YOGA ANO HEALTH

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Title: YOGA ANO HEALTH
extracted text: J. Society Publication

YOGA ANO HEALTH
Yuktaharviharasya Yukta Cheshtasya Karmasu i

Yuktaswpnavabodhasya Yogobhavati Dukhaha i
Shri Bhagavadgeeta — 6—17
medico friend circle
[orgcnic-tion & buI letlfl officSj

326, V Main, lot Bieck
Koramangaia, Bansaiei§.-§S§ 034

Foreword by Dr. Sushila Nayar
M. P.

S. R. Vidwans, M. A. D.Y.P,
Hon. Yoga therap’s’
M. Gandhi Institute of
Medical Science?

I'
Price Re I /-

Sewagram
( India )

Prajna - Kanina

The establishment of yoga Dept, is owing
your deep faith in yoga . I dedicate this booklet to
you because you gave me an opportunity to serve yoga
shastra, and through it, the ailing persons.

S.R. Vidwans

Introduction

It gives me qreat pleasure to offer this booklet
to you. Many of our diseases are cured by the nature
herself. But the modern life is swiftly moving away
from the natur.
The yogic cure is such a wonderful method
that it not only cures the disease but it lays a new
foundation for your life, gives a new direction.

We have been trying yoga therapy for
physical and mental cure for the last five years in
our Institute. The present booklet describes how the
yogic exereises help rehabilitate our personality and
prevent onslaught of diseases. Our objective in present
ing this booklet is to acquaint you with our effort and
motivate to undergo the training.
T hope our effort will bear fruit. I express my
deep, gratitude to Dr. S. Nayar, our president for going
through the manuscript giving important suggtions
and writing a Foreword
M. Choudhary
Secretary.

£>£.^3%

FOREWORD
* Prevention is better than cure ’ is the age
old slogan is the medical world. Prevention of ill
health will not only reduce expenditure on medicines»
but it will also enable a person to work more, produce
more and add to the wealth of the nation. Healthy
persons are mentally alert and full of zest for life.

Our ancient seers were conscious of the impo
rtance of preventive measures against disease. They
lived upto hundred years or more full ot vigour and
energy and did a great deal of creative work till the
end.

Yoga is one such system which helps keep
us physically and mentally fit and healthy and preve
nts many types of diseases. In fact Patanjali says
*• Heyam Dukham Anagatam " ( the suffering that
has not come is to be prevented ).
But we must not identify yoga with mere
physical postuies nor can we say that a particular
exercise is good for a particular disease. Lite is an
integrated whole. It has both physical and mental
aspects and there is a third dimension also, which is
spiritual.
Man’s suffering extends to all these areas. We
have to attempt to bring about a balance among the
various faculties of man and yoga is the most effective
means to achieve this objective.
In our Institute at Sevagram we are trying
to harness yoga in all aspects in order to bring peace
;and health and happiness on the one hand and to
jpromote physical, mental and emotional health on the
other. This small pamphlet will explain to the readers
Uhow it is being done.

SUBHILA NAYAR

M. GANDHI ON YOGA PRACTICES

“ I want to give the Practice of these yogic
exercises a full trial only because I regard them of
all the methods of Medical treatment to be the Freest
from danger
— April, 1927
“ The growing self abuse among the students
has attracted me to the yogic asanas, as possible cure
of the evil habit. ”
— April, 1927

“ ( With the practice of asanas ), I feel fresher
and stronger
my apetite has improved. ”
— April 1927

“ The pranayam causes no difficulty T take
all the deep breath without a break. *'

“ In shavasana I feel refreshed when I lie
flat on my back for nearly fifteen minutes. *'
— June 1927
( Extracts from letters addressed to Swami
Kuvalagananda of Kaivalyadhama, Lonawala, by
M. Gandhi )

YOGA & HEALTH
Real happiness lies in physical and mental health.
An ailing body and mind cannot enjoy even material
pleasure far from the spiritual one.
Disease may be hereditory or arising from envi
ronment. It is true that in emergency like diarrhoea or
highfever we have to take medicines. But diseases like
indigestion, constipation, piles, asthama, b.ocd pressure
etc. arising from disturbed mental condition or irregular
life, can be cured by appropriate diet, exercise, mental
peace and correct attitudes towards life Experts say
that 70% of diseases are cured without any medicine.
The body cells try to fight with the external attack and
nature outside the body helps the body cells.

Nature is a combination of earth, water, light or
heat, air and sky. These are five basic elements. The
nature helps us through these principles and similarly
we can also make use of these elements in their aross
form. We can regain our lost health with the help of
these elements.
The nature cure treatment consists of use of earth
in the fotm of mud packs, mud bath, water in the form
of drinking plain water, purification of nose, stomach
and bowels with water, tub baths etc.

Sun bath is the form of using fire element and
fasting is using the sky element.
The present practice of people is to use nature
cure methods only when they are attacked by some
disease. But the ancient seers have given us the yoga
system which not only cures disease but also prevents
diseases. In fact its main objective is preventive.
Through yogio exercises we improve the strength, ela
sticity and tone of internal vital systems like digestion,
respiration, circulation, excretion and central nervous
system. Not only we regain the Physical health but we

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can attain higher levels of consciousness and supreme
intellect with the he'p of these exercises.

Yoqabhyas : Yoga consists of eight limbs. They
are Yams, Niyam, Asana, Pranayama, Pra'yahar, Dharana.
Dhyan and Samadhi.
To identify yoga with asana is a misnomer. Yoga
also takes care of accumulated dirt or morbidity at
different places in our body by removing them by
appropriate Shudhi Kriyas-

The Ashtang system can be classified into differ
ent kinds of exercises. For instance the Yamas which
are five viz Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacarya and
Aparigrah and five Niyamas which are Shauch. Santosn,
Tap, Swadhyaya and Ishwarpranidhan are ethical exer
cises. The first one tells us as to how an individual
should behava in a group and the other tells us how
one should lead one's individual life left to himself. A
strict observance of yamas and niyamas may help us
lead a harmonious, balanced and peaceful life.
But so long as we are confined to our body and
senses there are likely to be slips. Similarly the envi
ronment may also impose some ailments upon us. Hence
there is a need of the remaining 6 limbs of yoga viz
flsana, Pranayama etc-

Let us now consider as to how our body func ions
It is made up of innumerable cells These cells con-stitute tissue like the muscles, nerves etc. The cells are
made up of protoplasm which is formed from certain
basic elements like Oxygen, carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen
etc. In order to keep the cells alive there must be
continuous supply of these basic principles like Oxygen,
Nitrogen etc, which we obtain from food. For instance
we get Nitrogen from proteins, Carbon. Hydrogen and
Oxygen are released when starch and fats are burnt
to give strachis and energy.

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There is a cont neous process going on in our body
laboratory oi convert'ng the food into difierent elements
requird for the body. This is done throuoh digestion
circulation, respiraticn and excretion. The mouth,
stomach, intestine, liver and colon >orm part of digestive
sy tern and the last two also part of excretory system.
These organs are made up of involuntray muscles and
they are con-rolled by the brain and autonomic ner
vous system They work continuously in the form of con
traction and relaxation of muscles fibers alternately.
All muscles work in this way but in case of muscle3
of aodominal viscera the nature makes them work con"
tinously. There are involuntary muscles also in the chest*
heart, urinary system and anal region, So long as they
do not lose the rhythm of alternate con'racti.m and
relaxation our health is good. But disease comes when
they lose the rhythm, If we can rehabilitate the lost
rhythm of these muscels we can restore our health.
So far as digestion is concerned the impor'ant
process takes place in the abdomen. Nature makes the
involuntary muscles contract and relax aiternately. We
can accelerate this process with the help of yogic
exercises. The Bhujangasan, Shala’bhasana and Dhanurasana bring about contraction of the back muscles, and
stretchmg of abdommal muscles where as Paschimitt^nascna, Halasana, Yoga Mudra help relaxation, oi abdom
inal musale-.

Vakrisana, Ardha Matsyandrasana give relaxation
and contraction alternately to side muscles of abdomen,
Shalabhasana gives sufficient exercise to diaphram and
Uddiyan givea automatic massage—a soothing effect—to
abdominal muscles.
Circulation : Through circulation the nutritive
elements are carried to the farthest tissues of the body*
'ihesa are carried through blood; Heart, arteries and
veins are mainly responsible ter this movement, 1 he
nervous system controls the circulatory system and all
other systems,

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Heart is an important organ which pumps cut
blooa into the arteries. The heart muscle contracts and
relaxes alternately thus increasing and decreasing the
pressure in the arteries, This improves the strength and
elasticity of heart muscles by improving coronary circula
tion, Bhuiang asana, Shalbhasana and Dhanurasana and
Sarvangasana, Vioaritkarani and Halasana serve the
above purpose Uddiyan and Nauli strengthen the mus
cles of the heart. The veins carry the impure blood back
to the heart and topsy tarvy position helps them in this
work.

Respiration ; Oxygen is an important gas reguired
for sustenance of life. We breathe in fresh air which
contains oxygen. The capacity to breathe--in more air
depends upon lung capacity, their strength and elasti
city. The air passage is also to be kept clean and without
obstruction. In Shalabhasana and Mayurasana there is a
temporary holding of b-eath which expands the muscles
in the lungs, This activises every cell of the tissue,
Matsyasana, Jivabandha and Sihn Mudra keep the
passage clean,
Excretion : We have already seen that digestion
and excretion go hand in hand- Every time the indige
stible residue and waste product from digested food Is
carried further and further till it reaches the anal regionIf the muscles of this region are elastic and active there
is no obstruction in finally passing it out of the body.
Otherwise there develops constipation and other accom
panying troubles
Internal Secretions ; Health also depends upon the
kind and guantity of internal secretions. This comes
from ductless glands situated at different places in our
body. They release hormones which are essential for
body activity.

Pituitary glands : They produce hormones con-trolling activities of other ductless glands and also

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harmones for growth, Sheershasan helps correction and
maintenance of pituitary*
Thyroid gland : This gland is situated in the neck.
This gland regulates growth and a metabolism. If there is
no proper Thyroid secretion in early life, there is retar
ded growth and mental development is also arrested.
Thyroid insufficiency in later life causes a disease
called myscodeema.

Sarvangasana, Vipareetkarani, Matsyasana. Jivabandha and Sinhamudra all help to improve the Thyroid,

Adrenalin which also influences Insulin, is situated
in the abdominal cavity. Uddiyan, Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana help improvement of Adrenalin.
Connective Tissues : The farthest cells are in
contact with the brain and spinal cord where from
sensory and motor activities are controlled. The nerve
fibers are covered with connective tissue. Therefore the
brain must be supplied with adeguate blood supply and
the spinal cord must be kept strong and elastic.

Sheershasana and Vipareet Karani improve blood
supply to brain while other postures mentioned before
help elasticity of spinal cord.
Shudhi Kriya : Shuddhi Kriya is the back-bone of
Yogopchar, fill the Shuddhikriyas help to remove mor
bidity from respective parts of the body. The Hathapradipika describes 6 cleansing processes. They are Neti,
Basti, Dhauti, Nauli, Tratak and Kapalbhati. The Dand
Dhauiti and Vastra Dhauti are for stomach, Shankha
prakshalan and Agnisar for intestines, Basti and Ganesh
Kriya for colon and Kapalbhati for brain.

Pranayama : Pranayama literally means controlling
breath What we try to achieve is a rhythm in our
breathing process, the loss of which creates mental

disturbance and subsequently other maladies. Pranayam
helps supply Oxygen to the whole body through proper
circulation and strengthens lungs-

Dharana— ~hy ana : The Dharna and Dhyana are
peculiar exercises which bring mental stability and
allow the subconscious to have its full play- It is to be
done in completely relaxed mental state.
These help us to give vent to all suppressed
thoughts and feelings which can show themselves in
Physical disorders, These two exercises are very good
for mentally ill patients, persons with tendency towards
split personality, loss of memory etc

Pranayama, Dhara^a and Dhyana together form
core of the Psychospiritual exercises, They are useful
for spiri'ually inspired persons who are otherwise
healthy.
Diet : Although diet is a very important con titutent of cur life very little attention is being given to
its appropriatness, Most dishes are detrimental to our
health.
Shri Bhagwat Geeta has said that in order that ycga
should become killer of the pain—cnemust take proper
diet —The characteristics of it are that it is pleas ng
nutritious, and improves strength intelligence and health.
It has been experienced that if we continously take a
particular diet, we develop peace of mind, sslfcontrol
and sxtra sensory perception.

To speak in modern scientific tfrms a balanced
diet will contain all the necessary ingredients like
proteins, sugars, salts, fats and vitamins.
It should also supply the necess-ry calories. Look
ing to our economic cond-tions it should be cheap so
that even poor people can aw 11 of it. It has been found
thct the best food will be fralts, vegetables, roots and

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milk. Such food increases the lonqetivity and gives
sufficient physical and mental s'rength and vigour- It is
better to eat food articles as they are Produced in
nature. In cooking, not only there is loss of time and
money, but the food items also lose some of their vital
elements like vitamins.

We should eat only when we have natural hunger1.
We should not be tempted to satisfy the palate, but we
should find taste in food which will depend largely on
hunger.
Measured quantity gives us life, where as over
eating kil's us.

Be calm and quiet as you eat. Do not dircuss or
unnecessarily chitchat while eating. Silence !o better
while eating.
o

The author is taking raw diet once in a day which
is not so costly but nutritious. It gives us all the
necessary elements to sustain our life. It helps those
who are diabetic, hyperactive and weak.
The diet contains the following articles. The weight
in grams showes the author's own measure.

Article

Wheat
Mot
Wh te Grams
Sesame
Pea Nut
Fenugreek

Measure ( grams )

• 45

45
20
5
5
7

127
The articles are to be kept under water (In t.
glass ) for 12 hours (the period depending upon the
climatic conditions) and then for 12 hours to be kept
tied in cloth- Some of the grains may sprout well

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others may start sprouting. We mix up the articles and
add the following Condiments :
Garlic
5 seeds
Tarmeric powder
Ginger — fresh
Gumin Powder
Salt
Sugar
Eat this slowly and masticate well.
This should be followed by a seasonal fruit,
This diet should be taken as the first course in
the day. If there is appetite in the afternoon at lunch
time one can take a salad made of fruity and leafy
vegetables mixed with curds- At the night lime there
should be the usual mealOnce in a week we should do Shuddhikriyas, The
Yogic cultural poses should be done once in a day
( either morning or evening ) but higher practices like
Pranayama and Dhyana twice a day ( morning and
evening, )

The full course will include followingp ractices,
They are listed in the order cf sequence. If you are not
doing any one of them skip it over, but do not disturb
the order The figures in the bracket opposite the
name refer to its number as given in the chart.
[18]
1 Shavasana
2 Sheershasana
11]
3 Sarvangasana
[2]
4 Matsyasana
[3]
5 Halasana
[4]
6 Mayurasana
[5]
7 Bhujangasana
[6]
8 Ardha Shalabhasana [7]
9 Poorna Shalabhasana [8]
10 Dhanurasana
(9]
11 Paschimttanasana [10]

one minute before
starting exercise

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12 Ardha Matsyendrasana [11]
[12]
13 Yoga Mudra
[13]
1 4 Gomukhasana
15 Stnhmudra
[14]
16 Supta Vajrasana
[151
17 Garudasana
[16]
18 Uddiyan
[171
19 Nauli
20 Agnisara
21 Kapalbhati
22 Pranayama
23 Aumkar
24 Dryana
[18]
25 Shavasana

10 minutes

For physical fitness 20 minutes devoted for post
ures is sufficient. For mental stability 10 minutes atleast
shall be devoted to Pranayama- Dhyan can be done
accordinq to one's zeal and time. Shavasana may be
repeated three times a day.

The important Shudhi Kriyas one can easily do
are Da^d Dhauti, Jal Neti and Shankha Prakshalanai
A word of caution is that one has to learn all
these exercises under strict supervision of an expert
and should not be learnt from books.
Patients suffering from following chronic compla
ints will be benefitted by Yoga practices :

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Gastric troubles
Asthama
Wet Dreams
Constipation
Diabetes
Flatulence after meals
Sluggish Kidneys
Menstural difficulties
Nervousness
Seminal defficiency

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11
12
13
14
15

Thyroid
Piles
Acidity
Insomnia
Mental Weakness

About yoga—training :—

(1) The yoga classes are conducted daily in the
morning and in the evening except on Sundays and
holidays in the old Kasturba Hospital building sewagram.
f2) Admission can be taken any day in the month.
(3) General orientation can be
10 days about Asana, Pranayama etc.

(4)
Females,

made

within

Yoga training is available to both Males and

(5) Guidance is also given on different Nature
Cure methods in yoga class.
(6) People from outside seeking admission to the
yoga class can ba given accomodalion in the hospital on
payment.

(7) Guidance will be given to Organisations hol
ding yoga camps in there respective places.

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