Dr Ananda's class for BSc AHS students at Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth

1. WELLBEING & HEALTHY
LIVING THROUGH YOGA
Yogacharya
Dr. ANANDA BALAYOGI BHAVANANI
MBBS, ADY, DSM, DPC, PGDFH, PGDY, MD (Alt Med), FIAY, C-IAYT
Director and Professor Yoga Therapy
Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education and Research (CYTER),
Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry. www. sbvu.ac.in

2. SRI BALAJI VIDYAPEETH
(Deemed University Accredited with “A” Grade by NAAC)
Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education
and Research (CYTER)
Salutogenesis, our focus!

3. Bridging the experiential wisdom of Yoga with
empirical modern medical science.
Yoga is usually found in Physical Edu
& Sports deptts of universities
We at CYTER, have it in a medical
institution since 2010
– quality of life enhancing benefits
for ~ 48000 patients
– educating future Yoga therapists
(PGDYT, M.Phil, PhD),
– creating awareness amongst
medical, dental, nursing & AHS
students & professionals
– scientifically researching Yoga,
– 82 publications & 6 CMEs.
– IDY celebrations since 2015

4. Salutogenesis, our Focus
• Moving from pathogenesis, the focus on disease
towards salutogenesis, the focus on health!
• CYTER is striding forward on an innovative path of
promoting holistic health for one and all.
www.sbvu.ac.in

5. Salutogenesis
• Derivation of Greek + Latin
– Latin:Latin: salussalus = health= health
– Greek:Greek: genesisgenesis = source= source
• In combination = Sources of health

6. Sense of Coherence (SOC)(SOC)
The heart of Salutogenesis
“a pervasive, long-lasting and dynamic feeling of
confidence that
one’s internal and external environments are
predictable and that
there is a high probability that things will work out
as well as can be expected” (Antonovsky, 1979)
 SOC has strong positive correlations to perceived
health, mental health, and quality of life.

7. 3 components of Sense of Coherence (3 components of Sense of Coherence (SOCSOC))
 COMPREHENSIBLE - Cognition
- “My world is understandable”
 MANAGEABLE - Coping Skill
- “My world is manageable”
 MEANINGFUL - Motivation
- “My world has meaning”

8. SALUTOGENESIS versus PATHOGENESIS…
Pathogenesis
• What causes diseases?
• About avoiding problems
•Reactive - absence disease
• Against pain or loss
• Prepares one to live
Salutogenesis
• What causes health?
• About reaching potential
• Proactive - presence health
• For gain or growth
• Discover how to live fully

9. It doesn’t matter how many resources you have.
If you don’t know how to use them,
it will never be enough.

10. INTRODUCTION
 Good health & wellbeing–priceless
 Ill health & disease – a curse
 The ‘State of Wellbeing’ has physical, emotional,
mental and spiritual dimensions
 Unhealthy lifestyle is a major underlying factor for
disease, disability and death.
 Yoga is primarily a ‘Way of Life’
 Adopt a Yogic lifestyle to
– Promote wellness
– Prevent dis-ease

11. CHOICE IS OURS
RESOLVE NOW !!!!
• If healthy – to stay fit
• If unwell – to restore health

12. ADVANTAGES OF
LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS
• Natural, effective and safe
• Complementary to “modern” medicine
• Inexpensive
Should be the basis of our public health policy
and clinical approach
Are our health providers trained?

13. WHAT IS YOGA ?
• Union (Yuj) of
– Body, emotions and mind
– Jivatma with Paramatma
• Skill in action
• Stilling the whirlpools of the mind
• Unity of thought, word and deed
• Four (five) fold awareness
• Equanimity of mind
• A way of life
• Conscious evolution

14. Yoga & Modern Medicine: Meeting Points
• Modern medical advancements provide the
rationale for the integration of various traditional
healing techniques including Yoga to promote
healing, health, and longevity
• Potential to provide us with a holistic health
science - a boon for psychosomatic health
• WHO : spiritual health in the “state of health’
• Modern medicine : accidents, acute illness,
emergencies and communicable diseases
• Yoga: preventive, promotive and rehabilitative
methods in addition to many management
methods to tackle modern illnesses.

15. Relevance to HPE professionals
• Yoga is an experiential science and a dynamic state
of health is a by-product of Yoga
• “Re-orients the functional hierarchy of the entire
nervous system” - Dr B Ramamurthy
• Effective in preventing and combating the modern
pandemic of stress borne disorders.
• Scientific evidence indicates that Yoga has
– promotive, preventive and curative potential,
– is a safe, non-pharmacological therapy and is
– an effective lifestyle adjunct to reduce drug
dosage and improve QOL of patients

16. • Psychosomatic and stress related disorders
– DM, hypertension, bronchial asthma, IBS, epilepsy, back
pain and functional disorders
• Reduce / eliminate drug dosage / dependence in
– DM, hypertension, epilepsy, anxiety, bronchial asthma,
constipation, dyspepsia, insomnia, arthritis, sinusitis
and dermatological disorders
• Yoga therapists must work in tandem with medical doctors
when treating patients on allopathic treatment
• “The treatment of the part shouldn’t be attempted without
a treatment of the entirety” - the treatment of the body
without treating the mind and soul is a useless waste of
time”- Plato

17. • LIFE STYLE MODIFICATIONS: “Yoga is a system of
perfect tools for achieving union as well as healing”-
Dr Dean Ornish
• REHABILITATION: “Modern medicine kept me alive,
Yoga gave me back my life”- Dr Swami Gitananda Giri
• COPING SKILLS: “Yoga may not be able to always cure
but it can surely help us to endure”- Sri BKS Iyengar
• HEALTHY DIET : biogenic, guna based diets
• RELAXATION: spanda -nishpanda concepts
• EXPENDITURE: cost effective, cost lowering
• AGING : anti-aging, regenerating, “young at heart”
• PSYCHOTHERAPY: the mind and beyond
• WOMEN’S HEALTH: puberty, pregnancy, menopause
• RESEARCH: Basic and applied scientific & literary

18. ASHTANGA YOGA
Eight limbs of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga
• Yama - morality for daily living
• Niyama - ethics for the self
• Asana - firm & comfortable posture
• Pranayama - control of the vital energy
• Pratyahara - withdrawal from the senses
• Dharana - one pointed concentration
• Dhyana - state of meditation
• Samadhi - absolute oneness/absorption

19. And not merely the absence of disease.And not merely the absence of disease.
Definition of Health (WHO)Definition of Health (WHO)
Health is a
dynamic
state of
complete…
Health is a
dynamic
state of
complete…

21. ADVANTAGES OF YOGA
Wholistic:
• Preventive, promotive, curative
• Science, philosophy, art
• Involves body, mind, spirit
• Desirable +ve “side benefits”
• Simultaneous improvement in health and
control of other conditions
• Relief from stress - the main cause of Adhija
Vyadhi (psychosomatic disorders)

22. Yoga enables us
to attain,
maintain or regain
a dynamic
sukha sthanam
a dynamic sense of
physical, mental and spiritual
well being.

23. How does it work?

24. • Yoga helps cultivation of positive health
(swasth) through three integral steps:
– Cultivation of appropriate psychological
attitudes (bhavanam),
– Reconditioning of neuro-muscular and
neuro-glandular system – in fact, the whole
body – enabling it to withstand stress and
strain better (samatvam),
– Laying great emphasis on appropriate diet
conducive to such a peak state of health,
and encouraging natural processes of
elimination through various cleansing
processes (shuddhi kriya).

25. PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNO-ENDOCRINOLOGICAL
CORRELATES OF STRESS
NERVOUS
SYSTEM
ENDOCRINE
SYSTEM
IMMUNE
SYSTEM
MENTAL & PHYSICAL ILLNESS
+ve+ve
YOGA
YOGA
-ve
STRESS
HEALTH

27. PRINCIPLES OF YOGA THERAPY
• Become aware of your body, emotions & mind
• Improve your dietary habits
• Relax yourself consciously
• Let your breathing be calm and deep
• Let your mind focus inwardly
• Improve flow of Healing Prana
• Fortify yourself against omnipresent stressors.
• Increase your self-reliance and self-confidence
• Facilitate natural emanation of waste.
• Self responsibility for health and happiness.

28. Yoga places great importance on a proper and healthy
lifestyle whose main components are:
ACHAR – healthy physical activities & exercise
VICHAR – right thoughts and right attitude towards
life that are vital for wellbeing.
AHAR – healthy, nourishing diet with adequate intake
of fresh water; balanced intake of fresh food, green
salads, sprouts, unrefined cereals & fresh fruits.
Sattwic diet, prepared & served with love & affection.
VIHAR – proper recreational activities to relax body
and mind are essential for good health.
VYAVAHAR – healthy relationships for social health

29. PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS
• Improved general health, posture, muscle tone, sleep,
immunity and pain tolerance
• Weight normalizes
• Stable autonomic nervous system
• Increased cardio-respiratory efficiency, musculo-
skeletal flexibility, range of joint movement, physical
endurance, strength and energy levels
• Decreased HR,BP,RR and EMG activity
• Normalizes GIT and endocrine function

30. PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS
• Improved mood
• Increased
– somatic awareness, kinesthetic awareness,
subjective well-being,
– self-acceptance
– self-actualization ,social adjustment
• Decreased
– hostility, anxiety, depression

31. PSYCHOMOTOR BENEFITS
• Increased
– grip strength, dexterity, fine skills
• Improved
– eye-hand coordination
– reaction time
– depth perception
– steadiness and balance
– integrated functioning of body parts

32. COGNITIVE FUNCTION
Improved
Attention
Learning efficiency
Depth perception
Concentration
Memory

33. BIOCHEMICAL EFFECTS
The biochemical profile improves,
indicating an
Anti Stress & Anti Oxidant effect,
important in the prevention of degenerative
disorders.

34. Some Disorders Amiable to
Yoga Therapy
• C.V.S :Essential HT,CAD
• Respiratory :Asthma, COPD
• Stress :Tension headache
• M.S :Backache, RA, Spondilitis
• Metabolic :DM, thyroid disorders, obesity
• G.I.T :IBS, dyspepsia, ulcerative colitis
• Psychiatric :Anxiety, depression, phobias
• C.N.S :Mental retardation, epilepsy,
migraine and other headaches

46. Rig Veda
“Let noble thoughts come to us from everywhere.”

47. • What perspective do you choose in life?
• Why do you choose it?
• How do you choose it?
• Are you open to others perspectives?

48. Whooshing tensions away-nasarga
mukha bhastrika

49. Thank You!Thank You!