[Yojana June 2023 Summary] Yoga for Global well-being – Explained, pointwise

Introduction

Yoga, a centuries-old practice, offers more than just physical exercise. It embodies a holistic approach to well-being, encompassing physical, mental, and spiritual health. This ancient practice provides tools to manage stress, enhance focus, and improve physical health. Its principles foster compassion and environmental sustainability, promoting overall global well-being. With a growing body of research endorsing yoga’s health benefits, it continues to gain recognition as a valuable tool for promoting health and well-being worldwide.  

What is yoga?

Yoga is an ancient practice that goes beyond simple exercise. It’s a lifestyle that boosts your physical, mental, and spiritual health. It’s used worldwide as a key tool for overall well-being.  

Concept and Principles of Yoga:

Yoga promotes inner peace and happiness. It includes teachings called Yama and Niyama that guide us to live better. Ahimsa, which means non-violence, teaches us to avoid hurting others. Santosha, or contentment, helps us find happiness within ourselves.  

Yoga also encourages us to live in harmony with nature, leading to more sustainable lifestyles. One of its key principles, Aparigraha, tells us to only use what we need and leave the rest for others. It also teaches us to be kind and respectful to all beings, helping us build a fairer world.  

So, practising yoga isn’t just about personal health. It’s about making a positive difference in our society and planet.  

What are the key Yogic practices for health and well-being?

There are a variety of yogic practices that are essential for promoting physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Here are some of the primary practices:  

Shatkarmas: Shatkarmas, or purification practices, are foundational in Hatha Yoga. This help cleanses the body and prepares it for more advanced practices. Examples include Kunjal or Varisar Dhauti, which improve digestion, and Jal Neti and Sutra Neti, which aid in the cleansing of the nasal sinus and improvement of eyesight.  

Yogasana: Yogasanas, or yoga postures, are performed after the body has been detoxified. This enhances the body’s strength, flexibility, and overall fitness. There are many different yoga asanas, each offering specific benefits.  

Pranayama: Pranayama, or breath regulation, is an essential part of yoga. Once the body is detoxified and stabilized through Shatkarmas and Yogasana, pranayama helps in opening the subtle channels carrying vital energy throughout the body. Examples include Nadi-Shodhana Pranayama, Shitali Pranayama, and Bhramari Pranayama.  

Mudra & Bandha: Mudras, or body gestures, and Bandhas, or psychic locks, are used to control and channelize prana (life energy) in the body. This lead to various health benefits and is crucial for maintaining proper energy flow.  

Dhyana: Dhyana, or meditation, is the most critical practice of yoga. It helps in developing the mind’s inherent capabilities and leads to benefits such as reduced stress, improved memory, and enhanced concentration.  

What are the benefits of yoga?

Reduces stress and anxiety: Yoga helps to manage stress and anxiety. Regular practice reduces the level of stress hormones in your body, leading to improved mental health. This can prevent health issues like high blood pressure, depression, and heart disease.  

Improves concentration and focus: Yoga has the power to enhance focus and clarity of thought. Amid the bustle of everyday life, it helps calm your mind, reducing distractions and promoting productivity and creativity.  

Promotes physical Health: Yoga is also a fantastic way to improve physical health. Regular practice improves flexibility, strength, balance, and endurance. It can help manage chronic pain, improve respiratory functions, and even boost your immune system.  

Promotes compassion and respect: On a broader scale, practicing yoga helps promote a more equitable world. It teaches respect and kindness towards all beings, fostering a culture of empathy and compassion.  

Encourages environmental sustainability: By teaching us to live in harmony with the environment, yoga inspires us to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. It helps us realize our connection to the natural world, promoting behaviors that protect and preserve our planet.  

What does the research say about Yoga and Well-being?

The growing interest in Yoga: Research interest in yoga, particularly in its impact on physical and mental health, has increased significantly since the beginning of the 21st century. PubMed, for instance, shows an exponential increase in publications on yoga since the early 2000s.  

Yoga as complementary therapy: Studies have evaluated yoga’s efficacy on various non-communicable diseases such as stroke, cancer, hypertension, and diabetes. Many researchers have found yoga to be an effective complementary therapy to conventional treatments for these conditions.  

Yoga and ageing: Yoga’s potential as a therapy to combat age-related neurodegenerative diseases has gained considerable attention. It is viewed as an alternative mode of physical activity that may help older adults achieve recommended levels of physical activity.  

Perception of Yoga: A US survey revealed that yoga is perceived in several ways, including as an exercise activity, a spiritual activity, or a means to treat health conditions. Research reviews also found that yoga practices could be as effective as or superior to exercise in improving several health conditions.  

Yoga’s unique contributions: Yoga promotes positive health, helping us to tide over health challenges that occur during our lifetime. This concept of positive health is one of yoga’s unique contributions to modern healthcare. Yoga plays both a health promotion and preventive role in healthcare among the masses.  

How does Yoga contribute to Global Well-being?

Tool for harmonious relationships: Yoga’s principles, like Ahimsa (non-violence) and Santosha (contentment), encourage peaceful relationships with others. For instance, Ahimsa teaches us to avoid harm to all living beings, while Santosha promotes inner happiness over external validation. By integrating these values, societies can foster empathy and mutual respect, thereby improving global well-being.  

Environment sustainability: Yoga practitioners are encouraged to connect with nature and respect the environment, fostering sustainable lifestyles. The principle of Aparigraha (non-possessiveness) instructs us to only use what we need, promoting environmentally conscious choices. This principle fosters respect for all beings and our planet, thereby contributing to global sustainability.  

Yoga- a path towards equality: Yoga teaches respect and kindness to all, promoting a more equitable world. By treating all beings with dignity, yoga cultivates a culture of justice and equality, thus contributing to global well-being.  

Promoting cultural awareness: Yoga, a practice that originated in India, is now a global phenomenon. It fosters cultural awareness and diversity, bridging gaps between cultures and promoting global unity. This helps tackle global challenges like climate change, poverty, and inequality and contributes to the overall well-being of humanity.  

The art and science of yoga offer a pathway to connect individual consciousness with universal consciousness, aiding in the attainment of a disease-free body and a calm, peaceful mind. Yoga encourages individuals to be aware, accept, and effectively manage emotions like stress, anxiety, and aggression – common symptoms of modern lifestyles. Thus, yoga proves to be an invaluable tool for global well-being, offering multiple benefits like stress reduction, improved mental clarity and focus, physical health, mindfulness, and spirituality