From IIM Ahmedabad To Happiness

Author(s): Vijay K Jain
Publisher: Vikalp Printers

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HEALTH IS MORE THAN WEALTH
comforts that could not have been dreamed of earlier. All the glitter and comfort notwithstanding, the modern man is under a far greater threat from ailments arising out of unhealthy autosuggestions, or, in plain words, out of our own minds. In an affluent society, the origin of many health problems can easily be traced to its degenerating life-style. Take the case of stress, which is one important concomitant of break-neck pace of today's lifestyle. It is now known that many health problems, often not realized at an early stage, are, in a large part, attributable to stress. These include obesity, heart disease, cancer, depression, anorexia nervosa or malnutrition, ulcers, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and hair loss, beside affecting our sexual behaviour, digestive system and immune system making us more vulnerable to colds, flu, fatigue and infections. The physical symptoms of stress may include sleep disturbance, migraine headache, acid stomach or irritable bowel syndrome, weight gain or loss, high blood pressure, chest pain, skin problems (eczema, psoriasis, tics, itching), and asthma or shortness of breath. The emotional symptoms may include nervousness, anxiety, phobias, irritability, frustration, lack of concentration and trouble thinking clearly.
Medicine certainly has not been able to address itself, in any convincing manner, to the ailments arising out of unhealthy autosuggestions. It is, however, not surprising since the control on our will lies squarely in our own Self and not in the hands of any outside agency. Modern science does not know how to control the mind without the aid of drugs and instruments; but a yogi's spiritual power renders their use quite unnecessary as he can influence the mind with a mere word of command or suggestion.
Yoga, the ancient science of India, aims at rubbing off the store of unhealthy suggestions from our memory and rearrange our ideas in a fresh and healthy manner so as to start new sorts of vibrations
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