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Yoga and Health / 271
"Vapuḥ krśatvam vadane prasannatā, Dādasphutatvam nayane sunirmale, arogată bindujayognidipanam, nādiviśuddhir hatbasiddhilaksanam"
(Slimness of body, lustre on the face, clarity of voice, brightness of eyes, freedom from, disease, control over ejaculation of semen, stimulation of gastric fire and purifcation of Nadis are the characteristics of success in Hathayoga)
The fundamental understanding in Yoga is that through the variety of means one arrives at the stage of highest integration which is described as Rajayoga in the following verse :
मर्वे हठलयोपाया राजयोगस्य सिद्धये । “Sarve hathalayopāyā rājayogasya siddbaye" (All the means and methods of Hatha and Laya are meant for reaching the state of Rajayoga).
Health may be considered in its promotive aspect, curative aspect and preventive aspect. It would be interesting to note the contribution of Yoga in developing these aspects of health on the basis of scientific observations.
Promotion of Health
Promotive aspect deals with the maintenance or improvement of the health and fitness. Although limited research has been done in this area the available evidence indicates promotion of the factors of physical fitness and emotional stability through Yogic training programme.
Yogic procedures have been found best to contribute to flexibility according to de Vries (1967), Smithels and Cameron (1962), Dhanaraj (1974), and Gharote (1973). Other factors of physical fitness are equally favourably influenced as seen from the studies of Gharote (1973, 1976). Minimum muscular fitness as judged by Kraus-Weber tests in the school children was seen improved by yogic training according to the studies of Gharote (1976 b), and Moorthy (1982).
Cardio-vascular efficiency has been found to improve as a result of short-term and long-term yogic training programme among the physically conditioned and unconditioned males (Gharote and Ganguly 1979, Ganguly and Gharote 1974). Residual and delayed effect on the improvement of physical fitness was observed by Gharote (1976 a).
Emotional stability which governs mental health is an important aspect of personality. Various studies reported by Kocher and Pratap (1971 a, and 1972), Kocher (1972 a, b) Palsane and Kocher (1973) showed favourable
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