Dr Nikhila B. Hiremath
The rapid changes in today’s world due to the current situation of Covid-19 pandemic have opened our eyes to the importance of managing positive physical and mental health.
With the advances in medicine over the years, the types of ailments being treated have changed. Today, more than ever we realise that prevention is better than cure.
Thus, the promotion of a positive Quality of Life (QoL) and the movement towards healthier mental, social, and spiritual health has become a necessity.
Most systems of complementary and alternative medicine modalities are becoming popular because they insist on the incorporation of a healthy lifestyle as a prerequisite to any medication.
Yogic science being one such modality holds one part of the answer to this current situation of Covid-19. Yoga is both an art and a science for healthy living. Regular practice of yoga helps to keep our body fit, controls cholesterol level, reduces weight, normalises blood pressure and improves heart performance. Physical fitness thus achieved leads to the reduction of physical stress and greater vitality. Asanas harmonize our pranic ability mental energy flow by clearing any blockages in the subtle body leading to mental equilibrium and calmness.
They make the mind strong thus enabling our human body to endure the negative effects of living with positive energy.
Yoga concepts also include another important measure of an evolving personality, which is the knowledge about one’s unlimited potential to move towards perfect harmony with Nature. Yoga is an ancient physical and mental training practised as a lifestyle.
Today it is practised in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity.
The United Nations General Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution in December 2014 – co-sponsored by 177 nations (of which Namibia is also a part)–declaring June 21 as the International Day of Yoga (IDY) recognizing holistic benefits of this timeless practice, the benefits of which pervade the boundaries of body mind and soul.
Yoga as a holistic approach to our complete well-being has immense potential for achieving peace, internal and external harmony, and happiness. Successful celebration of the IDY over the last five years has spread a new global awareness about the contribution of yoga, consolidating the association of humanity with this precious ancient heritage.
The Sixth International Day of Yoga (#IDY2020Namibia) was celebrated online, on the Facebook page by the High Commission of India in Namibia on Sunday,
21 June 2020. Wherein the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) which is a set of easy yogic postures which can be practised by everyone and are immensely beneficial for health, was demonstrated.
The regular practise of yoga not only will help us face the current situation of Covid-19 but has an immense amount of therapeutic value.
Few of the findings of researches conducted on major chronic diseases are as follows:
-Chronic work-related stress is an independent risk factor for cardio-metabolic diseases and associated mortality. Findings suggest that even a short-term yoga-based lifestyle intervention may be an important modality to reduce the risk for CVD as indicated by weight loss, reduction in systolic blood pressure.
-From various researches, it is clear that yoga improves functional disability, pain intensity, and depression in inflammatory diseases, and helps suppresses a broad array of inflammatory responses.
- Yoga is found to be effective in reducing stress levels and radiation-induced DNA damage, and improving the quality of life, in cancer patients.
-Many researchers have shown that stress-reducing interventions can improve immune functions.
The very fact yoga has survived over the centuries is sufficient defence and proof of the amazing results it can give.