YOGA AND HEALTH

Siddappa Naragatti
Yoga Therapist
CCRYN, New Delhi

Yoga is an ancient solution to modern problems. It has gained a lot of

popularity around the world during the last century. Yoga, as many
people often subscribe to, is not merely a method to attain mental peace,
but also a powerful method to get rid of ignorance which causes various
kinds of suffering in human life. ‘Education is the manifestation of the
divinity already in man’. It emphasizes on life-building, man-making,
character-making assimilation of ideas. The very essence of education is
concentration of mind, not the collecting of facts. In ancient times, people
used to go to sages to learn wisdom and to get answers to the fundamental
questions of life. This was seen in all ancient civilizations – Greece,
India, and China, in particular. However, over the centuries education has
retreated from that position. We no longer claim to give wisdom, we give
only information, our schools no longer give moral and spiritual values,
only secular subjects are taught. The very much need of the education
system is that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is
increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one’s
own feet.’ Yoga is not simply Asanas and Pranayamas. It also involves
certain ethical practices. These ethical practices are known as Yamas and
Niyamas. No educational system is effective unless it incorporates into
itself these ethical practices.

Key Words: Yoga, Health, Education, Ethics.

1
Yoga is an ancient Indian practice and a way of life that includes
regulated breathing, maintaining various postures and meditation. The
word “yoga” comes from Sanskrit and means “to yoke” or join. The focus
is on the union of mind and body or the harmonic synchronization of
body, breath, and mind. Patanjali formally described the practice of yoga
in the treatise Yoga (Taimini IK, 1961). He defined yoga as the process
of eliminating all thoughts in the mind and allowing it to settle down to
silence. Attainment of such a balance ultimately leads to a balanced and
healthy mind and body (McEwen BS, 2008). Yoga is a systematic
process of calming down the mind and Maharshi Pathanjali advocated
systematic practices which includes—yama (ethical disciplines), niyama
(purificatory practices), asana (postures), pranayama (regulated nostril
breathing), pratyahara (introspection), dharana (attention/concentration),
dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (detached awareness of self) aimed
towards attainment of self-realization or the inner blissful state. Among
these, asanas, pranayama, and meditation are popular and have been used
as a therapy for decades.

Health is precocious treasure of individual who is looking to lead

meaningful life. In the current scenario it is quite challenging to enjoy the
best productivity for a person through the good physical and mental
health.

The advancement in the science and technology has increased the

sedentary and semi sedentary lifestyle leading to lack of physical activity.
In addition to this Stressful situations are also contributing a lot for the
rise in psychosomatic diseases.

World health organization and other policy makers on health care system
are thriving a lot to adapt holistic health care measures which can be
effective in the prevention of lifestyle and psychosomatic diseases such as
hypertension, diabetes mellitus and obesity etc.

Ashtanga yoga of sage Patanjali is one of the most comprehensive

methodology for the development of the holistic health care model based
sustainability for global health, peace and environmental concerns.

2
The research in yoga has shown that, its therapeutic values are helpful for
health promotion and disease prevention. The principles and practices of
Yoga in the form of therapy are being used as preventative
complementary and alternative medicine in dealing with various physical
and mental disorders.

Social approach, cost effective and eco friendly characteristics are the
important factors for sustainability of any system and these are effectively
achieved in yoga for gaining numerous health benefits on multiple
dimensions of health concepts.

Ashtanga Yoga of Maharishi Patanjali

The classical work of Yoga sutras of Sage Patanjali is one of the most
authorities guide on the principles and practices of Yoga which based on
the Samkhya philosophy. Ethical preparation, control of the mind and
body and development of the spiritual journey is explained in the Yoga
sutras. The practice of Ashtanga Yoga is useful in the reduction of the
impurities and attainment of the highest wisdom. They are;

1) Yama : Universal morality

2) Niyama : Personal observances

3) Asanas : Body postures

4) Pranayama : Breathing exercises, and control of prana

5) Pratyahara : Control of the senses

6) Dharana : Concentration

7) Dhyana : Devotion, Meditation on the Divine

8) Samadhi : Union with the Divine

3
Relevancy of Yoga in Social Health
The principles of Yoga called as social code of conduct and personal
observances are effective in purifying the impurities in the moral
behavior which are more serious issues for the social health. Will power,
intellect, stability on the emotions is attained through the practice of these
disciplines. The social harmony and self acceptance level improves for
the wellness of the society.

Promotion of Physical health.

Yoga interventions are known to affect physical health by improving
muscular fitness (Gharote, 1976; Gharote, Ganguly & Moorthy, 1976;
Tran MD et al.,2001), flexibility (Moorthy, 1982; Govindarajulu,
Gannadeepam & Bera, 2003; Polsgrove MJ et al.,2016; Caren Lau et
al.,2015), increasing motor control and performance (Telles et al 1994,
Sahu RJ & Bhole MV,1983b), alter metabolism and autonomic function
(Telles et al 1994) and improve ventilatory functions of the lungs
including a prolongation of breath holding time (Bhole, Karambelkar, &
Gharote, 1970, Joshi et al 1992).

The practices of Asanas and pranayama are effective for the improvement
of strength and flexibility. Enhances the joints range motions, blood
circulation, purification of the gastro intestinal tract. These health benefits
are well known for enhancing the functional capacity of different systems
in our body such as improved digestion, lung capacity, and stimulation of
peristalsis.

Yoga for Mental Health

The inner conflicts, stressful conditions are known to affect our mental
health. The philosophical foundations of yogic principles and practices of
Pranayama and meditation harness the mental harmony to develop the
peace of mind, serenity which is an antidote in the prevention of mental
health issues. The altered conditions of brain waves pattern to Alpha
dominance is one of the significant change taking place during mediation
and relaxation techniques. Alpha waves are associated with felling of
wellbeing and calmness.

4
Study by Subramanya P., 2009 showed a significant improvement in the
scores of all sections of the Wechsler memory scale (WMS) which
assessed (i) attention and concentration (digit span forward and
backward), and (ii) associate learning following both Cyclic Meditation
(CM) and Supine Rest (SR), but, the magnitude of change was more after
CM compared to after SR. The state anxiety scores decreased after both
CM and SR, with a greater magnitude of decrease after CM (Subramanya
P,2009). Studies by Navven KV., 1997 and Joshi M,2008 showed
increase in the spatial memory scores immediately before and after 45
minutes and also following ten days of different Pranayama practices
(Navven KV., 1997; Joshi M,2008). Studies have also shown to reduce
anxiety and depression among both healthy as well as diseased conditions
(waelde et al., 2004;Michalsen 2005;Javnbakht 2009; Katzman MA et al.,
2012; Malathi and Damodaran 1999).

Regulation of Emotions
The concept of Afflictions and attitude corrections in Yoga philosophy
significantly contributes for emotional health. The guidelines recommend
a person to inculcate the perceptions on the basis of the phenomenal
nature and its purposes with a dispassionate feeling. This is an important
teaching for maintain the stable emotional health.

Health in Spirituality
Yoga is essentially a spiritual discipline. This concept of the practical
realization of the spiritual truth is one of the salient features of the Indian
systems of philosophies. The sages and saints have worked the great path
to fulfill the aim of the meaningful life which is filled with inner harmony
and happiness.

Yoga in Disease
Several studies suggest that yoga significantly improve risk factors for
CVD like body weight, lipid profile, blood pressure, smoking,
psychosocial stress and type 2 diabetes mellitus.(Schmidt T et al.,1997;
Mahajan A et al.,1999; Tang YY et al.,2013; Jain S et al.,1993). The
possible mechanism of reduction of blood pressure is considered to be
reduced sympathetic activity and restoration of baro receptor sensitivity
by yoga.( Selvamurthy W et al.,1998). Regular practice of Yoga has
5
shown to significantly reduce early atherosclerosis as assessed by carotid
intimal medial thickness (Manchanda SC et al.,2013; Fields JZ et
al.,2002). Similarly regular practice of Yoga with use of low fat
vegetarian diet resulted in retardation of progression and even regression
of coronary obstractions as compared to usual care control group in
angiographically detected Coronary Artery Disease (Ornish D et al.,1990;
Manchanda S et al.,2000; Gupta SK et al.,2011). Small clinical trials have
shown benefits of yoga in patients with diabetes (Cohen et al., 2011; Jain,
Uppal, Bhatnagar, & Talukdar, 1993), and a systematic review found that
yoga improved metabolic risk factors (Innes, Bourguignon, & Taylor,
2005). Integrated yoga program has been shown to be helpful in reducing
both post chemotherapy nausea and anticipatory nausea and vomiting.
This has been attributed to stress reduction effects of yoga intervention
(Raghavendra RM et al., 2007). Furthermore yoga has also been show to
improve post operative outcomes such as duration of hospital stay,
facilitate wound healing and reduce number of days of drain retention
apart from having potent anxiolytic effects and antidepressant effects
(Raghavendra RM et al., 2008,2009). Integrated yoga program has also
been shown significant decrease in mean salivary cortisol levels at 0600
hrs, pooled diurnal mean cortisol, perceived stress along with significant
decrease in anxiety, depression (Vadiraja HS et al., 2009) and significant
improvement in positive affect, emotional function and cognitive
function, and decrease in negative affect (Vadiraja HS et al., 2009),
psychological distress, insomnia, fatigue and appetite loss (Vadiraja HS
et al.,2009).

Conclusion:
In a nut shell, the philosophy and practices of Yoga are quite relevant in
the modern life and they play significant role in the prevention of disease
and health promotion through sustainable approach.

6
References:
1. Bhole, M.V., Karambelkar, P. V., & Gharote, M.L. (1970). Effects of yoga
practices on vital capacity - A preliminary communication. Indian J. of Chest
Disease, 12, 1&2, 1-4.

2. Caren Lau, Ruby Yu, and Jean Woo. Effects of a 12-Week Hatha Yoga
Intervention on Cardiorespiratory Endurance, Muscular Strength and
Endurance, and Flexibility in Hong Kong Chinese Adults: A Controlled
Clinical Trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015; Jun 8: 958727

3. Cohen, D. L., Bloedon, L. T., Rothman, R. L., Farrar, J. T., Galantino, M. L.,
Volger, S., et al. (2011). Iyengar yoga versus enhanced usual care on blood
pressure in patients with prehypertension to stage I hypertension: A
randomized controlled trial. Evidencebased Complementary and Alternative
Medicine, 2011, 546428.

4. Fields JZ, Walton KG, Schneider RH, et al. Effect of a multimodality natural
medicine program on carotid atherosclerosis in older subjects: a pilot trial of
Maharishi Vedic Medicine. Am J Cardiol. 2002;89:952e958.

5. Gharote, M.L. (1976a). Physical fitness in relation to the practice of selected

yogic exercises. Yoga-Mimamsa, 18, 1, 14-23.

6. Gharote ML, Ganguly SK, & Moorthy AM. (1976). Effect of yogic training on
minimum muscular fitness. Yoga-Mimamsa, 18, 3&4, 1-20.

7. Gupta SK, Sawhney RC, Rai L, et al. Regression of coronary atherosclerosis

through healthy lifestyle in coronary artery disease patientseMount Abu open
heart trial. Indian Heart J. 2011;63:461e469.

8. Govindarajulu, N., Gannadeepam, J., & Bera, T.K. (2003). Effect of yoga
practices on flexibility and cardiorespiratory endurance of high school girls.
Yoga-Mimamsa, 35, 1&2, 64-70.

9. Innes, K. E., Bourguignon, C., & Taylor, A. G. (2005). Risk indices associated
with the insulin resistance syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and possible
protection with yoga: A systematic review. Journal of the American Board of
Family Practice, 18(6), 491–519.

10. Jain, S. C., Uppal, A., Bhatnagar, S. O., & Talukdar, B. (1993). A study of
response pattern of non-insulin dependent diabetics to yoga therapy. Diabetes
Research and Clinical Practice, 19(1), 69–74.

11. Javnbakht M, Hejazi Kenari R, Ghasemi M. Effects of yoga on depression and

anxiety of women. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2009 May;15(2):102-4.

7
12. Joshi LN, Joshi VD, Gokhale LV. Effect of short term 'Pranayam' practice on
breathing rate and ventilatory functions of lung. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol
1992;36 (2):105-108.

13. Joshi M, Telles S. Immediate Effects of Right and Left Nostril Breathing on
Verbal and Spatial Scores. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 2008; 52 (2) : 197–200.

14. Khalsa SBS. Why do yoga research: who cares and what good is it? Int J Yoga
Ther 2007;17:19–20.

15. Katzman MA, Vermani M, Gerbarg PL, Brown RP, Iorio C, Davis M,
Cameron C, Tsirgielis D. A multicomponent yoga-based, breath intervention
program as an adjunctive treatment in patients suffering from generalized
anxiety disorder with or without comorbidities. Int J Yoga. 2012 Jan;5(1):57-
65.

16. Mahajan A, Reddy K, Sachdeva U. Lipid profile of coronary risk subjects

following yogic lifestyle intervention. Indian Heart J. 1999;51:37e40.

17. Malathi A, Damodaran A. Stress due to exams in medical students: role of

yoga. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 1999;43:218–24.

18. Manchanda SC, Mehrotra UC, Makhija A, Mohanty A, Dhawan S, Sawhney

JPS. Reversal of early atherosclerosis in metabolic syndrome by yoga: a
randomized controlled trial. J Yoga Phys Ther. 2013;3:132.
http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2157-7595.1000132.

19. Manchanda S, Narang R, Reddy K, et al. Retardation of coronary

atherosclerosis with yoga lifestyle intervention. J Assoc Phys India.
2000;48:687e694.

20. McEwen BS. Central effects of stress hormones in health and disease:
Understanding the protective and damaging effects of stress and stress
mediators. Eur J Pharmacol. 2008;583:174-85.

21. Michalsen A, Grossman P, Acil A, Langhorst J, Ludtke R, Esch T, Stefano

GB and Dobos GJ (2005). "Rapid stress reduction and anxiolysis among
distressed women as a consequence of a three-month intensive yoga program."
Med Sci Monit. 11(12): 555-561.

22. Moorthy, A.M. (1982). Effect of selected yogic asanas and physical exercises
on flexibility. Yoga Review, 2, 3, 161-166.

23. Naveen KV, Nagarathna R, Nagendra HR, Telles S. Yoga breathing through a
particular nostril increases spatial memory scores without lateralized effect.
Psychological Reports 1997; 81: 555–561.

8
24. Ornish D, Brown SE, Scherwitz LW, et al. Can lifestyle changes reverse
coronary heart disease? The lifestyle heart trial. Lancet. 1990;336:129e133.

25. Polsgrove MJ, Eggleston BM, Lockyer RJ. Impact of 10-weeks of yoga
practice on flexibility and balance of college athletes. Int J Yoga. 2016 Jan-
Jun;9(1):27-34.

26. Raghavendra RM, Nagarathna R, Nagendra HR, Gopinath KS, Srinath BS,
Diwakar RB, et al. Effects of an integrated yoga program on chemotherapy
induced nausea and emesis in breast cancer patients. Eur J Cancer Care
2007;16: 462-74.

27. Raghavendra RM, Nagarathna R, Nagendra HR, Chandrashekara S, Vinay C,

Gopinath KS, et al. Influence of yoga program on post operative outcomes and
wound healing in early operable breast cancer patients undergoing surgery.
International Journal of Yoga 2008;1: 6.

28. Raghavendra Rao M, Nagarathna Raghuram, Nagendra HR, Gopinath KS,

Srinath BS, Ravi B Diwakar, Shekar Patil, Ramesh Bilimagga S, Nalini Rao
and Varambally (2009). "Anxiolytic effects of a yoga program in early breast
cancer patients undergoing conventional treatment: a andomized controlled
trial." Complementary Therapies in medicine 17: 1-8.

29. Sahu, RJ., & Bhole, MV. (1983b). Effect of two types of pranava (Omkar)
recitation on psychomotor performance. Yoga-Mimamsa, 22, 3&4, 23-29.

30. Schmidt T, Wijga A, Von Zur Mu¨ hlen A, Brabant G, Wagner TO. Changes
in cardiovascular risk factors and hormones during a comprehensive
residential three month kriya yoga training and vegetarian nutrition. Acta
Physiol Scand Suppl. 1997;640:158e162.

31. Selvamurthy W, Sridharan K, Ray US, et al. A new physiological approach to

control essential hypertension. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1998;42:205e213.

32. Subramanya P, Telles S. Effect of two yoga-based relaxation techniques on

memory scores and state anxiety. Biopsychosoc Med. 2009 Aug 13;3:8.

33. Taimini IK. The science of yoga. Madras: The Theosophical Publishing
House; 1961.

34. Tang YY, Tang R, Posner MI. Brief meditation training induces smoking
reduction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013;110:13971e13975.

35. Telles S, Nagarathna R, Nagendra HR. Breathing through a particular nostril

can alter metabolism and autonomic activities. Indian J Physiol
Pharmacol.1994; 38: 133-137.

9
36. Tran MD, Holly RG, Lashbrook J, Amsterdam EA. Effects of Hatha Yoga
Practice on the Health-Related Aspects of Physical Fitness. Prev Cardiol. 2001
Autumn;4(4):165-170

37. Vadiraja HS, Rao RM, Nagarathna R, et al: Effects of yoga program on mood
and cortisol rhythms in breast cancer patients on radiotherapy: a randomized
controlled trial. Integrative Cancer Therapies 2009; 8:37-46.

38. Vadiraja HS, Rao RM, Nagarathna R, et al: Effects of yoga program on
Quality of life and affect in early breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant
radiotherapy: a randomized controlled trial. Complementary Therapies in
Medicine 2009; 17: 274-280.

39. Waelde LC, Thompson L, Gallagher-Thompson D. A pilot study of a yoga

and meditation intervention for dementia caregiver stress. J Clin Psychol. 2004
Jun;60(6):677-87.

10