Philosophical Writings

Author(s): Hemant Shah
Publisher: Academy of Philosophy

Page 71

Philosophical Writings
The occult system aims at harmonising the functioning of different energy centres so that it may produce normal health.
Let us now turn to yoga. Yoga means union: i.e., the union of the soul with the Super Soul (God). Here we do not discuss the yoga philosophy but yoga as a therapy. Indian yoga has two purposes, i.e., the therapeutic and the transcendental. Leaving aside the transcendental aspect, we shall here confine ourselves to the therapeutic. In achieving communion with God, which is the ultimate aim of yoga, a healthy body is absolutely necessary. Yoga shows various techniques by which the body can be made competent for realising divine communion. Yoga provides two techniques for keeping the body free from disease. One is the breath control known as Pranayama; the other is the yogic postures of the body known as Asanas. The breath control technique is for strengthening the lungs and improving longevity of life while the different postures (Asanas) are for keeping various parts of the body in a sound physical condition. Yoga has been defined as “Science of divinity, “Science of soul”, etc. But from the medical point of view, in yoga we find life energy (Prana) at the centre. Ayurveda has accepted the importance and usefulness of yoga. Caraka says: “all the pains and tribulations whatsoever, totally subside through Moksha (liberation) and Yoga. Yoga leads to salvation and salvation leads to total freedom from pain of all types”. Moreover, the imbalance about which we talked earlier, gets created not only in the body, but also in the Mind and in the Self. Ayurveda has employed yoga to remove the imbalance of the mind (Manas) and the self (Atma). The aim of yoga and its eight-fold path is to quieten the activities of the Mind and to reestablish the Mind, to regain energy. Today yoga is perhaps the most popular of the systems of Indian Philosophy. Outside India several cases have shown that incurable diseases are cured by yoga. Yoga is proved to be very effective on metabolism, in increasing the power of the skin, normalising high blood pressure, in memory, curing insomnia (sleeplessness) and the central nervous system. The Indian medical system in general and