By – M.R.Lalu
Yoga has become a tradition, passion and fashion in a world of tremendous impeccable changing tendencies. It is getting welcomed across the globe at a much faster pace. Ever since the U.N declaration on the need of Yoga being promoted as a wellness system to promote good health and mindfulness, the demand for yoga trainers and the number of practitioners increased in millions. More people are ready to give a try to yoga and ayurveda than the modern medical cure. Researches on yoga and ayurveda began to send affirmative views on their efficacy. Modern medical science mostly deals with the body. Medical Science across the globe consideredhealth as a state of no disease on the body level; whereas, yoga and ayurveda deal with mental and spiritual aspects too. Health, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely absence of disease or illness. This definition directly points to the advantages and authority of yoga practice as a wellness system.
As researches are on, the modern medical science also began to concede to the fact that not only the physical but the emotional and spiritual aspects of wellness should also be counted. It is in fact to be stated that if the body is the instrument, the mental and spiritual energy can act as the fuel to carry out its functions. The International Day of Yoga is observed on June 21 and the historic declaration was made in 2014 by the United Nations. It was a diplomatic win for India and recognition for the tradition that we practiced and preserved for generations. Yoga can tremendously help to enhance immunity. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika elaborates yoga as a holistic practice to ward off diseases and keep the body and mind with vigour. Yoga therefore needs to be seen as a mechanism that tries to understand the body and mind in their totality. Mistaking yoga as just a process of twisting and turning of the body beyond its capacity is normal. That is how it is propagated.
A practitioner needs to understand the inner and outer dimensions of yoga practice and the effects it brings. The science of yoga (yoga shastra) clearly states the body as a multi-layered mechanism. It is necessary to know the body and the mind in their totality. This ancient wellness science is believed to have originated 2500 years ago. Maharshi Patanjali in his yoga sutras or aphorisms scribbled the importance of a healthy living for a healthy society. He deals with the physical, emotional, intellectual and the spiritual aspects of an individual in detail. Practicing yoga regularly enables a person to go beyond the limits of his body and mind. Breathing exercises, popularly known as Pranayama activates intrinsic powers in our body and helps us to calm down the mind. Scientifically proven facts tell us about the ability of yoga and pranayama to increase the duration of life. Undoubtedly, yoga has the ability to raise a man from his animal instincts and help him discover his divine realms. It is because the practitioner becomes attentive to the smallest movement that he makes and he becomes totally watchful of the impulses of his mind. To go into the minute details of everything with complete attention is what yoga makes a practitioner capable of. Yoga literally means ‘to unite or to join’, a union of the microcosmic self and the macrocosmic self with complete awareness. Whereas, the most prominent definition of yoga that suits in the modern context is ‘skilful action’. This makes yoga a daily affair. Any action done with complete awareness and perfection is yoga. Awareness comes from attention and attention comes from trying to be totally mindful. Yoga philosophy tells that diseases and discomforts of the body emerge from the level of mind or beyond; which means, the problem of the body cannot be cured at the level of body alone but at the level of both body and mind.
Modern world provides us with plenty of opportunities in every field. But in the middle of the hustle and bustle of life, we really miss the art of living. The young generation is getting swayed away by the influence of cell phones, laptops and social media. Their concentration is severely affected. Regular yoga practice can help them gain concentration. The reason why yoga is gaining acceptance rapidly is that it can relieve the practitioner from stress, hypertension, obesity and cardiac problems. The change in the lifestyle would deeply impact the physical, mental and spiritual health of a person. Dedicated practice of yoga on a regular basis can balance the faculties of our life. The harmonious development of physical, mental, emotional, intellectual and spiritual faculties can be possible through the practice of yoga. Promoting yoga as a packaged branded property is a reality. It has mushroomed into a multibillion-dollar industry. We are sure to hit thousands of flashy personal web pages of yoga institutions. Rapid commercialization of yoga is trending at full speed and it is difficult to recognize the real stuff. Before stepping onto a yoga mat, take your resolve as to what you need to accomplish by becoming a practitioner. A yoga expert from a recognized school of yoga can help you overcome a lot of health problems. But do not forget, it is important to practice the wellness system with its traditional flavor. Surya Namaskar, a combination of multiple yoga postures is essentially a great exercise to increase vitality and immunity. The Ministry of AYUSH went on organizing a Global Surya Namaskar Demonstration Programme on 14 January 2022 aiming a participation of 1 crore people. In a world of chaotic troubles and tribulations, yoga leads the way to peace and tranquility.
