Yoga - The Proven Treatment
In the storm of life we struggle through myriads of stimuli.
Pressure, stress, and a multitude of problems seek a solution and an answer. We are so suppressed by the routine of this lifestyle that most of us seem helpless. However, if we look closely to ancient techniques we shall discover a magnificent way to understand and realize our true natures and those of the people around us. If only we could stop for a moment and allow this to happen.
Let me bow to Indian Maharishi Patanjali with folded hands who helped in removing the impurities of the mind through his writings on
Yoga; impurities of speech through his writings on grammar; and impurities of body through his writings on Ayurveda.
The American justice Dept. has recently approved the power of yoga and
meditation via a recent judgement in an American court:
"Man Who Slapped Wife Sentenced to Yoga. It's Anger Management, Says Judge."
First there was house arrest. Now there's yoga. A judge ordered a man convicted of slapping his wife to take a yoga class as part of his one-year probation.
"It's part of
anger management," County Criminal Court at Law Judge Larry Standley said of the ancient Hindu philosophy of exercise and well-being. "For people who are into it, it really calms them down."
Standley, a former prosecutor, said the case of James Lee Cross was unique. Cross, a 53-year-old car salesman from Tomball, explained that his wife was struggling with a substance abuse problem and that he struck her on New Year's Eve during an argument about her drinking. "He was trying to get a hold of her because she has a problem," Standley said after the court hearing. "I thought this would help him realize that he only has control over himself." The sentence came as a surprise to Cross, who was told to enroll in a class and report back to Standley on his progress. "I'm not very familiar with it," Cross said of yoga. "From what I understand, it may help in a couple ways, not only as far as mentally settling, but maybe a little weight loss."
Darla Magee, an instructor at Yoga Body Houston in River Oaks, said she would recommend that Cross take a
basic yoga class emphasizing breathing and including a variety of postures -- forward bends, back bends and twists.
"Yoga can help us to get rid of many emotional issues we might have," she said. "It's a spiritual cleanse."
Prosecutor Lincoln Goodwin agreed to a sentence of probation without jail time because Cross had no significant criminal history http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2004_3728316. Yoga, which is one of the greatest Indian contributions to the world, has vast potential in all fields.
At Tihar Jail in India, Yoga has been studied experimentally among the inmates and found successful. Their criminal mentality is changed. This study aimed at investigating the effect of Vipassana Meditation (VM) on Quality of Life (QOL), Subjective Well-Being (SWB), and Criminal Propensity (CP) among inmates of Tihar Jail, Delhi. To this effect the following hypotheses were formulated.
1. There will be a significant positive effect of VM on the QOL of inmates of Tihar jail.
2. VM will have a positive and significant effect on SWB of inmates.
3. Criminal propensity (CP) of inmates will decrease significantly after attending the VM course.
4. There will be significant difference in SWB and CP of experimental (Vipassana) group and control (non-Vipassana) group.
5. Male and female inmates will differ significantly in SWB and CP, as a result of VM.
in "Time" magazine the importance
meditation and yoga, the ancient Indian system, is high-lighted. The ancient mind and spirit-enhancing art is becoming increasingly popular and gaining medical legitimacy. It is a multi-billion dollar business in the US. In many universities it is accepted as subject and included in the syllabus. In the latest book "Inspire! What Great Leaders Do" written by Mr. Lance Secretan recently published by John Wiley and Sons, the benefit of meditation is elaborately described for good corporate governance. By practicing transcendental meditation, or TM, many people have got relief from back pain, neck pain, depression. The mind calms and quietens. What thoughts you have during meditation become clearer, more focused. Anger, anxiety and worries give way to peace. In the world of exorbitant medical expenses one can definitely make use of meditation. Maharshi Mahesh Yogi and Sri Ravi Sankar are popularizing this. The Iyengar Yoga institute in the US is famous.
In the Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna inspired Arjuna to rise from his depression in the battlefield and to do his duty. There is a groundswell of educated people seeking answers to deeply personal but universally asked questions. Chief executives are now taking lessons from yoga, undertaking meditation and learning how to deal with human resources issues in an enlightened manner. Individuals from every walk of life can learn how to be better human beings -- more balanced and less stressed out.
Medical studies continue to show regular meditation working magic by
reducing blood pressure and stress-related illnesses, including heart disease. Brain images reveal that regular meditation helps calm the most active, sensory-assaulted parts of the brain. The ancient Hindu sage Patanjali, who had mastered the secrets of the human mind, wrote a remarkable book, the "Yogasutra". In this book we can see how super powers can be achieved by meditation. It has both cosmic relevance and cosmic resonance.
In spite of its universal appeal, for most people total control of mind remains an elusive goal and a daunting task. From time immemorial, there have been many attempts throughout the world to unlock the mysteries of the mind and to achieve total control over it through a variety of techniques. One of the most powerful of these techniques is meditation. Many spiritual leaders, sages, saints, and holy people such as Sri Buddha, Sri Ramakrishna, Madam Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda have practised this.
One of the best ways to control physiological reactions to psychological stimuli is meditation, Yoga, Zen Buddhism etc. The scientists take Transcendental Meditation (TM) as the uniform technique, and base their observations on the study of the subjects engaged in this form of meditation. In summing up the results, scientists have come to the conclusion that the effect of meditation is a "wakeful, hypo-metabolic state". They have found that:
1) Yogis could slow both heart rate and rate of respiration,
2) Yogis could slow the rate of metabolism as confirmed by decreased oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide output.
3) Electro-Encephala-Gram (EEG - recording of brain activity) in Yogis showed changes of calmness in the form of "alpha rhythm" during both eyes closed and eyes open recordings.
4) Their skin resistance to electric stimulation was increased (indicating increased tolerance to external stimuli).
Our usual 'defence-alarm' reaction to emotional and physical stress is in the form of "fright, flight, and fight", mediated through the over-secretion of certain neuro-transmitters and neuron-modulators, namely adrenaline and dopamine, through the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. Under the influence of these chemicals and hormones, we reflexively become panicky or aggressive and our blood pressure rises. Thus
stress and anxiety is the result if we let our natural age-old sympathetic reactions act and come to surface. We try to run away, become fearful, or fight the situation. But today these 'defence-alarm' reactions have no place in our lives. Rather, they should be replaced by the calmer, more serene responses of equanimity and fearlessness. The need is to just 'face the brute, and it will go away'.
These desirable reactions of non-aggression and a peaceful attitude are generated by Yoga and meditation.
EEG Studies on Yogis and Zen Meditations: Yogis practising Raja-Yoga claim that during the state of Samadhi they are oblivious to internal and external stimuli, and enjoy a calm ecstasy during that state. A study was undertaken to record the electrical activity of their brains during this state by means of a regular and useful test known as electroencephalography (EEG). Physiological and experimental studies have demonstrated that the basis of the conscious state of the brain, among other things, is due to activation of the "reticular system" in the brain-stem in response to internal and external stimuli. These stimuli bring about various changes during both the sleeping and wakeful states of the organism and these can be studied by EEG.
The study was carried out on four subjects during the state of concentration and meditation. Effects of external stimuli, like a loud gong, strong light, thermal simulation, and vibrations were studied. The results were compiled and analyzed. It was observed that two Yogis could keep their hands immersed in extremely cold water for about 50 minutes (raised pain threshold). During the state of meditation, all of them showed persistent "alpha activity" in their EEG with increased amplitude wave pattern, both during 'eyes closed' and 'eyes open' recording. It was observed that these alpha activities could not be blocked by various sensory stimuli during meditation. It was also observed that those who had well-marked "alpha activity" in their resting EEG showed greater aptitude and zeal for maintaining the practice of Yoga. Similar observations and results were obtained when EEGs were recorded in persons adept in Zen Meditative technique.
Can we say that only those persons who exhibit such recording of "alpha wave rhythm" in their EEG are fit for Yoga? And be designated as right candidates for meditation and Yoga practices? (Such experiments are indeed very few and the number of yogis examined is also very small. Therefore, scientifically and statistically these observations have only a tentative importance. Further research is definitely called for, albeit it will have its own limitations.) It is said that in the unknown period of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, He was under meditation.
Ref. Yoga magazines
Newsweek.com
New York times
Time magazine
Article by M.P. Bhattathiri, Retired Chief Technical Examiner to the Government of Kerala
