Hence, human personality is said to be a product of hereditary and environmental factors, which control the behavioral system. This search for happiness is the catalyst that spurs onto new creations and luxuries. But have we ever analyzed what exactly happiness is? The modern man has realized this hunt for happiness is in increasing luxuries and comforts in life, but he only reaches a more miserable state.
The new approach can be found in the age-old ways of the Upanishads, the quintessence of Indian culture: It is completely based on the total understanding of the reality.
Particularly in today’s fast world, health problems are compounded by a single most important factor, which is in-built in our lifestyles viz. STRESS. Stress creates and aggravates many mental and physical ailments like psychological imbalances, psychosomatic disorders, cardiac attacks, respiratory ailments digestive deficiencies etc., these complaints lead to early heart attack, sniffing out life from the breadwinner and plunging the whole family in grief and despair.
- The human system is bound to remain healthy, by itself for the natural length of time. All the organs are made for a hundred years of perfect working condition. We invite diseases only by our omissions and commissions.
- Most of the diseases are therefore self-inflicted.
- Therefore the cure can be self-generated in most cases. External help like medicine, surgery, etc. is required only in exceptional cases.
- Yoga asanas can be practiced fifteen minutes after the morning coffee. About ten minutes of simple asanas is all that is required to achieve good health in most cases.
- Yoga is free from side effects. It does not make a person tired. On the other hand energy springs from the system as a person performs the postures.
- It has no Sex or Age restrictions.
- Yoga is required not only for people with health disorders but also for normal people – just as a machine calls for daily upkeep.
- No external equipments or accessories are required – nothing required except our own limbs.
- Yoga is best learnt through a teacher. Television and books can supplement but not substitute a teacher.
- Yoga is not only for general fitness. There are yoga asanas for specific freedom complaints. Practicing them will ensure freedom from complaints.
There are two kinds of stresses that are distinguished by Selye and Levi: EUSTRESS & DISTRESS. EUSTRESS is synonymous with healthy essential stress, produced for example like joy, and kind of positive impulses, sensible recreational activities, sports practiced as a hobby etc. DISTRESS is synonymous with morphigenous stress that has to be controlled e.g. continuous mental or physical strain of any kind, anger, frustration, states of tension seemingly without hope. There is something unique that happens at the psychological level and is called Stress Reaction. The changes that occur are trigged at the highest level of the brain and travels down the body through imbalances at:
- Autonomic Nervous System
- Endocrine System
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते ।
सङ्गात्संजायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ॥२- ६२॥
क्रोधाद्भवति संमोहः संमोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः ।
स्मृतिभ्रंशाद्बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ॥२- ६३॥
Brooding on the objects of the senses, man develops attachment to them; from attachment comes desire; from desire anger sprouts forth. From anger proceeds delusion; from delusion, confused memory; from confused memory the ruin of the reason; due to the ruin of reason, he perishes.
Repeated thinking leads to attachment, attachment to desires, desires (greed, lust, fear, possessiveness, etc) to anger. Anger leads to obsession, lack of awareness, the power to discriminate and ultimately one gets lost.
Egocentric personalities are characterized by strong obsessions, ambitions, like and dislikes. Emotional imbalances emerge out of them and often lead to upsurges. Else if they get suppressed they percolate to the physical level resulting in heart attacks or nerve shattering diseases. When emotional outbursts like anger continues, they are infatuated, obsessed, loose all discrimination powers and start to act from instinctive level. This Patanjali is called as Abhinivesha- a state of helplessness, constriction, Slavery or bondage. That is the grossest manifestation of stress.
Stress hazards decrease the quality of life and could lead to many aliments. Four distinct stages are recognized.
- Psychic phase
- Psychosomatic phase
- Somatic phase
- Organic phase
Mankind has always tried to attain peace and happiness through all available means. The urgency of getting an ideal method of attaining mental peace has become great in view of the tremendous increase in the stress and strain of life especially in urban areas. The rapid industrialization and urbanization leading to excessive crowding, too much or competition, excessive hurry and worry are some of the important factors which ultimately lead to mental and physical changes. If such a situation is allowed to continue for a long time, the person fails to adapt himself and then he starts getting the manifestation of psychosomatic changes one by one.
At first he gets psychic changes such as irritability, nervousness, sleeplessness etc. If the process is not recognized and checked in time he gets some additional manifestations such as palpitation, increase in pulse rate, rise of blood pressure etc. As these changes continue, he ultimately become a victim of one of the psychosomatic stress disorders such as hyper tension, ischaemic heart diseases, peptic ulcer, diabetes, mellitus, ulcerative colitis, bronchial asthma, thyrotoxicosis, migraine rheumatoid arthritis etc. Why a particular person fall victim to any of these diseases depends upon his genetic factors, psychosomatic constitution and the various environmental factors such as nutritional status, habit, climate, nature of work etc.
Environmental Factors: It is well known that all stressful situation produce feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, frustration etc. These feelings are usually associated with physical symptoms of palpitation and sweating, headache etc. In addition these emotional states also produce autonomic motor and endocrine changes which, if prolonged, may lead to the interaction of genetic and personality factors and even to the structural changes in various organs. These psychosomatic disorders include conditions like chronic duodenal ulcer, hypertension, bronchial asthma etc.
Excessive straining of the body and mind on any work, disproportionate to the capacity of an individual, will also makes him liable to get stress disorders rather very easily. Thus these people who have great ambition and constantly try hard to get some quick promotion by their own efforts become the victim of such diseases. Similarly, if by showing utter disregard for ones own physical capacity, one works too much. He is also likely to get a stress disorder of more severe type much easily. Further when young students with comparatively less physical and intellectual capacity try hard continuously to attain a high grade in their classes under a threat from their parents, they are also more likely to develop such stress disorders.
Amongst all these stress related diseases, Hypertension with or without ischaemic heart disease or diabetes mellitus seems to be the most common disease. It is a world wide phenomenon and the more advanced the country, the greater is the incidence of these diseases.
If we look into the ancient past of mankind, we can easily find out various methods described by the earlier philosophers, sages and spiritual leaders for maintaining tranquility of mind. There are several such methods which have been developed in various parts of the world and all these have probably derived their inspiration from yoga in the early periods. Though the overall aim of yoga remains the same namely the attainment of the physical, mental and spiritual health, the methods described to achieve this goal are manifold. After mastering the technique of physical postures only, one should try to do the other more complicated exercises such as Pranayama or breathing control and Dhyana or meditation. On the other hand many other exponents feel that in order to attain a higher level of mental activity quickly, one can straight away start the practice of meditation. They feel that if one can learn to control the unstable mind, all the bodily systems automatically becomes adjusted. Avoiding all this confusion, Patanjali has recommended eight stages of yoga discipline as described earlier.
Yoga far from being more physical or breathing, acrobatics or demonstration of magic or supernatural power, is ancient science, with a holistic vision, relevant to the modern progressive society. Yoga not only works to bring fitness, vigor to the physical body, but also helps to harness our will and emotion and to expand our power of analysis, insight and visions. It helps in maintaining and enhancing our sharpness of intellect which is the key to human progress. The challenge to stress is thus the drive for such a progressive move from a matter based approach to a mind based approach; from an economic based measure to a health-based measure of progress. Yoga is the right science for such a transformation, which is in the offing.
It is a paradox that the age-old Yogic science which has its origin nearly four thousand years ago in India, is becoming relevant to this hi-tech era. Yoga grew to be a science of specialties. Many techniques were evolved which coupled with proper understanding help us to use our high sensitivity and sharpness without getting enslaved by them. By helping us to harness our will, these techniques calm our mind, stabilize our emotions and hence improve the quality of our life both physically and mentally.
Apart from periodically and regularly releasing the accumulated stress and tensions which is essential to begin with, it is imperative to move towards a stress free life. This helps us in retaining our sharp intellect and all the powers and capabilities obtained by a sensitive mind which becomes vital for day to day functioning in this hi-tech era. The regular release of stress and tensions helps us to spread this insight through the action phase. Application of the Karma Yoga techniques helps us to reduce the accumulated tension and stress and thus make possible tension free life a reality. Thus Yoga with physical mental and emotional personality and a holistic understanding offers a total approach to the challenge of stress.
- Yoga
- Diet control
- Relaxation techniques
- Life situation intervention
- Lower Productivity by decreased work performance
- High staff turnover
- High absenteeism
- Much interpersonal conflicts
- Less support giving
- Family problems
- Increased smoking
- Sleep disturbances
- Clothing habits
- Eating and drinking habits
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol level
- Fight/ flight reactions.
- Talking around a subject
- Poor eye contact with environment
- Waiting for others to the decision/initiative
- Fight
- Making others look ridiculous
- Not listening
- Make time your ally, not your master.
- Associate mostly with gentle people who affirm your personhood.
- Learn and practice the skill of deep relaxation.
- Use an aerobic exercise such as jogging to build your health to a high level of conditioning
- Manage your life as a total enterprise, much as you would manage a corporation
- Don’t become lopsided in any one area; seek rewarding experiences, in all dimensions of living.
- Engage in meaningful, satisfying work.
- Don’t let your body work dominate your entire life.
- Get your body weight down to level you can be pleased with and keep it there.
- Form and keep sensible eating habits. Use sweets rarely, minimize junk foods, emphasis foods you like that are good for you.
- If you smoke, stop completely.
- Use liquor only for social or ceremonial purposes, if at all, don’t let it use you.
- Minimize or eliminate the use of recreational drugs.
- Free yourself from the chemical tyranny of tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and other central nervous system depressants.
- Free yourself from dependency on patent medicines such as antacids, laxatives and remedies by teaching your body to relax and normalize its functions.
The impact of salary earners ill health could be so severe as to eat away all the financial savings of the family, affect the future careers of his children and domestic relationship.
To live is not sufficient.We also need the joy of living and the joy of life requires health.
Above all we need the health which embraces the body, the mind and the soul.