has meaning” SALUTOGENESIS versus PATHOGENESIS…

Pathogenesis Salutogenesis • What causes diseases? • What causes health? • About avoiding problems • About reaching potenal •Reacve - absence disease • Proacve - 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 limitaons, ü realize we are not perfect and ü be willing to embark on a connuously expanding learning curve.

The day we stop learning is the day we stop living!

Definion 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, pia, kapha) samadhaatu malakriyah • (Jatharagni, Bhutagni, dhaatuagni) prasanna atmendriya manah • Dhatu (rasa-rakta-as-mamasa-meda-majja- swasth ityabhidheeyate. sukra, navadushya, dwadasha krama) - Sushrut (15:41) • Acharya Sushrut (~600 BC) Malakriya (dynamic eliminaon) defined health as “a dynamic balance of the elements and • Anava (asmita) humors, normal metabolic • Kannmam (klesha- bandha) a c v i t y a n d e ffi c i e n t • Maayai (tasya hetu avidya) eliminaon 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 (chia-mana-bhuddhi-) all levels of existence. “Yoga therapy is the process of empowering individuals to progress toward improved health and wellbeing through the applicaon of the teachings and pracces of Yoga”. – IAYT

Structural existence (annamaya) Cellular Panchakosha !

Funconal mechanisms (pranamaya)

Cellular memory (manomaya)

Intelligent feedback (vijnanamaya)

Systemic interacvity (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 unive spirit of Yoga been misplaced in the blinding maze of modern markeng and dry, academic qualificaons.

• 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.

• Disassociaon from inherent tendencies to idenfy 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 (-sra sukam and tado dwandwa anabigata) • Tri Dosha and their imbalance • Dwadasha and their imbalance • Yoga Vashistha - psychosomac and non psychosomac disorders • Somato-psychic disorders According to Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri

• Yoga Chikitsa is the oldest w-holisc 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), manifesng as disease (vyadhi) via psycho-somac mechanisms. • Depending upon propensity (sabija karma) of the individual, manifestaon of the vyadhi may vary. “Fear arises from the sense of duality” -

& ...... duality leads to stress!!

Yogic understanding of Psychosomac 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, psychosomac, disorders progress through four phases.

1. Psychic Phase ü vijnanamaya & manomaya kosha 2. Psychosomac Phase ü manomaya & pranamaya kosha 3. Somac Phase ü pranamaya & annamaya kosha 4. Organic Phase ü annamaya kosha

* NARA ~ Psychic disassociaon ~

* A unique perspecve as elucidated by Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj www.rishiculture.in A bad case of Nara!

• The Pancha Klesha model of Maharishi clearly states that the ‘root’ of all suffering (duhkha) is AVIDYA (distorted percepon of reality). – tasya hetur avidya –PYS II:24

• Avidya as the root cause enables manifestaon of other kleshas in dormant, aenuated, manifest or overpowering forms leading to suffering. - avidya kshetram uaresham prasupta tanu vicchinna udaranam- Yoga Darshan II:4

Unless we treat the individual’s underlying psycho-somac disassociaon (dwaitham) and misconceived sense of self idenfy (avidya), we are not praccing Yoga Chikitsa.

YOGA THERAPY MODELS • Yoga Vasishta (Pancha Kosha) model • Chaturvyuha model: heya-hetu-hana-upaya • Klesha / Prana / Chakra models • Kaivalyadhama model – Culvaon of correct psychological atudes – Recondioning of the neuro-muscular and neuro- glandular system – Appropriate diet and encouraging the natural processes of eliminaon • 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 beer described as

YOGOPATHY! ...... Pathy?

• a combining form occurring in loanwords from Greek, where it meant “suffering,” “feeling” ( anpathy; sympathy); • in compound words of modern formaon, oen used with the meaning “morbid affecon,” “disease” ( arthropathy; deuteropathy; neuropathy; psychopathy), and • hence used also in names of systems or methods of treang disease ( allopathy; homeopathy; hydropathy; osteopathy).

hp://www.diconary.com/browse/-pathy • As Yoga therapists, unless we aim to correct the manifest psycho-somac disassociaon as well as the underlying ignorant, distorted percepon of reality in the individual, we are not praccing Yoga Chikitsa.

• Yoga Chikitsa is based on salutogenesis

• Yogopathy is based on pathogenesis Yogic 12-Point System of Diagnosis and Health Evaluaon Triguna • The Three Basic Qualies 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 • Destrucve Habits Jiva Vris • 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 symptomac management without considering the deeper “root” cause.

• How many doctors look at the emoonal, social, spiritual and psychological issues that are oen the primary cause of the problem in their clients?

• Remember, the concept of psychosomacs is not older than a hundred years in modern medicine. • When Yoga therapists also merely focus on treang 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 symptomac management with yogic techniques is merely Yogopathy. • Another common example is of different to relive musculoskeletal issues without looking for the real cause of the paent’s condion. • When we do this, how are we any different than the modern doctors who prescribe drugs or exercise for these paents? • 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, emoons & 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 • Forfy yourself against omnipresent stressors. • Increase your self-reliance and self-confidence • Facilitate natural emanaon 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 acvies & exercise Ø VICHAR – right thoughts and right atude 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. Sawic diet, prepared & served with love & affecon. Ø VIHAR – proper recreaonal acvies to relax body and mind are essenal for good health. Ø VYAVAHAR – healthy relaonships 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 Informave Level SYSTEM

BODY Physiological Level Definion 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 symbioc relaonship between Yoga and modern science.

• Living, human bridges combining the best of both worlds need to be culvated.

• 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 aempt to strengthen that one important link in the “Chain of Yoga”

- the link of our own personal, ‘every moment ’. This is our , 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 tat sat

Thank You!