Yoga

A lecture that resonated with me and my experience in India was presented by Doctor Sujan, a professor of yoga. Doctor Sujan is an assistant professor and coordinator at JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research in the Department of Yoga. Doctor Sujan dedicates his life to studying and teaching yoga and performing research to enhance the world of medicine. Ayurveda plays an essential part in the public health system in India and is recognized by the government as a science of health and healing. In Ayurvedic medicine, one of the core principles is yoga. There are different forms of yoga such as Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, or Patanjali Yoga, yet it is important to remember that all types of yoga focus on controlling one own mind.

The central question this lecture raises is whether or not, yoga and its way of living improves one’s well-being and lifestyle. Yoga is beneficial for physical and mental health. The benefits of yoga include but are not limited to improvement in respiratory function, muscular strength, or oxygen supply. Nevertheless, yoga is not limited to just physical, it is a balanced practice that involves our lifestyle, meaning the way we breathe, what we eat, how we talk, the people we associate with, our service to people we love, and our devotion to every moment. Yoga balances mind and body, creating a sense of well-being and calmness while helping to control stress and tension. As the father of yoga, Patanjali stated “Yoga is the process of halting mental disturbance”.

The ideas and values discussed in this lecture revolve around yoga and its positive implications on life. As the doctor mentioned, yoga is a practice that is available to everyone no matter your socioeconomic background, no matter your weight and flexibility, or no matter you age. That is because yoga can be practiced to one’s predisposed limits. There are different variations of yoga, meaning each individual can practice as they wish. The accessibility of yoga allows many to heal within themselves without needing to spend on resources that are either not affordable such as therapy or involve many side effects like psychotropic medicine. As I mentioned in my research critique, I strive to find an accessible aid for people suffering from mental disorders, and yoga seems to align with my goal.

In Western culture, many view yoga as a popular fitness trend to achieve a good stretch or build their dream body. Yet, yoga is so much more. Yoga is a healing exercise, yoga is a lifestyle, and yoga is a mind-controlling technique. To understand yoga, we need to know that yoga is not associated with a religion. Yoga is a spiritual practice that allows one to control their mind and bring peace to their spirit. The concept of “citta” according to yoga explains five states of mind:  Kshiptha means a restless mind, mudda means a dull state of mind, vikshipta means a distracted mind, dekagram means a one-pointed mind, and niruddha means a concentrated mind. Moreover, according to yoga, there are four parts of the mind: manas, chitta, buddhi, and ahamkara. Manas is the sensory part of the mind, chitta signifies consciousness, buddhi is intellect, and ahamkara defies ego. Now, to control your mind through yoga, there are eight limbs: Yama, Niyama, Äsana, Pränäyäma, Pratyähara, Dhärna, Dhyana, Samädhi".

Being in control of your mind and breathing is one of the most common things people with mental disorders such as depression and anxiety struggle with. Patients with depression often cannot focus their minds and shift their perspectives. For instance, the limbs of yoga called Yama and Niyama include important benefits such as reduction in disturbance of mind, improvement of ability for proper interaction, and enhancement in mental health. However, to introduce these techniques to the Western audience research is needed to back up its effectiveness. Research has shown that yoga is a powerful tool that provides neuroprotection to our brains. Neuroplasticity is the ability of the nervous system to change due to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli such as stress and mood disorders. Yet, neuroplasticity does not necessarily need to lead to a negative change, positive neuroplastic change can also happen thanks to a healthy diet or regular exercise which are both premises of yoga. This positive effect can be seen because yoga shifts the brain toward a parasympathetically driven mode and a positive affective temper by stimulating and modulating the secretion of what are known as happy hormones: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphin.

I chose to discuss the content presented by Doctor Sujan because most of my fellow peers and I were fascinated by the unknown knowledge about yoga and the positive transformation it can have on the world of public health and medicine. Through this lecture, I have realized that yoga is not so much done for fitness purposes, but it is for our minds. As mentioned previously, yoga brings so many benefits that are foreign to us, and thus awareness regarding this practice would benefit not just patients with mental disorders but everyone. Yoga is a way of life that leads to one’s personal development and the prevention of many mental disorders and physical illnesses. Upon getting familiar with the values of yoga, I learned about the importance of taking care of myself first in every aspect of my life. I will continue practicing yoga, sharing my knowledge with people around me, and utilizing this experience in my future career.

The main lesson to take away is that the hardest prison to escape from is your mind. Practice yoga!

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References:

Woodyard C. Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life. Int J Yoga. 2011 Jul;4(2):49-54. doi: 10.4103/0973-6131.85485. PMID: 22022122; PMCID: PMC3193654

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Hagen I, Nayar US. Yoga for Children and Young People's Mental Health and Well-Being: Research Review and Reflections on the Mental Health Potentials of Yoga. Front Psychiatry. 2014 Apr 2;5:35. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00035. PMID: 24765080; PMCID: PMC3980104.

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