Health is harmony. When different systems like respiratory, circulatory, cardiovascular etc function in harmony with each other then the body is healthy. When different aspects of psyche like mind, emotions, intellect etc of person function in harmony then person is psychologically healthy.
Body and mind of a healthy person are in harmony. This harmony can be disturbed due to different reasons. Unhealthy lifestyle is one such reason. If this harmony is disturbed beyond recovery it can cause diseases like blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, depression. It can even trigger genetic disorders and give way to opportunistic infections. Such disorders are lifestyle disorders.
1. Yoga can restore this harmony and cure many lifestyle related diseases. This can happen without any medicine. If person is taking any medicine, yoga can only helps it work better and eventually rendering it unnecessary. However, yoga may not help if person continues to live unhealthy lifestyle. Also, yoga can cure lifestyle related diseases if it is practiced in proper manner; example some yogic exercises are not intended for people suffering from blood pressure. Doing those exercises can only worsen the disease. Therefore yoga should be adopted as a targeted therapy only under an expert teacher. This is particularly important when the disease is severe. Yoga cannot help in medical emergencies or when rapidly acting therapy is required.
2. Yoga is a holistic therapy. It works for all aspects of personality including body, mind, vital force etc. Effect of yoga is deeply transforming and long lasting. Effect of yoga is broad. For example yoga done for cardiovascular health not only works on heart but also all other parts of body that directly or indirectly relate to heart. Because of it’s wider scope yoga therapy not only treats primary symptoms and causes of disease but also the secondary conditions and causes that are not so obvious.
The holistic nature of yoga lies in it’s postures, breathing, locks, gestures, and meditation all synchronized to give a wholesome effect. Yogic breathing increases vital force and circulates it in different parts of body. Postures improve body dimensions, relative alignment of organs, and assimilation of vital force in body. Locks and gestures prevent vital forces from leaking wastefully. Meditation and celibacy improves the general intelligence that governs body and psyche. This makes yoga a holistic therapy and renders it capable to treat most lifestyle related diseases by restoring harmony in body and psyche.
3. Effect of yoga reaches deeper than most other therapies. Yoga increases vital force in our body. Yoga strengthens and also creates new channels through which vital force travel through body. Yoga circulates vital force to nooks and corners of body. Yoga assimilates vital force in body by adapting body to the raised vitality. Similarly yoga also improves circulation of nutrition in the body and removal of toxins. This strengthens the foundation of our health.
As you advance in the practice of yoga, you can experience layers of body vital force and your psyche that you had never known or imagined before. As you advance in the practice of yoga, you gain control and feel of those regions of body that function in autonomous fashion and at subliminal level. For example, just by manipulating breath and concentration you can raise or slow down heart beat, raise body temperature, control movement of your intestine etc.
4. Yoga can heal you from the deepest layer of your body. Correspondingly, it can also nullify the harmful impressions of past on your subconscious through meditation. Due to it’s reach yoga can heal and transform the foundations of your body and psyche. Reach of yoga is so deep that it can raise you from your ashes would not be an exaggerated claim. However, exploring deep within the body and psyche through yoga is dangerous without right training and attitude.
5. Lesser degree of awareness and sensitivity keeps us oblivious of harmful effects of unhealthy lifestyle till some health problem comes to surface. Yoga simply increases this sensitivity and awareness. Yoga raises awareness and brings more portion of body and psyche in to it’s focus. You become more sensitive to anything unhealthy rising in body and mind. Example, you may become alert to consumption of wrong kind of food, or you may become aware of unwholesome environment around you.
