YOGA - Breathing Practices. Asana and Pranayama, Mudras, Bandhas and Kriya, Meditation

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Man has stepped into the third millennium. Medical men are work- ing with many technologists to offer better health care. The World Health Organisation is engaged in taking stock of global health status and initiated necessary steps to raise the health standards. Scientific aptitude that entered medical profession in the beginning of the 20th century made rapid strides in eradicating epidemics and pandemics , through invention of antibiotics and vaccines. Although nutritional deficiencies and infections continue to be the major problem in the under developed and developing countries, the scenario in developed countries is totally different. Hi-tech medical facilities with fascinating advances in spare part surgeries, although has made life more-comfortable, with a life expectancy of greater than a hundred years, the expected quality of life, with harmony and peace, seems to be far from reality. Problems of stress, stress related ailments, student unrest, breaking up families, are all on an exponential rise. The frustrated patients are moving towards alternative so called non-scientific therapies.

Deep thinkers have raised questions as to why is it this way? What went wrong in our health delivery system? Why the mental and social health problems are on the increase? What should we . do to prevent such problems? Can we raise the basic health level to greater heights as a preventive programme rather than do fire fighting after ailments have shown up? What are the markers of positive health? Is positive health a single state? What are the measures of positive health at the physical, mental, social and spiritual levels? What are the tools for achieving states of positive health?

Health professionals who started by giving relief to their suffering sick fellow beings, through medicines and surgeries, are now faced with such newer questions because of the need of the hour. Most of the common health and social problems cannot be solved through germ theories, antibiotics or surgeries. The advent of fascinating diagnostic tools has started pointing to the role of mind on matter. Biochemical, psycho-neurophysiological, immunological researchers are all recognizing the role of mind, the life style, suppressed emotions, stress etc. in the causation of many of these challenges of the millennium. Several research publications on the value of positive thinking, prayer, spiritual healing, mind-body medicine, yoga, acupuncture, Qigong therapy, energy medicine are being poured into medical journals in spite of the resistance from hard core matter - based pharmaceutical and surgery oriented researchers.

Now in the beginning of the new millennium, health professionals are forced to accept the paradigm shift in our approach to understanding human health problems. Mental health is being studied in all its facets. A large research team is at work in WHO, during this year of mental health, to find out methods of promoting the mental, social and spiritual well being of the human race at large.

Yoga, a science not less than 5000 years old has addressed a normal man to move towards higher states of harmony and peace both as an individual and also as a social being. Through years of introspection, practice and dialogue, a huge knowledge base is available in this land of spiritual seekers who meditated in the caves of Himalayas. The fund of knowledge that has been handed over to us by these keen researchers is gaining recognition by the health scientists as a valuable tool to raise the basic human consciousness towards a harmonious life style of contentment and peaceful living.

sVYASA, with scientific research as its base, has used many of these techniques from the yoga lore and demonstrated its value in promotion of positive health in several areas.

Positive physical health in the form of improved muscle strength, stamina, dexterity, immune stability have been achieved after the integrated approach of yoga for positive physical health. Improved perceptual sharpness, intelligence, memory, emotional stability, that are indicators of positive mental health, have been achieved after yoga practices.

Use of-yoga in rehabilitation of socially sick persons from remand homes, prisons etc. has been achieved. The crime rate reduced in many cities of USA when one percent of the population practised transcendental meditation. Prevention of many of the stress related health problems are possible through yoga practices. Large number of general public, professionals, executives etc, are drawn towards these PPH programmes to not only prevent the dreaded diseases like heart attacks and cancers, but also to promote their own family harmony and peace.

This booklet takes you through a glimpse of the huge know ledge base from which relevent concepts and practices have been culled out to make it practicable for the common, working busy person today.

We are indebted to Sri Mohanji, Sri N. V. Raghuram for their contribution to the knowledge presented in this book. We thank Sri Ganga Nigombam, Ku.Jayanthi Devi, Sanahal Sharma Phurilatpam and many other Yoga Therapists for their help in preparing and publishing this booklet.

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