In modern times, stress has emerged as a major cause of ailments and nothing is more effective in reducing stress than yoga, said Dr Hasmukh Adhia, principal secretary, education department, Gujarat, on Friday.
Adhia was speaking on 'Yoga for Wellness' before a jam-packed hall at Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA). He said stress could be caused by external factors such as family worries, financial problems or calamities.
It can also be caused by internal factors unique to the individual, such as hypersensitivity, high ambition and unrealistic targets, Adhia said. But yoga restores harmony between body and mind so that the body can beat the stress, he added.
Explaining how yoga works, Adhia said that human self is enveloped by five koshas (sheaths): Annamaya kosha (body), pranmaya (life force), manomaya (emotional existence), vijanmaya (conscience) and anandamaya (bliss) kosha.
"Yoga involves gaining mastery over the perturbations of the mind. It teaches you how to calm your mind because health and happiness are all that we need. Most diseases are born of stress," said Adhia.
He further said that yoga consists of body postures, breathing techniques, meditation and logical understanding of meaning of life, among others.
He also listed four aspects of asana that differentiate them from any form of physical exercise. "Asanas are different from physical exercise as they are generally done slowly, maintaining body posture, and with awareness. They also include relaxation, coordinated with breathing, after every posture. If you do Surya Namaskar (it has 12 asanas), it helps the body a lot," he said.
According to Adhia, meditation is the relaxation of the body, rhythmic breathing with awareness, sitting in silence, and trying to be without thoughts by focusing on some object.
Referring to the Puranas, he said they teach us how to have the right attitude towards life, friendship for all, compassion for the less privileged, feeling happy for those who are ahead of us and avoiding people who are difficult to handle.
