COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM)

MAHESH KANOJIA, M.D.
Houston, USA

Conventional Healthcare today is focused on the "quick-fix" of the ailments. This is perhaps driven by the fast paced society where an average person is driven by "time" and is dictated by it. To accommodate the pressure of time, eating is generally fast paced under stressful conditions day-in and day-out. The mounting weight of stress is aggravated by improper food, inadequate rest and exercise. This results in to uncorrectable insult to ones Mind and Body and accumulates "toxins" in our body which is the root of all ailments. These toxins for example creates acidic environment in to our body and leads to low Oxygen at the tissue level which in turn results in to imbalance of the Body, Mind and Spirit. To correct this imbalance, one has to work at all the levels of our existence. First, one should start with education and change in lifestyle followed by the food we take. This life-style change also includes the "control and rest" of mind. This means that mind becomes the connecting link between the Body and the Spirit. To achieve this, there are many practices implemented by the interested groups with significant success where the modern medicine has failed.

METABOLIC CHANGES DURING YOGA PRACTICES

CHAYA M.S. M.Sc., Ph.D.
Asst. Prof., Division of Yoga & Life Sciences,
Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore, India

The metabolic changes during yoga practices include changes during asana, pranayama, relaxation posture, and meditation and a popular meditation technique, which includes Asana and relaxation posture called "Cyclic Meditation". According to ancient yoga texts, yoga is done basically to bring in a balance in the system, by calming down the mind, relaxing the body, slowing down of the breath, to reach higher levels of consciousness, which is psychologically, physically, and biochemically different than the three most well defined states of consciousness, i.e., the wakefulness, dream state and the deep sleep state of being. For the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) studies 104 subjects were selected, for the sleep studies 88 subjects were selected and divided into yoga and non-yoga group. For asanas and relaxation postures only experienced 30-35 yoga practitioners were selected. Results show that the BMR of yoga practitioners was lower than that of the non-yoga practitioners. Sleep study results show that the metabolic rate of yoga group was lower when compared to non-yoga group before sleep itself. Yoga group had lower metabolic rate after sleep when compared with the non-yoga group. Even the heart rate was lower in yoga group before sleep when compared to non-yoga group. There was progressive reduction in metabolic rate during Quick Relaxation Technique (QRT) and Deep Relaxation Rate (DRT) (11% reduction in energy expenditure during the practice). There was varied stimulation effect of the asana, padahastasana done in the asana way being highest in metabolic rate (60% increase in metabolic rate during the practice) followed by ardha- chakrasana done with instructions and awareness (51% and 26% increase in metabolic rate). Ardha chakrasana done in the Asana way was highest in the metabolic cost. (16% decrease in metabolic rate), followed by ardhakati chakrasana done with awareness and instructions (12 % decrease in metabolic cost). The rest of the Asana had similar energy cost (11% decrease in metabolic rate). Reduction of metabolic rates in all the aspects of yoga throws more light on the relaxation components of yoga, which has therapeutic values for all stress related ailments, and all stress management program.