Yoga is one of the fast reviving sciences which has received worldwide attention during recent years. This arousal of interest in Yoga appears largely for its health potentials. A study of the ancient concepts of Yoga in related classics would reveal that Yoga as initially conceived is essentially a spiritual discipline. It was developed in good old days to raise the level of Consciousness in an individual by way of continued sadhana on a prescribed path. There was no design to develop Yoga as a health science, though practitioners of Yoga enjoyed good mental and physical health.
On the contrary, the assessment of the current trends indicates that Yoga has migrated substantially from a pure spiritual discipline to a scientific discipline, from a matter of individual sadhana to a subject of social interest and from a limited Indian art to an international science of global significance. Thus Yoga has developed fast in all its dimensions. But the central stream of revival and development of Yoga is in the direction of promotive health care.
It would be seen that Yoga in ancient times was conceived as a scientific discipline and was added with appropriate technology for application of the same for human uplift. As also stated by Professor Anantharaman ( Personal Communication ) the expressions like Adhyatma Vidya and (Yoga-Vidhi seen in Kathopanisad and Brahma Vidya and Yoga Sastra in Bhagvadgita indicate that Yoga was conceived in good old days as Science (Vidya)
It is presumed that the comprehensive practice of Yoga would impart above qualities to the personality of an aspirant. Besides, another important dimension of the effect of Yoga on mental health would be a reduction in the level of anxiety. Practice of Yoga helps an individual in coping with anxiety and thus makes the life comfortable and free from too much of anxiety and tension. Thus Yoga may be utilised as a promotive and preventive care for mental health. In addition, appropriate schedules of Yoga Therapy may be developed also as a method of curative treatment of early psychosomatic diseases.
Key words: Yoga , Mental Health, Psychosomatic diseases, Brahma Vidya, Kathopanisad, Bhagvad Gita.
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