Yoga and Society: Yoga for the People Afflicted with Addiction and Yoga for the Practice of Christian Meditation

Rev. Fr. Joseph H. Pereira, Dr. Dennyson Pereira, Krishna Iyer

Abstract


Adaptation of Iyengar Yoga in the treatment of people afflicted with addiction has shown remarkable improvement in the physical, psychological, and spiritual health of the individual leading to a whole person recovery through reaching a cellular consciousness. The special use of Iyengar’s restorative yoga sequence helps the patient to gain his/her physical equilibrium and reach a state of homeostasis. The study undertaken by Kripa Foundation measures the effectiveness of Iyengar yoga on patients undergoing rehabilitation program for substance use disorder at Kripa Foundation. An all male adult group of 60 participants undergoing a treatment program for substance use disorder was randomly stratified into an experimental group (sample size = 30, underwent Iyengar restorative yoga sequence), and control group (sample size = 30, did not undergo yoga module), where recordings were made ‘pre’ and ‘post’ test with both the groups over a period of 8 weeks. The experimental group showed statistically significant improvement in the biophysical variables of cardio- respiration function, musculo-skeletal elasticity, and reduction of externalized locus of Control (P value 0.5 at 95% Confidence Limits). Depression scores were slightly improved. Iyengar restorative yoga sequence brought about an early benefit in biophysical parameters and addiction related thinking (Locus of Control).


Keywords


Adaptation of Iyengar Yoga in the treatment of people afflicted with addiction has shown remarkable improvement in the physical, psychological, and spiritual health of the individual leading to a whole person recovery through reaching a cellular conscious

Full Text:

PDF

References


Srivastava A., Pal H.R., Dwivedi S.N., et al. 2003. National Household Survey of Drug Abuse in India. Report Submitted to the Indian Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime.

UNODC ROSA and MSJE. 2004.United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for South Asia and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, ‘The Extent, Pattern and Trends of Drug Abuse in India: National Survey’.

Mitchel Dale. Silkworth: The Little Doctor, Who Loved Drunks 2002. Hazelden Publishing.

Marx Karl. preface to his 1843 ‘Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right’.

James William (1901-1902). ‘The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature, edited Gifford Lectures on "Natural Theology" delivered at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Longmans Green.

Prof. Dr. Carl Jung’s letter to Bill Wilson. January 30. 1961.

Bill W. 2002. Appendix II.

Bernie S. Siegel.1990. ‘Love, Medicine and Miracles: Lessons Learned About Self-Healing from a Surgeon's Experience with Exceptional Patients’. Arrow.

Randolph C. Byrd. Medical Service. San Francisco General Medical Center, C.A. Southern Medical Journal. 1988. 81(7). 826–9p.

Vaillant George E., "Alcoholics Anonymous: Cult or Magic Bullet". Understanding and Treating the Addictions: In the Next Millennium. Harvard 23rd Annual Addictions Course. Medical School's Department of Continuing Education. Boston. 2000.

Williams K. A. et al. Pain 2005. 115(1–2). 107–117p.

P.J. John, Neha Sharma, Chandra M. Sharma, Arvind Kankane. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain. 2007 47(5). 654–661p.

Streeter Chris et al. Yoga. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2007. 13(4). 419–426p.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. Alcoholics Anonymous. World Services Inc.

B.K.S Iyengar. Light on Yoga. 1965. 42p.

Newberg Andrew M.D. Why We Believe What We Believe: Uncovering our Biological Need for Meaning, Spirituality and Truth, Publisher: Free Press. Waldman Mark.

McClelland David C. Kirshnit Carol. Psychology & Health 1988. 2. 31– 52p.

Borysenko Joan, Rothstein Larry 1988. ‘Minding the Body, Mending the Mind’. Bantam Books.

Borysenko J. 1993. Fire in the Soul: A New Psychology of Spiritual Optimism. Warner. New York. N.Y.

Dossey Larry. 1989 ‘Recovering the Soul: A Scientific and Spiritual Approach’, Bantam Doubleday. New York.

Benson Herbert ‘Timeless Healing: The power and biology of belief’.1996. The faith factor and the spiritual experience. Scribner. New York. 152p.

Vaillant George. Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith. 2008. Broadway Books. New York.

Iyengar B K S. Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika 1997. Harper Collins Publishers. India.

Walter Bradford Cannon. The Wisdom of the Body 1932. W.W. Norton & Company, inc.

Pereira Joseph H, Menon Shashi MD, Raja Tasneem, Mulye Rama. ‘The Effectiveness of Yoga in Substance Abusers within the Kripa Model’ 2002. A comparative, Indic Health Conference: The Case of Modern Yoga. Dharam Hinduja Institute of Indic Research. Faculty of Divinity. University of Cambridge. U


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.