"Yoga as a therapeutic element in Ayurveda medicine: overview and example from clinical practice

Year: 2017

Yoga as a therapeutic element in Ayurveda medicine - overview and example from clinical practice
Oliver Becker Dipl.-Päd. HP
Ayurveda and Yoga originate from the Vedic tradition. Both systems pursue the same goal, namely to enable people to live a happy life on all levels. Ayurveda is more moderate, even worldly oriented, the yogic approach is more strict, focussing on the spiritual liberation (mokṣa) of the human being. While Ayurveda medicine focuses primarily on the health of the body in addition to the consideration of psychological elements, the yoga tradition is a comprehensive science of the mind with a variety of approaches to systematic mental development.

Ayurveda has always used a variety of yoga elements both preventively (svasthavṛtta = health maintenance) and therapeutically (cikitsā = therapy). In fact, continuous yoga practice is an integral part of an Ayurvedic way of life and can therefore not really be called a therapeutic element. Thus, Ayurveda recommends the regular morning practice of the following yoga techniques as part of daily routine (dinacaryā): jala-neti (yogic nasal rinsing to prevent problems of the upper respiratory tract), āsana (physical exercises), prāṇāyāma (breathing exercises) and dhyāna (meditation). These form a comprehensive daily fitness program for body and mind.

In addition, the classical Ayurvedic texts vividly emphasize the great importance of a morally superior way of life (so-called ācāra-rasāyana; the practice of values that are generally considered good) as a foundation for stable health, recommendations that are called yama or niyama in yoga. The Caraka-saṃhitā (with the most important classical Ayurveda text) even emphasises the anti-aging effect of such behaviours as not hurting other beings, truthfulness, helpfulness, compassion, self-control etc.
Vegetarianism is an important foundation for the successful practice of higher yoga, which strives for the subtle unfolding of the mind. Even though Ayurveda does not explicitly promote vegetarianism, Ayurveda considers a vegetarian lifestyle to be extremely beneficial to health.
The above examples show the high value Ayurveda places on regular yoga practice as the foundation for a long, healthy and happy life.
Ayurveda also uses the concept of the individual constitution (prakṛti) The mental constitution (mānasa-prakṛti) is determined on the basis of the dominance of triguṇas (three qualities = sattva, rajas and tamas). This theory originates from the saṃkhya system, on which Yoga is also based.

In Ayurveda medicine, disease treatment is carried out through a synthesis of rational (yuktivyapāśraya), subtle (daivavyapāśraya) and psychological (sattvāvajaya) approaches.
Especially in ayurvedic psychotherapy, among other things, the entire range of yoga instruments is used to clear and tone the mind of the patient. This is intended to create a favourable (sattva-promoting and rajas-tamas-controlling) mental milieu and thus improve the effect of other psychological therapy methods.

Ayurveda medicine also uses techniques of the āsana 6 yoga (āsana and prāṇāyāma) in the therapy of certain chronic diseases of the body (such as diabetes mellitus, ankylosing spondylitis, essential hypertension, bronchial asthma etc.) within the framework of rational therapy. However, its application is more complementary to the support of other specific Ayurvedic therapies such as internal and external cleansing procedures, nutritional and orderly therapy and drug recommendations. Especially the breathing techniques of yoga are an effective complementary therapeutic tool for a variety of problems, especially cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the respiratory tract, stress disorders as well as psychosomatic and psychological problems.

In the workshop, the above contents will be explained in more detail and finally rounded off with an example (patient case) from clinical practice.