UNIT V: PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

Perspectives on Prevention - Primary, Secondary and Territary Prevention

What are Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Preventions?

Prevention
Prevention is the measures that are taken in order decrease the chance of getting a disease or
developing poor health conditions. The goal of prevention is to promote health and to take
actions before adverse conditions arise. There are three levels of prevention, including
primary, secondary, and tertiary, that are used by the field of health in order to prevent
illness, disease, and adverse health conditions.

Three Levels of Prevention Meanings

Primary Prevention:
Even if you don't know the term 'primary prevention,' chances are you participate in it every
single day. When you brush your teeth, you are doing so to prevent getting cavities. If you
exercise, you are likely trying to prevent becoming overweight. You wear seat belts in cars to
protect yourself if you're ever unlucky enough to get into an accident. These are all examples
of primary prevention.
Primary prevention refers to the actions people take that help them avoid developing certain
health problems. These problems can include diseases, sicknesses, injuries or conditions that
are not beneficial to the body. These actions are the first type of preventive behaviors that are
conducted before the problems occur. They not only save people from experiencing illnesses,
but help them to save time and money in health care.
Examples include:

 legislation and enforcement to ban or control the use of hazardous products (e.g.
asbestos) or to mandate safe and healthy practices (e.g. use of seatbelts and bike
helmets)
 education about healthy and safe habits (e.g. eating well, exercising regularly, not
smoking)
 immunization against infectious diseases.

Additional examples of primary level prevention include:

 Leon is in good health. He eats meats and vegetables, avoids processed foods, and
works out on a weekly basis. He is practicing primary prevention because his diet and
exercise routine can help prevent him from developing adverse health conditions.
 Agatha makes sure that she takes various prenatal vitamins to maximize the health of
her unborn baby. She is practicing primary prevention because she wants to prevent
 birth complications and negative health conditions that could impact the health of her
baby.

Secondary Prevention:

Secondary prevention refers to interrupting an asymptomatic disease before it becomes

symptomatic, or at least catching a disease at its early stages when few signs and symptoms
are present. In other words, you've already gotten sick, you just don't know it yet, or you're
only beginning to suspect it. Secondary prevention tries to intervene and hopefully put an end
to the disease before it fully develops.
Examples include:

 regular exams and screening tests to detect disease in its earliest stages (e.g.
mammograms to detect breast cancer)
 daily, low-dose aspirins and/or diet and exercise programs to prevent further heart
attacks or strokes
 suitably modified work so injured or ill workers can return safely to their jobs.

Tertiary prevention

Tertiary prevention aims to soften the impact of an ongoing illness or injury that has lasting
effects. This is done by helping people manage long-term, often-complex health problems
and injuries (e.g. chronic diseases, permanent impairments) in order to improve as much as
possible their ability to function, their quality of life and their life expectancy.

Examples include:

 cardiac or stroke rehabilitation programs, chronic disease management programs (e.g.

for diabetes, arthritis, depression, etc.)
 support groups that allow members to share strategies for living well
 vocational rehabilitation programs to retrain workers for new jobs when they have
recovered as much as possible.

Examples of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Prevention

To Illustrate the difference between each type of prevention, consider the following examples
of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention that involve a single patient:
Joy tries to eat healthy foods and exercises regularly each week. He also sees his doctor
regularly for routine wellness appointments, where his doctor checks his blood pressure,
screens for high cholesterol, and advises him on what foods he should eat. These are
examples of primary prevention because Joy is eating healthy foods, exercising, and
attending regular checkups to avoid disease or negative health outcomes.
One morning, Joy feels as if his throat is mildly itchy, and he develops a very minor cough by
the end of the day. He schedules an appointment with his doctor and is tested for strep
throat as a way to determine whether or not Joy has it before more serious symptoms emerge.
This is an example of secondary prevention because Joy went to see his doctor as soon as he
thought he might be getting sick, so that he could be treated before the major symptoms of
strep emerge.
During a wellness checkup, Joy's doctor tells him that he has diabetes and that he will need to
seek continuous treatment so that his health doesn't deteriorate. This is an example of tertiary
prevention because Joy is receiving treatment for an ailment that has been diagnosed so that
his condition doesn't get worse.
To help explain the difference, take this example. Let’s say you are the mayor of a town near
a swimming hole used by kids and adults alike. One summer, you learn that citizens are
developing serious and persistent rashes after swimming as a result of a chemical irritant in
the river. You decide to take action.

If you approach the company upstream that is discharging the chemical into the river and
make it stop, you are engaging in primary prevention. You are removing the hazardous
exposure and preventing rashes in the first place.

If you ask lifeguards to check swimmers as they get out of the river to look for signs of a rash
that can then be treated right away, you are engaging in secondary prevention. You are not
preventing rashes, but you are reducing their impact by treating them early on so swimmers
can regain their health and go about their everyday lives as soon as possible.

If you set up programs and support groups that teach people how to live with their persistent
rashes, you are engaging in tertiary prevention. You are not preventing rashes or dealing with
them right away, but you are softening their impact by helping people live with their rashes
as best as possible.

For many health problems, a combination of primary, secondary and tertiary interventions are
needed to achieve a meaningful degree of prevention and protection. However, as this
example shows, prevention experts say that the further “upstream” one is from a negative
health outcome, the likelier it is that any intervention will be effective.

Psychological approaches to treatment: Psycho dynamic therapy

Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic therapy focuses on unconscious processes as they are manifested in the

client's present behavior. The goals of psychodynamic therapy are client self-awareness and
understanding of the influence of the past on present behavior. In its brief form, a
psychodynamic approach enables the client to examine unresolved conflicts and symptoms
that arise from past dysfunctional relationships and manifest themselves in the need and
desire to abuse substances.
Like psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic therapy, the aim of psychodynamic therapy is to
bring the unconscious mind into consciousness. This means helping you to recognise,
experience, and understand your true, deep-rooted feelings, in order to help you resolve them.
Based on the idea that our unconscious holds onto painful feelings and memories,
psychodynamic therapy believes these are too difficult for your conscious mind to process.

Psychodynamic therapy is particularly useful for people who want to get to the roots of their
problems and understand what may be going on unconsciously to affect their thoughts and
feelings.

What are the core principles of psychodynamic therapy?

Psychodynamic therapists help you to get a better insight into your life and the problems you
are experiencing here and now.

 bringing the unconscious into consciousness

 exploring the impact of early life and childhood
 considering conflict between different feelings and aspects of self
 uncovering 'defence mechanisms' which are used to avoid painful feelings and
experiences
 exploring feelings and patterns in relationships with others, including within the
therapeutic relationship

What can psychodynamic therapy help with?

Psychodynamic therapy can be used to help with a broad range of issues and mental illnesses.
Psychodynamic therapy can help with:

 anxiety
 depression
 eating disorders
 loss of meaning in life
 panic disorders
 personality disorders
 post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
 persistent feelings of loneliness
 trouble connecting with others or forming relationships
 sexual issues
  substance misuse (addiction)

Behaviour therapy

Behavioral therapy is a term that describes a broad range of techniques used to change
maladaptive behaviors. The goal is to reinforce desirable behaviors and eliminate unwanted
ones.

The behavior itself is the problem and the goal is to teach people new behaviors to minimize
or eliminate the issue.
Behaviour Therapy Techniques

The techniques used in this type of treatment are based on the theories of classical
conditioning and operant conditioning.

Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning is one way to alter behavior. Several different techniques and
strategies are used in this approach to therapy.

 Aversion therapy: This process involves pairing an undesirable behavior with an

aversive stimulus in the hope that the unwanted behavior will eventually be reduced.
For example, someone with an alcohol use disorder might take Antabuse (disulfiram),
a drug that causes severe symptoms (such as headaches, nausea, anxiety, and
vomiting) when combined with alcohol.

 Flooding: This process involves exposing people to fear-invoking objects or

situations intensely and rapidly. It is often used to treat phobias. During the process,
the individual is prevented from escaping or avoiding the situation.

 Systematic desensitization: In this technique, people make a list of fears and then
learn to relax while concentrating on these fears. Starting with the least fear-inducing
item and working their way to the most fear-inducing item, people systematically
confront these fears under the guidance of a therapist. Systematic desensitization is
often used to treat phobias and other anxiety disorders.

Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning focuses on how reinforcement and punishment can be utilized to either
increase or decrease the frequency of a behavior. Behaviors followed by desirable
consequences are more likely to occur again in the future, while those followed by negative
consequences become less likely to occur.
Behavioral therapy techniques use reinforcement, punishment, shaping, modeling, and related
techniques to alter behavior. These methods have the benefit of being highly focused, which
means they can produce fast and effective results.

 Contingency management: This approach uses a formal written contract between a

client and a therapist (or parent or teacher) that outlines behavior-change goals,
reinforcements, rewards, and penalties. Contingency contracts can be very effective in
producing behavior changes since the rules are spelled out clearly, preventing both
parties from backing down on their promises.

 Extinction: Another way to produce behavior change is to stop reinforcing behavior
in order to eliminate the response. Time-outs are a perfect example of the extinction
process. During a time-out, a person is removed from a situation that provides
reinforcement. By taking away what the person found rewarding, unwanted behavior
is eventually extinguished.

 Behavior modeling: This technique involves learning through observation and
modeling the behavior of others. Rather than relying simply on reinforcement or
punishment, modeling allows individuals to learn new skills or acceptable behaviors
by watching someone else perform those desired skills.

 Token economies: This strategy relies on reinforcement to modify behavior. Parents
and teachers often use token economies, allowing kids to earn tokens for engaging in
preferred behaviors and lose tokens for undesirable behaviors. These tokens can then
be traded for rewards such as candy, toys, or extra time playing with a favorite toy.

What Behavioral Therapy Can Help With

Behavioral therapy can be utilized to treat a wide range of psychological conditions and
disorders, including:

 Bipolar disorder
 Alcohol and substance use disorders
 Anxiety
 Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
 Autism spectrum disorders
 Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
 Depression
 Eating disorders
 Panic disorder
 Phobias
 Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Behavioral therapy is problem-focused and action-oriented. For this reason, it can also be
useful for addressing specific psychological concerns such as anger management and stress
management.

Cognitive and Cognitive Behavioral therapies

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapeutic treatment that helps
people learn how to identify and change the destructive or disturbing thought patterns that
have a negative influence on their behavior and emotions.
Cognitive behavioral therapy combines cognitive therapy with behavior therapy by
identifying maladaptive patterns of thinking, emotional responses, or behaviors and replacing
them with more desirable patterns. Through CBT, faulty thoughts are identified, challenged,
and replaced with more objective, realistic thoughts.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques

CBT is about more than identifying thought patterns. It uses a wide range of strategies to help
people overcome these patterns. Here are just a few examples of techniques used in cognitive
behavioral therapy.

Identifying Negative Thoughts

It is important to learn what thoughts, feelings, and situations are contributing to maladaptive
behaviors. This process can be difficult, however, especially for people who struggle
with introspection. But taking the time to identify these thoughts can also lead to self-
discovery and provide insights that are essential to the treatment process.
Practicing New Skills
In cognitive behavioral therapy, people are often taught new skills that can be used in real-
world situations. For example, someone with a substance use disorder might practice new
coping skills and rehearse ways to avoid or deal with social situations that could potentially
trigger a relapse.
Goal-Setting
Goal setting can be an important step in recovery from mental illness, helping you to make
changes to improve your health and life. During cognitive behavioral therapy, a therapist can
help you build and strengthen your goal-setting skills.
This might involve teaching you how to identify your goal or how to distinguish between
short- and long-term goals. It may also include helping you set SMART goals (specific,
measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based), with a focus on the process as much as the
end outcome.
Problem-Solving
Learning problem-solving skills during cognitive behavioral therapy can help you learn how
to identify and solve problems that may arise from life stressors, both big and small. It can
also help reduce the negative impact of psychological and physical illness.
Problem-solving in CBT often involves five steps:

1. Identify the problem

2. Generate a list of potential solutions
3. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each potential solution
4. Choose a solution to implement
5. Implement the solution

Self-Monitoring

Also known as diary work, self-monitoring is an important cognitive behavioral therapy

technique. It involves tracking behaviors, symptoms, or experiences over time and sharing
them with your therapist.

Self-monitoring can provide your therapist with the information they need to provide the best
treatment. For example, for people with eating disorders, self-monitoring may involve
keeping track of eating habits, as well as any thoughts or feelings that went along with
consuming a meal or snack.
What Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Help With

Cognitive behavioral therapy can be used as a short-term treatment to help individuals learn
to focus on present thoughts and beliefs.

CBT is used to treat a wide range of conditions, including:

 Addiction
 Anger issues
 Anxiety
 Bipolar disorder
 Depression
 Eating disorders
 Panic attacks
 Personality disorders
 Phobias

In addition to mental health conditions, cognitive behavioral therapy has also been
found to help people cope with:

 Chronic pain or serious illnesses

 Divorce or break-ups
 Grief or loss
 Insomnia
 Low self-esteem
 Relationship problems
 Stress management
 Humanistic and Existential therapies-

What Is Humanistic Therapy?

Humanistic therapy describes a range of different types of therapy that focus on a person as
an individual with unique potential and abilities. Instead of concentrating on what is wrong
with people, this type of therapy is more focused on helping them overcome their difficulties
through personal growth.
Humanistic therapy grew out of humanistic psychology, a perspective that stresses that
people are innately good. This approach tends to be more holistic and looks at the whole
person rather than just a single area of a person's life. By emphasizing a person's skills and
positive characteristics, it encourages people to heal and find personal fulfillment.
Techniques

Humanistic therapists use a number of techniques that are designed to support people as they
work toward change. Some of the main techniques that are frequently used include:

 Congruence: This technique is essential to humanistic therapy and involves the

therapist being authentic, open, and genuine as they interact with the individual who
is in therapy.
 Empathetic understanding: This involves the therapist not only understanding what
the client is feeling and saying, but also communicating that understanding to the
client. The individual should feel heard, seen, and understood.
 Reflective listening: This involves actively listening to the individual and then
summarizing what the client has said in their own words. This strategy can help
reinforce what the client is saying, allow them to reflect back on their own words, and
clear up potential misunderstandings.
 Unconditional positive regard: This technique involves the therapist accepting the
individual without judgment. It is characterized by a caring attitude that plays an
important role in fostering self-worth, personal growth, and self-awareness

Therapists utilize these techniques to support people as they develop greater self-awareness.
These techniques are focused on solving specific problems; instead, their goal is to encourage
people to view themselves as capable of directing their own behavior and achieving their
unique goals.
What Humanistic Therapy Can Help With

There is not a great deal of research on the efficacy of humanistic therapy for specific
conditions. This may be in part because these approaches focus less on measurable symptoms
and outcomes. However, humanistic therapy has been used to treat a range of different mental
health conditions. Some of these include:

 Anxiety
 Depression
  Low self-esteem
 Panic disorder
 Personality disorders
 Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
 Psychosis
 Relationship problems
 Substance use
 Trauma

This approach can also be helpful for people who are not focused on treating a specific
condition. Those who are interested in maximizing their potential and growing as a person
may benefit from humanistic therapies.

Existential Therapy
What Is Existential Therapy?
Existential therapy is a type of psychotherapy, or talk therapy, in which a person is
encouraged to use their free will to create a life of meaning or to find meaning in their current
life. It's based on existential theory, which states that because life is meaningless, people are
free to create their own. Existential therapy encourages being authentic and creative, seeking
love, and taking responsibility for your life and relationships.

Existential therapy states that the human condition is one of loneliness, life has no meaning,
and death is inevitable. Despite this, existential theory also claims a human being has the free
will to create a meaningful life.

The 4 Existential 'Givens'

Existential theory is the idea that there are four "givens" of human existence that cause inner
anguish. Psychotherapist Irvin D. Yalom labeled these four givens in 1980.

The four "givens" are:

 Freedom: Human beings have the freedom and responsibility to create meaningful
lives.
 Isolation: Human beings are ultimately alone.
 Meaninglessness: Life can feel meaningless.
 Death: No one can escape death.

What It Can Help With

Existential therapy can help with:

 The aftermath of shocking events

 Feelings of hopelessness or anxiety because of uncontrollable circumstances
 Self-empowerment
  Fear and anxiety, including death anxiety
 Low self-esteem
 Feelings of hopelessness and despair

Techniques

Existential therapy techniques include:

 Open dialogue between patient and therapist without judgment: The relationship
between patient and therapist should be flexible, accepting, and supportive.
 Mindfulness: This involves focusing on the present moment while building a
meaningful future.
 Encouraging patients to remain present by asking questions about their
experiences: This encourages experiencing life fully and authentically.
 Treating all experiences as equally important in their potential for
meaning: Existential therapy avoids the idea of ranking experiences in order of
importance.
 Treating negative feelings and inner conflict: In existential therapy, these are
considered good reactions that should be explored instead of quickly cured.
 Encouraging exploration of new ideas and experiences: Trying new things can
help a patient build their future on their own terms.
 Discussing interactions with the larger world: This helps patients find their place in
society or culture.

Family and Marital Therapy

How Family Therapy Works

Family therapy is a type of treatment designed to help with issues that specifically affect
families' mental health and functioning. It can help individual family members build stronger
relationships, improve communication, and manage conflicts within the family system. By
improving how family members interact and relate to one another, family therapy can foster
change in close relationships.

Some of the primary goals of family therapy are to create a better home environment, solve
family issues, and understand the unique issues that a family might face.

Marital Therapy

Couples and families face unique problems, which is why they often seek out help from
marriage and family therapists. These professionals are trained to deal specifically with
interpersonal issues that arise in individuals, couples, families, and groups.
Professionals who work in this field often use a variety of psychotherapeutic techniques.
They may work with individuals, couples, or families to treat illness, improve
communication, and strengthen relationships.

Marriage and family therapists assess, diagnose and treat mental illness and psychological
distress within the context of the marriage and family systems. They may provide premarital
counseling, relationship counseling, child counseling, and separation and divorce counseling.

Types of Family Therapy

There are several types of family therapy. A few that you might encounter include:

 Family systems therapy: This type is an approach that focuses on helping people
utilize the strengths of their relationships to overcome mental health problems.
 Functional family therapy: This is a short-term treatment often utilized for young
people experiencing problems with risky behavior, violence, or substance use. It helps
teens and families look for solutions while building trust and respect for each
individual.
 Narrative family therapy: This type encourages family members to each tell their
own story to understand how those experiences shape who they are and how they
relate to others. By working with this narrative, the person can start to view problems
more objectively than just seeing things through their own narrow lens.
 Psychoeducation: This type of treatment is centered on helping family members
better understand mental health conditions. By knowing more about medications,
treatment options, and self-help approaches, family members can function as a
cohesive support system.
 Supportive family therapy: This type of therapy focuses on creating a safe
environment where family members can openly share what they are feeling and get
support from their family.

Techniques

The techniques utilized in family therapy typically depend on factors such as the theoretical
orientation of the therapist and the specific needs of the family. Some methods that may be
utilized include:

 Behavioral techniques: These methods often focus on skills training and

psychoeducation to help family members address specific problems. For example,
modeling and role-playing might be used to help family members resolve
communication problems.
 Psychodynamic techniques: These methods involve assessing how each family
member interprets and responds to the problems they are facing. The therapist works
with the family to develop new emotional insights and explore new ways of
responding more effectively.
  Structural techniques: These methods focus on helping family members
with boundaries and power dynamics within the family. Such techniques can help
families create new boundaries and establish routines that improve how the family
functions.

Techniques used in family therapy focus on improving emotional awareness, assisting with
major changes within a family, helping people accept things they cannot control, and
improving communication and collaboration.

What Family Therapy Can Help With

Family therapy can help people with many different issues. Some of these include:

 Behavioral problems in children or teens

 Changes within the family
 Communication problems
 Death of loved one
 Divorce, separation, or marital problems
 Parent-child conflicts
 Problems between siblings
 Parenting issues
 Stressful events or major life transitions
 Trauma

Benefits of Family Therapy

Because this form of treatment addresses communication, family members can learn how to
better share their thoughts and needs and resolve conflicts in a way that is less likely to
damage relationships.

This type of therapy also focuses on how family members can address an individual family
member’s difficulties. For example, if one family member has a mental health condition,
family therapy can help alter some conditions that sometimes contribute to the problem.

When individuals are affected by mental illness, family members may sometimes lack
awareness of how to help. As a result, they may engage in behaviors that maintain or even
worsen aspects of the illness. Family therapy can help members of the family learn more
about what they can do to support their family member who has a mental disorder while
preserving their own mental well-being.

Eclecticism and Integration-Indigenous systems:Yoga and Meditation

Eclectic therapy seeks to directly meet the client and their needs by drawing from multiple
therapy approaches in order to select the best treatment for each individual client. It can be
viewed as a combination of different therapy approaches that is tailored to each client
depending on their problems, goals, and expectations.

Eclectic Therapy
The following examples of eclectic therapy illustrate how therapists might approach
treatment for clients living with anxiety, depression, or PTSD. Because this type of therapy is
highly individualized, your own work with an eclectic therapist will likely look a bit
different.

As noted, eclectic therapy is quite versatile. Because a therapist creates a unique process and
selects individualized treatments for each client, no two people seeing the same therapist will
have identical therapy. This is because each challenge is different for every person who
experiences it. For example, anxiety disorders are extremely common, but because people
have different personalities, backgrounds, and current life experiences, anxiety is different for
everyone. To an integrational therapist, a single method of helping every client with anxiety
would be inadequate.

Integrative Therapy

Integrative therapy is an approach to treatment that involves selecting the techniques from
different therapeutic orientations best suited to a client’s particular problem. By tailoring the
therapy to the individual, integrative therapists hope to produce the most significant effects.

Unlike some single school approaches, integrative therapy is not restricted to a particular
methodology or school of thought. Instead, therapists can draw on different techniques as
they are needed. The goal of this is to improve the efficacy and efficiency of treatment and
adapt it to the specific needs of the individual.

While integrative and eclectic therapy are sometimes used interchangeably, there are some
key differences between these two approaches. Eclectic therapy is more about simply
drawing on different traditions, and integrative therapy focuses on combining these elements
into a more cohesive experience. This approach suggests that there is no single method that is
superior for each and every situation. It also suggests that even theories that don’t necessarily
agree with one another can still work together to benefit people with mental health
conditions.
Techniques

An integrative therapist will adapt and integrate different techniques depending on the
individual's needs and goals. For a person who is working on overcoming a behavioral
problem, a therapist might utilize:

 Behavioral strategies such as modeling and reinforcement to change the behavior

 Psychodynamic strategies such as transference and free association can help people
gain insight
  Cognitive strategies such as cognitive restructuring and exposure to help change
automatic negative thoughts that contribute to the behavior

Integrative therapy can be helpful in the treatment of a number of different mental health
conditions and psychological issues. These include:

 Anxiety
 Bereavement
 Depression
 Low self-esteem
 Stress
 Substance use disorders
 Trauma

Indigenous systems:Yoga and Meditation.

Overview of Yoga and Meditation as Indigenous TherapiesYoga: A mind-body practice
originating from ancient India that combines physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques
(pranayama), and meditation to promote overall well-being. Physical benefits: Yoga can
improve flexibility, strength, and balance.
Yoga and Meditation
Indian origin which was on yoga, called “Yoga together or union. The word which means to
unite, bind individual understand herself/himself at all levels by gaining control over one’s
own body, mind and senses. It is a holistic practice that integrates and develops mind, body,
breath and soul. It is helpful for both physical and mental health. It includes different type of
exercises, body postures, breathing exercises which aim to eventually lead to higher level of
consciousness.
Regular practice of these yoga techniques can help in stress management and positive mental
health. Various studies highlight the benefits of yoga practice which include improved
physical and mental well being; reducing anxiety, stress and depression; better emotional
regulation; improved cognitive functioning; enhanced neuromuscular performance; and
increase one’s well-being.
Yoga promotes both physical and mental health. These research studies point out the
potential therapeutic benefits of yoga. When yoga is used as a therapeutic intervention for
treating various physical and mental health conditions, it is called therapeutic yoga.
Following are some of the benefits of integrating yoga practice into counselling:
• Increase in self-awareness, making an individual more aware about his/her own feelings,
experiences, mind and body.
• Developing a sense of connection and relatedness with oneself and others including the
environment and the universe.
• Cultivating and strengthening healthy attitudes and behaviour.
• Reducing stress and tension.
• Developing self-acceptance, thus promoting better connection with oneself and others.

Yoga involves eight steps or ‘ashtanga’ (the eight limbs) to control the fluctuations of the
psyche, conduct oneself with discipline and ethical conduct, leading life with a purpose, and
attain enlightenment. Also known as the eight-fold path, it includes Yama, Niyama, Asana,
Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.

 Yama includes moral conduct and commandments like truthfulness, non-violence and
non-greediness.
 Niyama refers to various practices, positive duties, observances and habits in one’s daily
life such as cleanliness, discipline, study and contentment that helps you lead a good life.
 The next two steps, Asana and Pranayama, include various physical posture and
practising various breathingtechniques respectively.
 The fifth step is Pratyahara which involves withdrawal of the senses and introspection to
have access to the psyche.
 The sixth step is Dharana which means concentration.
 Next step Dhyana refers to meditation, and
 Finally Samadhi is a standstill state of psyche where one attains a blissful state.

Meditation
The word “meditation” has come from the Latin word meditatum which means “to ponder”.
It means to engage in contemplation or reflection. It can be described as a state of thoughtful
awareness and mental silence at the same time. Meditation is a process that transform the
mind into a state of equilibrium and harmony. It can be understood as a means of controlling
the mind and turning its focus on the transcendental realm of being. The practice of
meditation calms down the mind and relieve stress and anxiety. Practising meditation may
lead to the experiences of higher states of consciousness.