That yoga is very much a science complimenting mind, body and soul is no more a secret, more and more medical professionals are advocating yoga practices for overall health benefits and lifestyle diseases recovery.

Many leading doctors today acknowledge how Yoga is immensely beneficial for overall health and the current challenges in health care like cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular diseases as well as many incurable diseases such as AIDS can be very well addressed by the holistic healing approach of yoga.

Dr BN Singh, Principal Consultant Internal Medicine, Fortis Escorts Hospital Faridabad says, “Yoga is an art and science of healthy living which focuses on striking a harmony between mind, body and soul, gradually encompassing all walks of life.”

He said, “Yogic practices are widely applied in the treatment of psychosomatic disorders and in stress related disorders such as diabetes, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, epilepsy, hypertension, back pain and other functional disorders. Yoga through meditative practices have showed commendable progress in the field of neuro plasticity.”

“It reduces stress related factors and cytokines causing vasodilation which lowers blood pressure in patients with Hypertension. Because of its well-known benefit in treatment of lifestyle diseases, Yoga (physical activities) has been included among the six pillars of American college of lifestyle medicine,” added Dr Singh.

According to Dr. Deepa Dewan, Associate Director & Head of Unit,  Obstetrics And Gynaecology, Max Hospital, Gurugram, “It is proven without doubt that exercise and meditation help in wellbeing, both mental and physical It helps in keeping one healthy, disease free and also helps to recover better from disease and surgery.”

She added, “Research has been done on this topic and the conclusion drawn is that Yoga encourages one to relax, shifting the balance from sympathetic nervous system and flight or fight response to the parasympathetic system and relaxation response.”

“This lower breathing and heart rate, decreases blood pressure, lowers cortisol levels and increases blood flow to intestines and vital organs.

This scientifically has a beneficial effect on the body because practicing yoga and meditation can help overcome stress which has a positive impact on the immune system, thus reducing the susceptibility to disease, manage co-morbidities associated with disease better and leads to better quality of life,” added Dr Dewan.

Dr Rajesh Chawla, Senior consultant, pulmonology and critical care, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, supporting Yoga said, “Illnesses are disharmonies of the body and nowadays non-communicable diseases have become prevalent. The main causative factor for non-communicable diseases is lifestyle changes, stress, lack of regular exercise etc.”

Dr Chawla added, “To treat any illness along with medication there is also a requirement of keeping the mind, body and breath in harmony through exercise and lifestyle changes. Yoga is a type of exercise to keep an overall wellbeing of the human body. It includes body workout with deep breathing and meditation. It keeps the mind and body of the individual in harmony, keeping various diseases away.”

Dr. Preeti Goyal Medical Director, Health by Aetna (India) said, “Practice of yoga brings the autonomic nervous system into a healthy balance and suppresses the flight-or-fight stress response. Chronic systemic inflammation due to wrong lifestyle practices and stress are at the root of many of the widely prevalent chronic conditions.”

She added, “Inclusion of yoga into medical practice not only delays the onset but also slows the progression of several chronic conditions. Unfortunately, there is a lack of high-quality scientific research and evidence for the use of Yoga as medical therapy emanating from the country of its origin. This needs to change soon in order for the medical fraternity to take up Yoga as a legitimate tool in the physicians’ toolbox.”

Dr Prasan Prabhakar, Cardiologist, Laxmi Hospital, Kochi who has been learning yog from Ashwini guruji of Dhyan Ashram for over eight years said, “The science of yoga goes ahead of medical science in touching those realms which cannot even be conceived by modern science.

The only condition with yoga-practice, practice and practice daily as in the words of Yogi Swatmarama in the HathayogaPradipika.

 “One who tirelessly practices Yoga attains success irrespective of whether they are young, old, decrepit, diseased or weak. Yoga improves health of all alike and wards off disease, provided we go by the books.”