| yoga is an enternal science of physical ,mental,and spiritual wellbeing that is universally applicable.although most popular ashtanga yoga was expounded by maharishi patanjali.it does not mean that yoga began patanjali. same way as newton discovered law to gravitation, but this law was operative before newton . according to hindu scriptures lord shiva is know as yogishwara and shri krishna in called as yogeshwar. it proves that yoga is very ancient and enternal.yogis of india developed this science of mental balance,physical development and spiritual advanement for attaining the highest goal of self realisation. MODERN SCIENCE AND YOGA
ancient science of yoga is known as para vidya [ super natural power ]that includes modern science and beyond.although it is totally scientific but there are basic differences between the modern science and yoga. modern sciene is totally confined to the physical world.it tries to testify and find out truths hidden in this material universe though material methods and physical instrument.being recently evolved it has its own limitation.modern science is presently drifting on the surface waves of the unknown,while vast expansion of the knowledge of ocean still remains undiscovered.on the other hand yoga is a science where every thing has already been known and realized by the sages who were spiritual scientists. a yogi knows the effects of his sadhana [meditation].he knows the result .he only practises it to attain that state of evolution.every thing is known in yoga.while in modern sciene we try to find out the unknown.we are not sure of the result.so in yoga one has to rediscover and confirn the facts through available means.as stated before the can't expect it to rediscover all the result and effects that yoga produces on the personality of the practishner.
lets take the example of scientific researches on hatha yoga exercises.the psycho-physical techniques of yoga were development on a philosophical conception of man and of the universe.they make use of a very deep understanding of psychology that was reached through the observation of the mind.on the other hand the field of modern biology and medicine is strictly limited to the physical plane because the methods of observation employed are confined to the world of matter and energy.science has already acquired some control of the body,but its understanding of mind and therefore its possibilities to care for it are still very limited.because of the fundamental difference in there scopes,the psycho-physical effects of yoga cannot be completely accounted for by modern science.
when making such an attempt two errors should be avoided.the first one is the endeavour to render yoga scientific in the modern sense by trying explain all its effects and conceptions within the framework of materiallistic science.such an attempt deprives yoga of its spiritual aspects and turns it down to a mere health exercises.the second error is analogous; it is the rejection of modern science on the ground that its studies are confined to the physical plane.this attitude is wrong because a sound understanding of the physical body and certainly helps the spiritual development.
In modern yoga there has been a tendency to over emphasize importance of body at expenses of mind. many people have over looked ancient system that stress necessity of combining yoga of body with yoga of mind .the absolute necessity to combine mind body for health and happiness of humanity is great secret of yoga which is not properly understood by modern yogis.
several papers have been published on effect of yoga on health and diseases ,all related with therapeutic effects on physical body.it is important to understand law of health in the light of modern science.but at the same time one must not over look the mental laws that continue to condition human body.
a yogi is not contended with concept of physical health.because body is a mould prepared by the mind .we must have a synthetic approach of dealing both the mind and body in order to build up complete healty.
HEALTY IN THE LIGHT OF YOGA
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from yogi point of view health is a psycholophysical state of consciousness. a healthy person has controlled mind and a healthy body free from diseases,many diseases of body are rooted in the mind.every sentiment and feeling that promotes unrest and disharmony sows a seed for a disease .negative thought of hate,anger,fear and grief affect our immune system and body because vulnerable to various diseases. agitation of mind causes disbalane between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system,resulting in imbalance in hormonies circulating in pyhsical body. thus there homers of the suitable body get disbalanced .the disease known as dysfuntional uterine bleeding a menstrual disorder without any pelvic pathology commonly prevailing in tensed emotionally unstable woman having intense pressure of family responsibilities along with marital dishharmony.it proves that mental tension reflects in the body.
CAN SCIENTIFIC RESERCH FIND THE TRUTH
before giving answer to this question it is important to note that precise domain of science as a systematic body of knowledge,its investigations are mostly confined to the physical universe,the world of sensory experience.science tries to know the unknow and discover hidden realities.it doesn't deal with consciousness.because there is no any scientific instrument that could measure the depth of consciousness.
what about yoga ? it is related to total personality of an individual (that includes entire creation) this universe consists of matter and spirit both.the essence of personality is consciousness. therefore yoga is not only confined to physical aspect of personality.it also includes matter as well as spirit the consciousness. a yogi by choise grapples with eternal question.he has an intense urge to understand the mysteries of life and death,for him life is not absurd or just the result of an accident .he is concerned with truth as the ultimate has been reached.
therefore there is no change in the finding.a yoga aspirant knows the effect of yogic practices .nothing new is to discoverd.he only does the sakshatkar for himself.he neither discard reason nor trust it wholly.however he trusts his own intuition and finer perceptions beause of there spontaneity and authenticity.drawn to truth by an inner compulsive urge,he does not rest content until he apprehends the reality behind appearances or his indwelling self.thus he too is an explorer,an earnest seeker engaged in a life long pursuit of the divine.
knowing these facts now we can answer the questionraised earlier.any study that has acess to a limited aspect can't arrive at ultimate result.its result and finding would be partial and far from ultimate truth.scientific researches are based on instruments which are it self in the process of improvement.few decades ago scientists didn't know that electric impulses were generated from heart and brain.but with invention of ECG and EEG machine this is an established fact. boundaries of science and yoga do overlap.
i hope the deliberation of this yoga forum will be very useful to integrate ancient science of yoga and modern science for the cause of humanity.
i'm thankful to my lovely friend sally king ( NEW YORK U.S.A.)for moral support ,and suggestions to writing of this article.
yours- yogendra mishra india.
Edited by yogendra mishra 2007-09-09 4:22 AM
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scientific reserch and yoga
