Yoga Therapy

Reusi Dat Ton (RDT) a little known aspect of traditional Thai culture consists of breathing exercises, self- massage, dynamic exercises, poses, mantras, visualization and meditation. It is the foundation of Traditional Thai Massage and uses some of the same techniques also found in Indian Hatha Yoga and Tibetan Yoga Traditions. Depictions of RDT techniques can be seen in traditional artwork in various locations in Thailand. Traditional RDT manuscripts contain illustrations and descriptions of some of the techniques and go on to list over 60 different ailments (some using Sanskrit Ayurvedic Medical terminology), which can be remedied by RDT practices. A survey of the 1737 Indian Hatha Yoga text “Jogpradipaka” of Jayatarama identified 45 Indian asanas, which have similar counterparts in RDT. Today RDT is in danger of becoming diluted and distorted as most lack access to primary sources such as original manuscripts or actual Reusis (Thai Yogis). Future work could include documenting for posterity all aspects of this ancient tradition as well as investigating the numerous therapeutic benefits ascribed to its practice.
Key Words: Non-Indian Yoga Traditions, Thai Massage, Yogic Art, Yoga Therapy, Ayurveda

Structure of the Knee The knee is one of the most complex joints in the body. It is highly flexible and yet bears the weight of the body across its surfaces. This combination makes it susceptible to damage and strain making it one of the most common sites of sporting injuries and a potential site of yoga practice injuries. The bones which make up the knee are the Femur (thigh), Tibia (shin) and Patellar (knee cap). Although it appears to be simple joint it is in fact made up of 2 distinct joints. These are tibiofemoral and patellofemoral joints. Across these articulating surfaces there are structures which bind, secure and align the knee-these are the cartilages and ligaments. The 2 cartilages called meniscus sit between the bones and keep the femur and tibia running smoothly on one another and stop the bones wearing, the 2 collateral ligaments which align the joint in hinge and secure the knee when straight, and the anterior and Posterior cruciate ligaments which locate the tibia under the femur. See Figure 1 Within the knee there are a number of Bursa. These are small, fluid filled sacks usually located behind the attachment of a tendon to stop rubbing and potential inflammation. Function of the Knee While the knee appears to be a hinge joint (one which flexes like a door hinge) it has 3 distinct movements. These are hinge, glide and rotation. Figure 2a, b, c, defines these movements and the structures which initiate it. The collateral ligaments support the knee from either side and are tight when the leg is straight. As the knee bends these ligaments loosen and the cruciate ligaments which crisscross deep in the knee move the tibia back so that it remains under the femur. As the knee bends and the joint un-tensions the tibia turns inwards due to 2 of the three hamstring attachments being located on the inner knee. The knee joint becomes flexible allowing the knee to perform Virasana cycle where the heel sits outside the line of the hip. Although not easily seen, inward rotation creates a greater possibility for the medial meniscus to become squashed between the tibia and femur in poses such as janu sirsasana and padmasana. (see last page).

Addressing the Yogasūtra योगसूत्र, or 'the point of view' codified in the Patañjali system, is a difficult task. We are faced with an Opera written in a sacred language, to which we approach with due respect. The text is hermetic, as it is typical of the writings of every initiatory Tradition, where the 'transmission' takes place exclusively through the direct relationship ('mouth-ear') between Master and disciple. Like all the writings of Tradition, the language used is highly symbolic, therefore a vehicle of multiple meanings, the decoding of which is almost impossible if you do not have the opportunity to make them "living them from the inside". Taken alone, it remains a text whose understanding is not only inaccessible for a layman, but also substantially indecipherable for the specialists of the academic world themselves

Affrontare gli Yogasūtra योगसूत्र, ovvero ‘il punto di vista’ codificato nel sistema di Patañjali è impresa ardua. Siamo di fronte ad un’Opera scritta in una lingua Sacra, alla quale accostarsi con il dovuto rispetto. Il testo è ermetico, come peraltro è tipico degli scritti di ogni Tradizione iniziatica, dove la ‘trasmissione’ avviene esclusivamente mediante il rapporto diretto (‘bocca-orecchio’) tra Maestro e discepolo. Come tutti gli scritti della Tradizione, il linguaggio utilizzato è altamente simbolico, quindi veicolo di Significati multipli, la cui decodifica è pressoché impossibile se non si ha la possibilità di realizzarli ‘vivendoli dall’interno’. Preso da solo, resta un testo la cui comprensione è non solo inaccessibile per un profano, ma anche sostanzialmente indecifrabile per gli stessi specialisti del mondo accademico.

“Human beings do the actions, and the results come according to the law of nature – the Lord has nothing to do with it. So when people are in trouble, they say: “Oh God, what have You done to me? What put this into Your mind?” But the fact is that Náráyańa, God, has done nothing, and had nothing in His mind. You have done something and are suffering the consequences. You are in trouble and you are crying out. Many people are like this. But Náráyańa has done nothing. As you have sown, so you now reap. This is the plain truth,” explains Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. “So before doing anything you should think carefully, because the action is in your hand, but not the result – that is in the hand of Prakrti (God’s Cosmic Operative Principle – the law of nature). Náráyańa neither performs the action nor administers the results. He simply gives Prakrti the opportunity to work within Her own limited sphere; Prakrti does Her duty accordingly. She does not aim to satisfy either your mind or the mind of anyone else. She only aims to please the mind of Náráyańa. Whatever work Náráyańa has given Her the right to do, that is what She does. She has no right to do more than that.” Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti (1921-1990) was a Tantric guru in the tradition of Shiva and Krishna. He introduced the empowered universal spiritual mantra “Baba Nam Kevalam”, composed a collection of 5018 spiritual songs called Prabháta Saḿgiita, and founded the socio-spiritual movement Ananda Marga (“the Path of Bliss”).  –  Richard Gauthier, Department of Chemistry and Physics, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, California, USA, August 6, 2021.

Yoga implies various things to various individuals. This subject spotlights on a sort of yoga called Hatha yoga. One of the advantages of Hatha yoga is that it can ease pressure and help you unwind. Yoga incorporates breathing, contemplation, and activities, considered stances or represents that stretch the body. You can do yoga to help you unwind. The objectives of yoga incorporate improved physical and emotional well-being and furthermore "unity" with a higher being, oneself, or some type of higher mindfulness. In any case, yoga shouldn't be a profound practice for you to get the advantages.

Stress is a common condition, a response to a physical threat, psychological distress and mental tension that generates a host of chemical and hormonal reactions in body. In essence, the body prepares to fight or flee, pumping more blood to the heart and muscles and shutting down all nonessential functions. When the stress reaction is prolonged, however, the normal physical functions either been exaggerated/shut down. Yoga, physical postures and breathing exercises improve muscle strength, flexibility, blood circulation and oxygen uptake as well as hormonal function. Yoga, it is much more effective in treating and preventing stress, improving quality of life in physical, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual aspects.

Adaptive personal fitness and training classes are becoming more available in society. Incorporating modified classes allows for greater inclusion of individuals with disabilities. Personal fitness classes increase over health, muscle strength and decreases mental stressors. Unfortunately, personal trainers are taught modification for injuries, obesity, joint problems and not typically disabilities. Adhering toward generalized public and as inclusive towards individuals with disabilities. This leads to lack of knowledge in allowing individuals specifically with multiple sclerosis into training classes due to not knowing how to work with this specific disability. The purpose of this article is to describe what multiple sclerosis is and how yoga can be beneficial in enhancing everyday life and decreasing fatigue in individuals with Multiple Sclerosis.

This study aimed to assess the feasibility of personalized yoga therapy intervention in a private setting and its effect on quality of life (QOL), sleep quality, and symptom relief among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). A single-group pre- and post-experimental study was conducted among 10 members of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of India between December 2017 and April 2018. At baseline and during follow-up, QOL, sleep quality, symptoms, and pain were assessed using the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, MS Symptom Checklist, and visual analogue scale, respectively. The intervention comprised 12 private customized yoga sessions of 1 hour duration and three group sessions, all spread over 3-months. Patient feedback and direct observations by the yoga therapist we re documented at each session. Ten patients (seven female, three male, age 31–52 years) were enrolled in the yoga intervention; seven completed 8–12 sessions, and three completed fewe...

Stress is a common condition, a response to a physical threat or psychological distress, that generates a host of chemical and hormonal reactions in the body. In essence,the body prepares to fight or flee, pumping more blood to the heart and muscles and shutting down all nonessential functions. As a temporary state, this reaction serves the body well to defend itself. When the stress reaction is prolonged, however, the normal physical functions that have in response either been exaggerated or shut down become dysfunctional. Many have noted the benefits of exercise in diminishing the stress response,and a host of studies points to these benefits. Yoga, too,has been recommended and studied in relationship to sffess, although the studies are less scientifically replicable. Nonetheless, several researchers claim highly beneficial results from Yoga practice in alleviating stress and its effects. The practices recommended range from intense to moderate to relaxed asana sequences, along wi...

Treating patients with chronic pain often proves difficult for medical professionals. One potential contribution to chronic pain is that upregulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) may cause the body to enter faulty pain cycles. Interrupting ANS up-regulation may break these
faulty pain cycles. Sensory Flow is a manual therapy technique thought to interrupt ANS up-regulation. Twenty patients volunteered and were
randomly assigned to either a group receiving Sensory Flow or a control group. Results indicate Sensory Flow significantly improved pain (p <
.004, partial η2
= .439) and stress perception (p =. 020, partial η2
= .169) following the second treatment. Therefore, Sensory Flow may be useful in
breaking faulty pain cycles in patients who are up regulated.

Objectives and Methods: This study examined whether gentle Hatha yoga reduced fibromyalgia-related symptoms for a convenience sample of 10 participants ranging in age from 39 to 64 years who received yoga instruction 2 times per week for 8 weeks. Methods: Respondents completed the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire 1 time per week and provided weekly journal reports regarding their health status. Pre- and post-intervention manual tender point evaluations were also conducted. Results: Findings provide evidence of association between participating in gentle Hatha yoga classes and reduced fibromyalgia - related symptoms. Conclusions: Additional randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes and greater empirical rigor are needed to more fully understand this relationship.

Yoga interventions are heterogeneous and vary along multiple dimensions. These dimensions may affect mental and physical health outcomes in different ways or through different mechanisms. However, most studies of the effects of yoga on health do not adequately describe or quantify the components of the interventions being implemented. This lack of detail prevents researchers from making comparisons across studies and limits our understanding of the relative effects of different aspects of yoga interventions. To address this problem, we developed the Essential Properties of Yoga Questionnaire (EPYQ), which allows researchers to objectively characterize their interventions. We present here the reliability and validity data from the final phases of this measure-development project. Analyses identified fourteen key dimensions of yoga interventions measured by the EPYQ: acceptance/compassion, bandhas, body awareness, breathwork, instructor mention of health benefits, individual attention...

There is evidence that yoga practice is associated with decreased stress, worry, and depression, and with improved mindfulness-based skills. These findings had not been previously replicated for a sample of college students. This study evaluated whether iRest yoga-nidra practice was associated with reduced perceived stress, worry, and depression, and increased mindfulness in a sample of college student s. Sixty-six students age 18-56 completed an 8-week iRest yoga-nidra intervention that was offered for 8 semesters. Assessment occurred 1 week prior to intervention onset and during the class period following the intervention. Qualitative data were collected at Weeks 4 and 8. Statistically significant pre- to posttest improvements in perceived stress, worry, and depression were found. Pre-existing depression accounted for most of the change in worry and perceived stress scores. Pre- to post test improvements in mindfulness-based skills were also detected. iRest yoga-nidra practice may...

The cognitive and somatic benefits of a Kundalini yoga intervention to treat anxiety and OCD (Shannahoff-Khalsa, 2006) was evaluated with 44 mental health consumers. Ratings were assigned for (1) initial meditations/postures, (2) asanas/kriyas, (3) mantra, and (4) extended meditations. Pre-post ratings included subjective distress (SUDS), blood pressure/pulse, and Gunas (lethargy/Tamas, mental clarity/Sattva, and agitation/Rajas). Significant pre-post differences were found for blood pressure, SUDS, Tamas and Sattva. Participants prescribed psychotropic medications reported less benefit from extended mediation and lower post-session mental clarity/Sattva. Clinician derived DSM-IV diagnoses revealed practice benefits were significantly greater for participants diagnosed with anxiety. Severity of anxiety and depression at the initiation of the intervention were related to significantly lower benefit from subsequent yoga sessions. Severity of depression was correlated with fewer sessions completed.

Yoga therapy is an emerging profession with recent development of educational competencies, training program accreditation, and practitioner certification. In the United States, most yoga therapy training programs are studio-based and data on mentored clinical encounters are lacking. This study aimed to characterize the client population in a university-based mentored student clinic. As part of a larger feasibility study, data were collected at all clinic visits for 70 consenting clients. Data collected included demographic characteristics, reasons for pursuing care, use of other healthcare approaches, and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) for physical and mental health. Participants were mostly middle-aged, White, and highly educated. Common reasons for pursuing care were pain and mental health. Most used multiple healthcare approaches. Average scores for most patient-reported outcomes fell within normal range at baseline. Future studies are need...

“O human beings, you are fortunate. The clarion call of the Universal has reached you. Not only has the call come, but you are hearing it and it is vibrating in every cell of your body. Will you now lie in the corner of your house as an inert being and waste your time by clinging to old skeletons and bemoaning them? The Supreme Being is calling you in the roar of the ocean, in the thunder of the clouds, in the speed of lightning, in the meteor’s flaming fires. Nothing good will come from idleness. Get up and awake the clouded chivalry of your dormant youth. It may be that the path is not strewn with flowers and that inferiority complex will be attempting to hold fast your each advancing step, but even then you have to proceed onwards, tearing the shroud of darkness. You will tear the thick darkness of despair as you advance in the racing chariot radiant with the Sun’s brilliance towards the attainment of the Supreme state.” Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti (1921-1990) was a Tantric guru in the tradition of Shiva and Krishna. He introduced the empowered universal spiritual mantra “Baba Nam Kevalam”, composed a collection of 5018 spiritual songs called Prabháta Saḿgiita, and founded the socio-spiritual movement Ananda Marga (“the Path of Bliss”).  –  Richard Gauthier, Department of Chemistry and Physics, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, California, USA, August 17, 2021.

Background: While considerable progress is being made to understand the health and self-management needs of youth with mental health disorders, little attention has focused on the mental health and recovery needs that the youth themselves identify—this despite a national priority to incorporate patient-oriented research into the development and assessment of mental health services. To address this gap, estimates of the extent to which existing patientreported outcome measures (PROMs)—originally developed for use amongst adult populations—are clinically meaningful and psychometrically fit for use among youth are needed. In tandem, a recovery profile for youth can be constructed incorporating the youth perspective of the services provided within a community mental health setting.

Methods/design: This study will utilize a mixed methods design incorporating qualitative focus group interviews and cross-sectional survey. Our process will begin with the hiring of a youth peer research partner who will provide lived experience expertise through all phases of the study. We will advertise, recruit, and conduct four focus groups with youth who receive services from the Foundry Vancouver Granville located in British Columbia, Canada. In the first two focus groups, we will recruit youth aged 15–18 years (n = 10). In the second two focus groups, we will recruit young adults aged 19–24 years (n = 10). In parallel, we will conduct a cross-sectional survey of the recovery and mental health needs of youth, informed by ten widely used and validated PROM. Thematic analysis techniques will guide the identification of predominant thematic trends in the qualitative focus group data. We will use Classical and Rasch measurement methods to test and analyze the reliability and validity of selected PROM measures for youth populations.

Discussion: The proposed study has the potential to produce a preliminary conceptual and measurement model for understanding the mental health and recovery needs of youth with mental health disorders. This evidence will inform how youth mental health services can grow, support, and sustain the capacity for a collaborative, interdisciplinary and innovative patient-oriented research environment. Findings will also contribute much needed evidence to improve the standard of care for youth who experience mental health disorders in Canada and beyond.

Objective: The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between emotional coherence and chronic musculoskeletal pain perception changes after 3-week sessions of Heart Coherence training in healthy subjects. The participants were trained on Heart Coherence Technique which is similar to Antar Darshan meditation technique and it is related to emotional management. The left/right hand judgement test scores were used for the determination of the level of cortical representation of one's own body. It is hoped that the result of the proposed study can be further used on treating Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain (CMP). Methods: Sixteen healthy people (one (1) man and fifteen (15) women), mean ± SD, 32.7 ± 6.2 years volunteered for this study. The sixteen (16) participants were randomly selected and placed in either the Heart Group (HG) (n=8) or in the Control Group (CG) (n=8). The Edinburgh Handedness Inventory was completed by all participants in the beginning of the study. The HG was trained for 3 weeks in self-regulation with the use of Heart Coherence Technique (HCT) similar to Antar Darshan medotation, following a standardised stress relief programme, developed by the HeartMath Institute. HRV, coherence level, coherence quality and Heart Rate (HR) were measured in the HG. Accuracy percentage (%) and speed (s) in LRHJT were measured in both groups at the end of the training period. A Wilcoxon–Mann– Whitney two-sample test was used to compare the outcome of LRHJT scores. Coherence levels and HRV were recorded only in the HG. Results: On average, accuracy on both left and right was higher in the HG 88.8 vs 75.1 (left, HG vs CG) and 80.8 vs 78.8 (right, HG vs CG). However, this result was not statistically significant for either side between the groups (left Z=-1.91, p=0.06; right Z=0.32, p=0.75). The HG was marginally slower than the CG for both left and right sides. Reacting time was not ABSTRACT CT

The purpose of the study was intended to assess the effect of yogic and physical exercises on leg explosive strength and agility, for this purpose hundred fifty students studying in various classes of Government high school Nagathan of Vijayapaur in Karnataka state in age group of 14-16 years were selected. They were divided into three equal groups, each group consist of fifty subjects, in which group-I underwent yoga practices, group-II underwent physical exercises and group –III acted as control group who were not allowed to participated and receive any special treatment apart from their regular curriculum classes, the training period for this study was six days a week for twelve weeks, the before and after the training period, the subjects were tested for leg explosive strength and agility ability. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was applied to find out which group has better in performance, whenever F ratio for adjusted test was found to be significant for adjusted post-test means Scheffees test was followed, as a post hoc to determine which of the paired means differ significantly. It was drawn conclusions that after the training of yoga and physical exercise both training has improved leg explosive strength and agility, significant increases found in explosive strength among the physical exercise group comparing their counterpart and agility has ability has been increased in the physical exercises comparing to yoga group.

A therapeutic yoga program designed for older adults and the supporting research has demonstrated signifi cant improvement in floor transfer ability and standing balance. The study protocol was based on the ongoing work being performed in the Glenmore Ageless Therapeutic Yoga Program. Research confirmed the perceived results that Glenmore Ageless yoga students improved standing balance, lower body strength and increased fl oor transfer ability. This article discusses the protocol used in both the Ageless Yoga classes and the research study. The Program may be used and adapted across the continuum of care as an intervention in a safety and falls prevention or functional independence program.

برون ریزی یکی از تکنیک های یوگاتراپی است که در آن فرد احساسات منفی خود را تخلیه می کند. او احساس خشم را با فریاد زدن ، احساس غم را با گریه کردن و احساس اضطراب را با حرکت های شدید بدنی تخلیه می کند. در این مقاله این موضوع بررسی می شود که چطور تخلیه احساسات می تواند رواداری را در والدین دانش آموزان افزایش دهد و موجب شود که سوء رفتار آن ها نسبت به دانش آموزان کاهش یابد.
تمام مقادیر جتبه فرضی دارد و واقعی نمی باشد . کل تحقیق جنبه مثال برای بیان اهمین تمرینات برونریزی یوگا را دارد..

The paper reviewed the origin of the chakra system on a more scientific basis. We have studied the history of the seven chakra system and Amit Ray's 114 chakra system. A couple of decades ago, it was believed that the seven chakras are worth only for spiritual development. However, recent scientific studies have proven the opposite, uncovering several regulatory chakras in the human body are deeply related to human psychology. Scientists observed several regulatory micro-networks in the human body, deeply connected with immunity, health, mental peace, emotions and happiness. Biological models of behavior have become increasingly prominent in psychological theory, particularly with the development of various neuro-imaging tools. The field of neuropsychology, which studies the brain and the connected nervous system, is growingly feeling the role chakras in human psychology. In this paper, we tried to trace the history of the chakra system on a more scientific basis.

Balaji R, Bhavanani AB, Ramanathan M. Bringing Yoga into the Lives of Children with Special Needs. Souvenir of the National Seminar and Workshop on Divyanga Yoga: A Yogic approach to children with special needs. International Day of Yoga celebrations. Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry. 13-24 June 2019. Pg 71-74.

Tratto da:
Pātañjala Yogasūtrāṇi
Le fondamenta:Yama e Niyama
Il ‘punto di vista’ Yoga Vol II – terza edizione
A cura di Fabio Milioni
YCP 2020,
ISBN | 979-12-20306-83-6
Pgg. 371-413


Yama, Niyama e salute della popolazione
Yoga-terapia e Āyurveda
Yoga e Āyurveda nell’insegnamento di Śrī Svāmī Sivananda
Yoga-terapia e il Ministero Indiano AYUSH
Yama e Niyama nella Yoga-terapia secondo la IAYT
Yoga-terapia in Francia
Yoga-terapia in Germania
Yoga-terapia in Gran Bretagna
Yoga-terapia in Giappone
Yoga-terapia in Australia
Yoga-terapia in Italia
Yama e Niyama nello stress-management
Yama e Niyama nello Yoga Nidrā
Riflessioni provvisorie sulla Yoga-terapia.

Bozza preliminare dal testo:
Dall’Uno della Tradizione ai Sistemi Aperti
Patañjali Yogasūtra – Il ‘punto di vista’ Yoga Vol I -Yama e Niyama, i Doveri (astensioni e osservanze) III^ ed. in corso di preparazione.
dal Capitolo: I commentatori moderni degli Yogasūtra

Background: Glaucoma is the second leading cause of global blindness and is the leading cause of irreversible visual loss. Hence, it becomes very important in guiding the designs of glaucoma screening, treatment, and intraocular pressure (IOP) control methods. Hence, the aim of this study was to analyze the effect of yoga ocular exercises on IOP.
Materials and Methods: Thirty-one undergraduate optometry students (62 eyes) who satisfied the inclusion criteria after a baseline comprehensive eye examination were selected for the study and were assigned to two groups: an exercise group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 16). A baseline IOP measurement was done for both groups. The exercise group performed yoga ocular exercises for 30 min/day for 5 days a week for up to 6 weeks. IOP was measured for both eyes for all participants at the end of each week for up to 6 weeks.
Results: In the exercise group, there was a highly statistically significant reduction in IOP in both eyes (p = 0.000 in the right eye [RE] and p = 0.001 in the left eye [LE]). Whereas in the control group, there was an insignificant change in IOP (p = 0.751 in the RE and p = 0.809 in the LE).
Conclusions: The yoga ocular exercises induce a significant reduction in IOP and hence can be considered as a nonpharmacological intervention for lowering the IOP for the management and treatment plan of various ocular diseases or disorders associated with ocular hypertension.
Key Words: Colloid osmotic pressure, glaucoma, intraocular pressure, ocular hypertension, osmosis, yoga ocular exercises

“The true devotees love the world, the society and everything around because they perceive each and every manifestation of the artful Prakrti (Supreme Creative Power) with one universal spirit. They also love the finite, since it is also a portion of the Universal. They perceive worldly pleasures as divine bliss varied by time, place and person. They keep their mind-stuff absorbed in the eternal currents of the divine flow. Such devoted aspirants are the only true enjoyers or rasika and their object of enjoyment is the Supreme Brahma (God).” Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti (1921-1990) was a Tantric guru in the tradition of Shiva and Krishna. He introduced the empowered universal spiritual mantra “Baba Nam Kevalam”, composed a collection of 5018 spiritual songs called Prabháta Saḿgiita, and founded the socio-spiritual movement Ananda Marga (“the Path of Bliss”).  –  Richard Gauthier, Department of Chemistry and Physics, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, California, USA, August 18, 2021.

Premessa: nell’emisfero occidentale, e non solo, si è avuta una larghissima diffusione di pratiche che vengono proposte come ‘meditazione’. Tale diffusione è seconda soltanto alle pratiche fisiche (āsana) dello Yoga, spesso proposte come ‘yoga’ tout court. Sono due fenomeni che si ritiene abbiano origine in un comune fraintendimento riduzionista. Se, rifacendoci alla fonte della Tradizione, prendiamo come termine di paragone e riferimento gli Yogasūtra di Patañjali, risulta evidente  una semplificazione fonte non solo di potenziali rischi, ma anche di snaturamento dell’essenza della Tradizione. La formulazione degli Yogasūtra è strutturata in otto aṅga (अङ्ग componenti, parti, membra, ausili, aiuti), compenetrati tra loro: Yama (यम), Niyama (नियम), Āsana (आसन), Prāṇāyāma (प्राणायाम), Pratyāhāra (प्रत्याहार), Dhāraṇā (धारणा), Dhyāna (ध्यान), Samādhi (समाधि) .  In questa breve bozza di contributo,  tratta dal testo:
Dall’Uno della Tradizione ai Sistemi Aperti
Pātañjala Yogasūtrāṇi
pratyāhāra प्रत्याहार , Il ‘punto di vista’ Yoga Vol III

Proponiamo la lettura e riflessione di un brano di Śrī Svāmī Sivananda su Pratyāhāra. Nella speranza che possa suscitare un impegno concreto in controtendenza con l’attuale scenario. Nello Yoga, che è una disciplina, un metodo scientifico, non esistono scorciatoie. Da cui le domande:
 Se si escludono, di fatto, Yama e Niyama, lo scopo delle Āsana è salvaguardato?
 Āsana e un po’ di Prāṇāyāma sono di per se sufficienti per passare direttamente alla pratica della meditazione (Dhyāna)?
 Di quale ‘meditazione’ stiamo parlando, quando ci troviamo di fronte a proposte avulse dal metodo nella sua integrità?

cfr anche: Dr Ananda on Pratyahara, the missing link in Modern Yoga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVW8FNnOsGE

Persons with disabilities often face societal barriers and disability evokes negative perceptions and discrimination in many societies. As a result of the stress associated with disability, persons with disabilities are generally excluded from education, employment and community life which deprives them of opportunities essential to their social development, health and well-being. In some societies persons with disabilities are considered dependent and seen as incapable, thus fostering inactivity which often causes individuals with physical disabilities to experience restricted mobility beyond the cause of their disability. Om chanting pranayama can help reduce the stress and discrimination associated with disability because it can transforms community attitudes about persons with disabilities by highlighting their skills and reducing the tendency to see the disability instead of the person. Through om chanting pranayama, persons without disabilities interact with persons with disabilities in a positive context forcing them to reshape assumptions about what persons with disabilities can and cannot do.

Diabetes mellitus is a major global metabolic disorder of 21 st century. This is due to its broad spectrum of associated complications with risks, like cardiac and renal disorders. The rapid growth of diabetes is becoming a major burden upon healthcare facilities in all affected countries. Due to lack of definitive preventative measures of diabetes, we must be aware of this pandemic and follow a disciplined lifestyle to limit it. In this communication, recent advances in diabetes management and current preventative measures have been concluded.

To bring out the full healing potential of Yoga, what we need is not just Yoga therapists applying the tools of Yoga according to the guidelines of Western medical doctors. What we need in the long run are Yogic doctors who can diagnose and treat disease according to the Yogic medical system of Ayurveda. This article explores the separation of Yoga therapy and Ayurveda in the West and how they may be brought together.

The biography of Sri Swami Satchidananda, depicts the life of one of the first Yoga masters to bring the classical science of Yoga to the western world. Satchidananda was born as "Ramaswamy" into a deeply spiritual family, steeped in the values of the Tamil Saiva tradition. After losing his wife after only five years of marriage, Ramaswamy became a wandering ascetic spending time with great Tamil Siddhars and saints, Sri Ramana Maharshi, Papa Ram Dass and in 1949 arriving in Rishikesh and taking Sannyas vows from his Guru, Sri Swami Sivananda. In the 1950s, Sivananda sent his disciple to teach the science of Yoga throughout India, Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka (where he taught for 13 years). Invited to the West in 1966, he went on to become one of the most well-known and beloved Yoga masters in the world. He opened the famed Woodstock Festival, founded Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville/Integral Yoga International, and became a leading trailblazer in the interfaith movement. He built the first interfaith shrine in the West (lotus.org), served on numerous advisory boards of Yoga, interfaith, and world peace organizations and received many honors for his service. This book covers this story up until 1986.