Pushkarmuni Abhinandan Granth

Author(s): Devendramuni, A D Batra, Shreechand Surana
Publisher: Rajasthankesari Adhyatmayogi Upadhyay Shree Pushkar Muni Abhinandan Granth Prakashan Samiti

Page 1142

Research in Yoga by the Methods of Modern Natural Sciences
as well as from that of the happiness and real advancement of the humanity. But in such special situations, where definite objectives and specifically limited effects are desired, every thing recommended and propounded in traditional yoga, which has man's spiritual development as the sole goal, may not be advisable to be included in the yogic training having such limited and specific aims. Research projects specially planned and designed to give answers to such specific problems will only show the way and then, based on these findings the programmes of yoga training for special groups and situations could be arranged. This utility of the yogic scientific research is of prime importance in the present context.
If such caution is not observed and yogic things are introduced arbitrarily and haphazardly, situation may arise where yogic practices may be branded, no doubt erroneously and baselessly, as non-beneficial or even deleterious. This is what probably happened in Russia, when reports were published in news-papers with such captions as "Yoga branded as Dangerous in Russia."
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Certain yogic practices were taught and included in the training of Olympic Atheletes and it was found that in them some untoward effects were produced. But there are so many doubts involved as to whether this conclusion was arrived at in a correct manner-(1) Whether the yogic practices were judiciously selected? This would have been possible if the yoga experts were well-versed in yogic principles and also the physical training principles and could understand the precise requirements of the situation and could adjudge what to include and what not to, in order to produce the desired change. (2) Whether yoga practices were taught and performed correctly? (3) Whether yogic and non-yogic training was mixed and this with proper care? If such precautions were not observed the findings may give distorted view of the facts.
The same may be true in case of the adverse reports from the same source about the effects of Sirsasana published cursorily in the news papers a few years earlier.
There was indication that the opposition to Yoga had some implications about idealogical and philosophical background of Yoga not being acceptable to the Soviet socialistic attitude. But here again only the researches carried out on strictly controlled and scientific lines will remove the misunderstandings and consequent opposition to yoga and we think that this is what has already been happening. We know that in spite of these news-paper reports, researches are being conducted in Russian laboratories on different applied aspects of Yoga. The number of Russian tourists visiting Yoga centres is on the increase. Even official delegations are being in India to examine the utility of Yoga and Yogis and Indian scientists working on yogic problems are being invited on official level to that country.
Having thus seen the need and significance of scientific objective research relating to Yoga, we may very briefly review the outcome of such researches carried out so far.
The earliest researches of Swami Kuvalayananda on Nauli, Udḍīyana, Dhauti and Basti, which are like starting post on the path Yogic scientific research have been already mentioned.
Extension of these studies revealed that in such yogic practices the chest diaphragm and the ribs could be moved inversely to each other independently, which was revelation for Anatomy and Physiology.
This work was followed by blood pressure studies during Sirsasana, Sarvangasana and Matsyasana. A gradual small rise in diastolic pressure but no significant change in systolic pressure was found. Generally the blood pressure during these asanas rose moderately in the beginning but fell down towards and sometimes became normal after a few minutes.
Later investigations in Kaivalyadhama Laboratories confirmed these findings and it was observed that subjects having several months' or years' practice of the inverted postures showed practically very little or no increase in either diastolic or systolic blood pressure during their performance.
Shankar Rao made studies about Sirsasana and found that there was about 12-17
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