He who is temperate in his habits of eating,
sleeping, working and recreation,
can mitigate all material pains,
by practicing the yoga system.Bhagavad Gita 6:17
Hatha Yoga in itself is a training system based on the work with the physical human body. In fact, correct Hatha Yoga practice is a non-specific technique of psycho-somatic therapy available to anyone. So yoga is an all-purpose (for all occasions) healing method (returning to the wholeness) of soul, body and mind.
Yoga Therapy, in my opinion, is neither a tribute to fashion nor adjunct of yoga, “nature-identical.” Yoga therapeutic practice is a complete practice of Hatha Yoga, given that a person exercises not mechanically, wandering about something very far away from the place and time his practice, but really concentrating on what he is doing here and now. Awareness – is what distinguishes yoga from any other kind of activity.
In Patanjali Yoga Sutras, a disease is called an obstacle to the practice. Perhaps because of a misunderstanding of this sloka, there is a myth that yoga is only for healthy people. However, referring, for example, to "Hatha Yoga Pradipika" and "Gheranda Samhita", one of the most respected texts on hatha yoga, we can confidently say that there always was a therapeutic component in hatha yoga. In most technique descriptions, it is mentioned about the possibility to heal of certain diseases, what gradually eliminates the obstacles to further self-improvement.
Yoga therapy practice as a practice of hatha yoga in general, ideally, should be personalized. That is the wisdom of yoga tradition. Though very similar, each of us is unique, no two men are alike. That is why yoga tradition was established as an individual transmission from teacher to student. It goes without saying, that in yoga therapy, a lot of nuances are to be considered. Nevertheless, the current situation forces us to seek compromises.
Yoga Therapy, in my opinion, is neither a tribute to fashion nor adjunct of yoga, “nature-identical.” Yoga therapeutic practice is a complete practice of Hatha Yoga, given that a person exercises not mechanically, wandering about something very far away from the place and time his practice, but really concentrating on what he is doing here and now. Awareness – is what distinguishes yoga from any other kind of activity.
In Patanjali Yoga Sutras, a disease is called an obstacle to the practice. Perhaps because of a misunderstanding of this sloka, there is a myth that yoga is only for healthy people. However, referring, for example, to "Hatha Yoga Pradipika" and "Gheranda Samhita", one of the most respected texts on hatha yoga, we can confidently say that there always was a therapeutic component in hatha yoga. In most technique descriptions, it is mentioned about the possibility to heal of certain diseases, what gradually eliminates the obstacles to further self-improvement.
Yoga therapy practice as a practice of hatha yoga in general, ideally, should be personalized. That is the wisdom of yoga tradition. Though very similar, each of us is unique, no two men are alike. That is why yoga tradition was established as an individual transmission from teacher to student. It goes without saying, that in yoga therapy, a lot of nuances are to be considered. Nevertheless, the current situation forces us to seek compromises.
For example, a group yoga therapy class for diseases of musculo-skeletal system (such as low back pain and osteoarthritis) is always a certain averaged set that will be equally useful for patience with intervertebral disk hernia (as well as other cases of degenerative disc disease), for patience with gonarthrosis (or arthrosis of other peripheral joints). However, I always ask newcomers to tell about their diagnosis in order to advise them on adjustments to their group practice to make it more effective.
For the time of my work in yoga therapy, I was convinced both in its extraordinary power, and in its ...powerlessness. Alas, yoga therapy does not work if people do not. Unfortunately, there is no injection of yoga therapy. Yoga by definition - a "do-it-yourself" group.
With a regular, persistent and attentive practice, success is not long for coming. Hatha yoga "gets" several targets at the same time, allowing to treat not for a disease but a patient.
WHAT DEFINES YOGA THERAPY?
1.Work with attention, carried out in two directions: attention to the sensations arising during practice, what teaches to accept, and intent attention to the areas that need to be "improved” with visualization of desired changes.
2.Coordination of breath and movement. That is necessary both to increase concentration on the actions, and to improve the efficiency of a particular asana (postures) or Vinyasa (the transition between two asanas).
3.Prevalence of isometric muscle work in asanas. Isometric work supposes static holding of a certain position without movement (asana). This work has many advantages:
4.A wide range of "tools" oriented on body and mind(!). For example, for nearly all disease treatment you can and should use not only asanas (postures), but Shatkarmas (cleaning procedures), pranayama (breathing techniques), vyayama (exercises for joints), meditation and other techniques of Hatha Yoga.
5. Holistic approach to human health, ie to take into account interrelationships of all body systems, as well as the inseparability of human body and mind.
Our body has a huge ability for self-recovery - and doctors concur with esoterica about it. Regular Hatha Yoga practice – is, perhaps, the best way to get access to these resources; Hatha Yoga helps to calm the mind and prepare for a complete Shavasana practice (deep relaxation) and meditation techniques. After all, our body recovers only in a state of deep relaxation.
I will conclude with a quote from book of A.G. Mohan and Indra Mohan "Yoga Therapy” (A.G. Mohan, Indra Mohan, «YOGATHERAPY»):
«Caraca, the author of the most respected treatise on Ayurveda, defines disease as duhkha. Duhkha is a feeling of not being at ease, just as the word dis-ease itself implies this state of mind. Duhkha is a feeling of mental constriction, of circumstances being unfavorable to us. It could manifest in many ways from anger to depression. The oppose is the feeling of mental expansion, the lightness and freedom that we feel when circumstances are, in our judgement, favorable to us (sukha in Sanskrit). All of us are ware of are aware of both these state of mind. We continually oscillate between them throughout our lives. […]
It is obvious that we continually strive to minimize duhkha in our lives. Undeniably, our ultimate goal is to remove all duhkha — to remain at ease always, irrespective of any external circumstances, even those of our own body. Being at ease is a state of mind, not of the body. The Yoga-Sutras say precisely this. From their point of view all of us, even those who normally consider healthy, are in need of cikitsa, or therapy, becausenone of us is ever completely free from duhkha, or dis-ease. The Yoga-Sutras say that it is possible to always remain in a state of sattva — to be without dukha at all — and they describe steps to be taken to move towards this goal.»
For the time of my work in yoga therapy, I was convinced both in its extraordinary power, and in its ...powerlessness. Alas, yoga therapy does not work if people do not. Unfortunately, there is no injection of yoga therapy. Yoga by definition - a "do-it-yourself" group.
With a regular, persistent and attentive practice, success is not long for coming. Hatha yoga "gets" several targets at the same time, allowing to treat not for a disease but a patient.
WHAT DEFINES YOGA THERAPY?
1.Work with attention, carried out in two directions: attention to the sensations arising during practice, what teaches to accept, and intent attention to the areas that need to be "improved” with visualization of desired changes.
2.Coordination of breath and movement. That is necessary both to increase concentration on the actions, and to improve the efficiency of a particular asana (postures) or Vinyasa (the transition between two asanas).
3.Prevalence of isometric muscle work in asanas. Isometric work supposes static holding of a certain position without movement (asana). This work has many advantages:
- it is an effective mean of strength training, when dynamic exercises are unrecommended; an opportunity for a locally-directed work on any muscle group;
- an opportunity to improve work of weak muscles involved in the pathological processes, allowing to minimize the activation of the muscles not involved in the pathological process;
- an opportunity for reflex action on internal organs, improving their function.
- the effect of post-isometric relaxation (PIR), comes after static position with minimal resistance, which significantly reduces pain syndrome.
4.A wide range of "tools" oriented on body and mind(!). For example, for nearly all disease treatment you can and should use not only asanas (postures), but Shatkarmas (cleaning procedures), pranayama (breathing techniques), vyayama (exercises for joints), meditation and other techniques of Hatha Yoga.
5. Holistic approach to human health, ie to take into account interrelationships of all body systems, as well as the inseparability of human body and mind.
Our body has a huge ability for self-recovery - and doctors concur with esoterica about it. Regular Hatha Yoga practice – is, perhaps, the best way to get access to these resources; Hatha Yoga helps to calm the mind and prepare for a complete Shavasana practice (deep relaxation) and meditation techniques. After all, our body recovers only in a state of deep relaxation.
I will conclude with a quote from book of A.G. Mohan and Indra Mohan "Yoga Therapy” (A.G. Mohan, Indra Mohan, «YOGATHERAPY»):
«Caraca, the author of the most respected treatise on Ayurveda, defines disease as duhkha. Duhkha is a feeling of not being at ease, just as the word dis-ease itself implies this state of mind. Duhkha is a feeling of mental constriction, of circumstances being unfavorable to us. It could manifest in many ways from anger to depression. The oppose is the feeling of mental expansion, the lightness and freedom that we feel when circumstances are, in our judgement, favorable to us (sukha in Sanskrit). All of us are ware of are aware of both these state of mind. We continually oscillate between them throughout our lives. […]
It is obvious that we continually strive to minimize duhkha in our lives. Undeniably, our ultimate goal is to remove all duhkha — to remain at ease always, irrespective of any external circumstances, even those of our own body. Being at ease is a state of mind, not of the body. The Yoga-Sutras say precisely this. From their point of view all of us, even those who normally consider healthy, are in need of cikitsa, or therapy, becausenone of us is ever completely free from duhkha, or dis-ease. The Yoga-Sutras say that it is possible to always remain in a state of sattva — to be without dukha at all — and they describe steps to be taken to move towards this goal.»
