Modern civilisation aims at complete transformation of the natural human environment into an artificial environment. Modern science has given us lately a multitude of objects of enjoyment, but it has failed to give us the much-needed self-control. Self-knowledge or atma-jnana was given the highest place in the religion and philosophy of the past. It involves enlightenment regarding the goals of life.
Health and fitness have been recognised as foundation to all sort of pursuits in life essential for the spiritual progression. No doubt, the development of science and technology has added a lot to the comforts and luxuries of life of modern man at the same time has robbed of his physical health, emotional stability, mental peace and ultimately the spiritual growth.
This book will help the readers to know various concepts of health and fitness found in modern as well as the ancient Indian classical texts especially in Ayurveda, Patanjali's Yogasutras and Tantras. Ayurveda, Patanjali's Yogasutras and Tantras have indeed looked upon their approaches as panacea for human misery and sorrow. Yoga with reference to health and fitness has rightly been held in very high esteem by all Indian systems and particularly by Ayurveda, Yogasutras and Tantra. These classical approaches to yoga with reference to health and fitness will certainly help the people to know and adopt the ways and means restoring and promoting health in modern era. The present book will also help common man to know the implications of the modern approaches to yoga as well as the claims of classical and modern approaches to bring about transformation in respect of the life of an individual and also the means through which these goals could be realised.
I extend my heartiest congratulation to Dr. Ganesh Shankar for his sustained effort and interest in bringing out this valuable book. I am fully confident that the present book will prove useful to the public, research scholars, inquisitive readers of yoga and allied subjects.
Yoga' signifies functional integration at the highest level of spirituo-psycho-somatic development, ensuring not only the health of the body but also experiencing the sense of wellbeing of the senses, the mind and the soul simultaneously. It has therefore, laid down certain ways and means in the form of various physical and mental procedures to counteract the malicious environmental influences within and without the organism. The holistic ap-proach of yoga or all such yogic practices including Yamas-the rules of social hygiene, Niyamas-rules of personal hygiene, Shudhi Kriyas-purificatory procedures, Asanas-postural patterns, Pranayamas-breathing exercises and meditation etc. are prescribed with the purpose of conditioning and/or reconditioning the body-mind machinery so as to extend its range of the human personality. Yoga being a subject of varied interests has gained world-wide popularity. Recent scientific research trends have shown that it can serve as an applied science in a number of fields such as health and family welfare, medicine and therapy, education, physical education and sports and also as one of the valuable means for self-realisation and thereby development of human resources for better performance and productivity in daily life.
Health is the concern of each and every person. The scope of application of yogic practices for health and fitness has been increasing day by day. Also, the therapeutic aspect of yoga has become very popular as an alternative method of treatment in various diseases of modern times. Yoga has been found very much useful for psychosomatic disorders in the present times. Not only that, yogic practices can be used as physiological and psychological procedures for psychosomatic fitness to prevent various injuries in some activities and help in the rehabilitation of the injured and ill persons if learnt under the proper guidance and practised judiciously. Yogic practices are also very useful to get perfect health and fitness and thereby improving the performance in various daily activities. Finally, the goal of yoga and human life is self-realisation.
The classical approach of yoga is practical. It is applicable to all religious and communities. Yogic principles and their practices are the most effective, practical and universally accepted to achieve the highest goal of life i.e. self-realisation. Therefore, yoga is a panacea for all, not only for the personas who wish to get SALVATION but for everyone-be a student, teacher, doctor, engineers, businessman, political person, sports person, factory worker, house wife or labourer, healthy or weak and even patients for keeping themselves healthy and active to achieve the goal of their life and enjoy dynamic health and blissful life.
The present book is a Humble endeavour to have an in-depth knowledge of selected approaches to yoga as found in classical literature of Ayurveda, Patanjali's Yogasutras and Tantras along with modern ones and to formulate an integrated and progressive approach which could be followed up even by ordinary people in order to have every chance to evolve to a higher level of consciousness with which only the Man (out of the existence including minerals, plants, animals etc.) has been blessed so far to reach to the level of Buddhahood or Christ consciousness, the fountain head of automatic ethical values and abode of bliss-the absolute health (Transcendental) and happiness (Parmananda).
I am grateful to my respected father Dr. Chidda Giri who inspired me to take up this work and guided through his critical comments during the study. The eternal blessings of my mother Mrs. Raj Giri and father Dr. Chidda Giri have always inspired me for writing this book. I am also thankful to my wife Dr. Pinki and my children Miss Ankita and Master Himanshu for their moral support and providing sufficient time to write this book. I am thankful to Prof. R.V. Tripathi, Department of Sanskrit, Prof. Y.S. Vagrecha, Department of Psychology and Dr. U.S. Gupta, Department of Zoology of the Dr. H.S. Gour University Sagar for their time-to-time suggestions and help in the publication of this book. I am thankful to Dr. Radhey Shyam Shukla for taking the responsibility for publishing this book. Thanks are also due to the university authorities for providing moral and financial assistance to publish this book. All the possible efforts have been made to make this document as best as possible, yet I regret for all possible lapses of omission and commission.
Asana (101)
Bhakti Yoga (21)
Biography (52)
Hatha Yoga (93)
Kaivalyadhama (58)
Karma Yoga (33)
Kriya Yoga (85)
Kundalini Yoga (60)
Massage (2)
Meditation (341)
Patanjali (139)
Pranayama (70)
Women (33)
Yoga for Children (13)
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