Yoga for Lifestyle disorders

Self-care is preventative medicine

• Physical Discipline
Purification by Kriyas
Strength by Asanas
Steadiness by Mudras
Calmness by Pratyahara
Lightness by Pranayama
Self perception by Dhyana
Isolation / Freedom – Samadhi
Gheranda samhita 9-11
 Kriya – Cleansing in Yoga
• मेद-शलेष्ह्माधिकः पर्वू ं षहट-कमााणि समाछरे त |
अन्यस्तु नाछरे त्तानन दोष्हहािाां समभार्वतः || २१ ||

Medaśleshmādhikah pūrvam shatkarmāni samācharet

Anyastu nācharettāni doshānām samabhāvatah
Hatha Pradipika II-21

• If there be excess of fat or phlegm in the body, the six kinds

of kriyâs (duties) should be performed first. But others, not
suffering from the excess of these, should not perform them.
 Asana practice for Health
• अथ आसनम
हठस्य परथमाङ्गत्र्वादासनां पर्व ू म
ा छ्
ु यते |
कुयाात्तदासनां सथैयमा ारोग्यां छाङ्ग-लाघवर्वम || १९ ||
• atha āsanam
haṭhasya prathamāngghatvādāsanaṃ
pūrvamuchyate |
kuryāttadāsanaṃ sthairyamāroghyaṃ chānggha-
lāghavam || 19 ||
• Being the first accessory of Haṭha Yoga, âsana is
described first. It should be practised for gaining
steady posture, health and lightness of body.
Pranayama for equilibrium of mind
• छले र्वाते छलां नछत्तां ननश्छले ननश्छलां भर्वेत||
योगी सथाित्ु र्वमाप्नोनत ततो र्वायांु ननरोियेत || २ ||

• chale vāte chalaṃ chittaṃ niśchale niśchalaṃ bhavet||

yoghī sthāṇutvamāpnoti tato vāyuṃ nirodhayet || 2 ||

• Respiration being disturbed, the mind becomes

disturbed. By restraining respiration, the Yogî gets
steadiness of mind.
Nine kinds of Obstacles & its four consequences
व्याधिस्त्यानसांशयप्रमादालस्यावर्वरनत-
भ्रान्न्तदशानालब्िभमू मकत्र्वानर्वन्स्थतत्र्वानन
धित्तवर्वक्षेपास्तेऽन्तरायाः ॥ १.३०॥
दःु खदौमानस्याङ्गमेजयत्र्वश्र्वासप्रश्र्वासा वर्वक्षेपसहभर्व
ु ः ॥ १.३१॥
तत्प्रनतषेिाथामेकतत्त्र्वाभ्यासः ॥ १.३२॥
vyadhi styana samshaya pramada alasya avirati bhranti-darshana alabdha-bhumikatva
anavasthitatva chitta vikshepa te antarayah II 1.30 II
duhkha daurmanasya angam-ejayatva shvasa prashvasah vikshepa sahabhuva II1.31II
tat pratisedha artham eka tattva abhyasah II 1.32II
Obstacles (1.30)
• Illness Dullness Doubt
Negligence Laziness Cravings
Misperceptions Failure Instability
Companions to those Obstacles (1.31)
Mental and physical pain Sadness and frustration
Unsteadiness of the body Irregular breath
 Yogic solution
तत्प्रनतषेिाथामेकतत्त्र्वाभ्यासः ॥ १.३२॥
tat pratisedha artham eka tattva abhyasah
• The antidote for these obstacles is the one-
pointedness of mind. ॥1.32॥

अभ्यासर्वैराग्याभ्याां तन्न्नरोिः ॥ १.१२॥

abhyasa vairagyabhyam tat nirodhah ॥1.12॥
• Practice and non-attachment are the two core
principles
 Few Evidences…
• Meditation reduces pain perception
• Studies implicated meditation as a protective
factor against normal age-related brain
atrophy.
• Meditation induces a host of biochemical and
physical changes in the body collectively
referred to as the "relaxation response“
• useful for managing stress
 Truly prevention
हे यम दख
ु म अनागतम PYS 2:16
The suffering that is to come can be avoided.
Studies indicate that the practice of Yoga is associated with a
downregulation of nuclear factor kappa B pathway
This is the opposite of the effects of chronic stress on gene
expression
Suggests that Mind Body Intervention practices like Yoga may
lead to a reduced risk of inflammation-related diseases.
Buric I, Farias M, Jong J, Mee C and Brazil IA (2017) What Is the Molecular Signature of Mind–
Body Interventions? A Systematic Review of Gene Expression Changes Induced by Meditation
and Related Practices. Front. Immunol. 8:670.
Thank you…