A Review on Evaluation Traditional Satvik Yoga Food In Relevance With Current Scientific Literature
Exploring the Role of Traditional Satvik Yoga Food in Modern Medicine
by Jayalakshmi H. K.*,
- Published in Journal of Advances in Science and Technology, E-ISSN: 2230-9659
Volume 1, Issue No. 1, Feb 2011, Pages 0 - 0 (0)
Published by: Ignited Minds Journals
ABSTRACT
The modern medical system has replaced almostall the traditional systems of medicine in different parts of this spherebecause of its rational basis. It has proved itself most effective in savingman from the fatal hands of contagious and infectious diseases. However,speedily increasing occurrence of stress related ailments is posing a greatchallenge to the modern medical system. It is here that Yoga appears to make avital donation to the contemporary medical system. It is good that humanity hasrejected the slender view of health, as simply the absence of ill-health ordisease just as Life is not merely the absence of death. Life, in fact is muchlarger than death. Rightly, it has been said that health is not everything, buteverything without health is nothing.
KEYWORD
traditional Satvik Yoga food, scientific literature, evaluation, medical system, traditional systems of medicine, stress-related ailments, contemporary medical system, humanity, health, absence of ill-health, life, death
INTRODUCTION:
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the state of Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity. WHO also suggests a fourth dimension i.e. "spiritual wellbeing". It is clear from this definition that health and ill- health are not two discrete entities as commonly understood but it is conceived as a continuous function representative the state of wellbeing In the diagram (fig 1), the lower quadrant,’ health', represents what we normally designate as illness. Below this level, man acts mechanically and is akin to an animal. The first quadrant, the region marked as 'normal man', indicates the state of normal health. As he moves along the line further up, he becomes healthier, featured by many dormant faculties expressing more brightly. This is shown as the area of’ superman'. In this stage, the limitations of normal man, namely the strong urges of thirst, hunger, fear and sex are reduced greatly and are fully under control. According to the concept of Sri Aurobindo, the new faculties of deeper perceptions of the world beyond the five senses emerge in this phase of superhuman survival. Further, growth leads man to unfold the deeper layers of awareness and widen the band of his knowledge to move towards divinity or perfection. Yoga is a systematic aware process for accelerating the growth of a human being from his animal leve towards the ultimate state of divinity (Swami Vivekananda). It is a systematic line of attack for all-round personality development i.e. physical, mental, intellectual, emotional and spiritual components of man Thus, Yoga in its general methodology for the growth of man towards divine heights includes techniques useful for therapeutic applications in making man healthier. According to the tradition of Yoga and Upanishads, man has five bodies or kosas (sheaths) which is graphically represented in fig 2. The firs and the grossest, the physical body, is called "Annamaya kosa". The next subtler body is the Pranamaya kosa featured by the predominance of prana, the life principle. Controversies apart, Kirlian photography triggered the interest of a large number of scientists and technologists all over the world. The scientific study of the Human Aura by Tart delineates the following aspects of the human aura; the physical aura, psychological aura, psychical aura and the projected aura. Manomaya Kosa or the psychical body is responsible for the functions of mind, namely perception, analysis, memory and also the emotions. The Vijnanamaya kosa characterised by discrimination and a capacity to judge, is aimed at channelising human behavior towards perfect health, in tune with nature. In the Anandamaya state, man is established in perfect harmony and balance of all his faculties and is featured by total mastery, bliss and freedom from fear. Bundelkhand University, Jhansi Bundelkhand University, Jhansi
Food-
Food is any substance consumed to make available dietary hold up for the body. It is usually of plant or animal derivation, and contains necessary nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The material is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth.
Classification of foods -
There are various methods of classifying food ingredients. But, the presently known, accepted and taught in the curriculum is far from its practical relation with the Health. All the types and find out which of them can really us in the promotion of Health.
(1) Normal –
Key Constituents are as –Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats. Subsidiary are as – Vitamins, Minerals, Trace Elements etc. Role is as – To create energy, Heat, Construct new cells, Calorie (2) Traditional – As per our Indian Tradition i.e. Bhagvat Geeta, Ayurveda (Yoga) – Satvik Diet, Rajasik diet & Tamasik Diet. (3) Naturopathic – In Nature Cure the food is classified in three different ways. Out of three two are same as the traditiona one with difference in the way of nomenclature due to the different way of interpreting the role of food in the overall Metabolism and Health.
APPLICATIONS OF YOGA-
YOGA IN STRESS
Many of the ordinary psychiatric and psychosomatic problems have stress as the basic underlying factor. 'Yoga', which is an empirical science, provides a methodical methodology with its firm roots in a holistic viewpoint which is in total harmony with nature. This science is the offshoot of thousands of years of internal research by Indian sages.
YOGA IN RESPIRATORY ALLERGIES
Some are well designed controlled studies whereas a lot of of the earlier studies were observations on uncontrolled groups. Negative emotions and psychosocial pathology are found to be related to severe asthma (Carswell, 1985; Carson and Schauer, 1992). Miller et al (1994) demonstrated that sadness was associated with greater heart rate variability and instability of oxygen diffusion compared with happiness. There were varied results for mixed happiness and sadness. Self-rated hostility and depression (Schmaling et al. 1997) and higher degree of frustrating situations in their life were originate to be associated with decreased pulmonary function, blood immunoglobulin levels and scientific state of the disease. Different studies demonstrated the consequence of systematic relaxation on flow rate in asthmatic children in whom emotional factors were prominent. Wilson et al (1975) evaluated 21 asthmatics after the practice of TM for 6 months with crossover at 3 months, indicating that transcendental meditation is a useful adjunct in treating asthma.
YOGA IN ANXIETY NEUROSIS
A variety of yoga practices such as asana, meditation, pranayama, savasana are now recognized as recreation techniques comparable to many behavioral alteration techniques like biofeedback and progressive muscular relaxation based on the famous work of Wallace (1970) who showed that the practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM) brings about signs of overall psycho physiologica relaxation.
YOGA IN DIABETES
In both IDDM and NIDDM physiologically demanding stressful situations like infection, pregnancy etc. is known to add to the demand for insulin. Similarly emotional stresses also contribute to the irregular control of diabetes. Relaxation therapies using biofeedback or taped instructions have been reported to be useful in better control of diabetes (Me grady et al. 1991).
YOGA IN CORONARY HEART DISEASE
Coronary heart disease being one of the major killers of mankind even today, the role of life style modification to take care of all the risk factors to prevent CHD cannot be overlooked. Greenwood et al (1996) reviewed the literature and showed that both social support and life stresses influence the incidence and mortality of coronary heart disease, the latter more so than the former. The emotion support had the largest effect. Orth Gomer et al (1997) analyzed the heart rate variability from a bolter record during transient myocardial ischemia and observed suppression of the efferent vaga activity and suggested that this vagal blockage may be a forerunner to onset of ischaemia.
CONCLUSION:
To sum up the quality of life depends largely on the mind which controls the body. The mind needs to be kept in peace or equipoise at all times by the use of one's cleverness which is higher than the mind itself. To keep it fit yoga is must. When the impurities of the mind are eliminated by discrimination dispassion and renunciation the person will be in a state of psychological equipoise with constant intellectual alertness and moving stability and will be at calm with self and others. Same as other body parts need to be fit for healthy body. Through yoga human body may prevent from dangerous diseases. Food is an essential thing for human body similarly yoga is treated as an essential thing for human body because it makes fit, strong and fresh mind body. So that human can live for long and able to do the things physically and mentally.
REFERENCES:
1. The Life Divine - Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondichery 2. Miller JJ, Fletcher K and Kabat Zinn J (1995). Three year follow-up and clinical implications of a mindfulness meditation based on stress reduction intervention in the treatment of anxiety disorders. General Hospital Psychiatry 17(3): 192-200. 3. Carswell F (1985) Thirty deaths from asthma. Archives of diseases in children 60:25-28. 4. Carson DK and Schauer RW Mothers of children with asthma: perceptions of parenting stressand mother-child relationship. Psychological Reports, 71:139-1148. 5. Schmaling KB, Wamboldt F, Telford L, Newman KB et al. (1997) Interaction of asthmatics and their spouses: A preliminary study of individual differences. Journal of clinical psychology in Medical settings, 211-218. 6. Wilson AF, Honsberger R, Chiu JT and Novey HS (1975) Transcendental meditation and asthma:Respiration 32(1):78-80. 7. Benson H and Wallace RK (1972). Decreased drug abuse with transcendental meditation: a study of 1,862 subjects. Drug Abuse: Proceedings of the International Conference, ed ChrisJ.D.Zarafonetis, pp 369-376. 8. Mcgrady A and BaileyBK (1991) Good MP Controlled study of biofeedback assisted relaxation in type I diabetes. Diabetes care 14(5):360-5. 9. Greenwood DC, Muir KR, Packhan CJ, Madelay RJ (1996). Coronary heart disease: A review of the role of psychosocial stress and social support. Journal of public health medicine 18(2):221-
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10. Orth Gomer K, Moser V, Blom M, Wamala SP and Schenck-Gustafsson K (1997) Heart rate variability in myocardial ischeamia during daily life. Journal of Electro cardiology 30 (l):45-56. 11. Classification of food- Dr. Ashok Babulal Jhamwar. Expert in Health Culture and Nature Cure.
