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It must be noted that disorders due to nutritional, infectional, accidental, organic, structural and ecological factors, as well as life-threatening emergencies and psychiatric factors, are out of reach for yoga techniques.
Some common factors come to light after referring to books on yogic therapy recommended for different conditions. It is intended to refer to these guiding principles involved in yogic therapy instead of giving a disease-wise prescription list of yoga techniques, even though presenting such a list might be more appealing for many of us present here. These principles can be summarized as follows:
1. Diagnosing the case on yogic lines. Here one can think in terms of blocked nadis or pranic channels, restricted working of pranas, apana and other vayus, disturbed c chakras and mahabhutas etc. This is with a view to formulating the yogic diagnosis, which in turn will help us to have a yogic prescription.
2. Individualization of instructions. Therapy is an art which requires individualization and it differs from individual to individual. In many respects it differs from other therapeutic approaches and also from games, sports and pilot programs where instructions are streamlined for execution without the least concern for its practitioners. In yoga, however, the individual has to learn and practise for himself. Thus it really becomes the education-cum-treatment of the individual. 3. Relaxation based on the concept of the panchakoshas. You are already familiar with yoga nidra, therefore, I will not go into this in much detail. But every psychosomatic and functional disorder is an outcome of some stress based on raga, i.e. clinging which leads to cravings and attachment because of pleasant feelings; or dwesha, i.e. aversion leading to hatred and rejection because of painful sensations and feelings. This results in mental tension, excessive stimulation or inhibition of the nervous system affecting tone, motion and equilibrium connected with skeletal and neuromuscular systems. This is accompanied by disturbances in visceral and endocrinal functions, value systems and attitudes of the patient towards his life situation. Therefore, training in physical and mental relaxation is a must for all psychosomatic disorders amenable to yogic therapy.
Jain Education International
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