Yoga Centric Integrated Lifestyle Intervention
Yoga Bharati believes that with appropriate lifestyle intervention, many of the modern day lifestyle disorders and health conditions are preventable and in some cases reversible. Research based Yoga and holistic therapy, with proven therapies, can indeed work with the conventional medicines for prevention, management and a lasting cure for a wide range of health conditions.
On March 9th, Yoga Bharati SF chapter conducted a seminar on Evidence Based Yoga and Integrative Healing presented by Dr Naveen Visweswaraiah, the Medical Director of Yogaksema-Stress and Lifestyle Clinic at Bengaluru, India. He is a fullbright scholar with a PhD in yoga and its application in neuroscience. With this seminar attended by more than 120 people, Yoga Bharati launched a pilot initiative of Yoga based Lifestyle Intervention program [i-LIP].More than 50 participants have signed up for Integrated Lifestyle Intervention Program, a holistic therapy program offered to patients suffering from various ailments and health conditions from four major categories viz.,
- Non-communicable diseases [also referred as stress related; Lifestyle related; Psycho-somatic; chronic diseases]-most common conditions are: diabetes mellitus, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, obesity, cardiac diseases, peripheral vascular diseases, allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), skin diseases and host of women’s health issues including Poly Cystic Ovarian diseases (PCOD)]
- Degenerative diseases i.e., musculo-skeletal and neurological degenerative diseases-most common conditions are: Arthritis [including Osteo arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis], chronic back pain, chronic pain, spinal disorders, spondylosis, hultiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, headache, parkinson’s diseases, dementia, alzheimers diseases, peripheral neuropathy
- Cancer i.e., all forms of cancer
- Mental Health Issues i.e., anxiety neurosis, depression, personality diseases, mood disorders, phobias, manic depressive psychosis, schizophrenia
Integrated Lifestyle Intervention program [i-LIP]
Today, the patients suffering from chronic diseases are left to shop for themselves and they end up getting into a lot of conflicting and confusing information regarding their health and healing. Integrated healthcare with scientific and proven choices of therapy modalities gives them a stress and worry-free holistic healing option. Yoga Bharati is attempting to provide this integrated health care option and patient education to the participants looking for evidence based Lifestyle Intervention to prevent-manage-reverse Lifestyle Diseases.
We offer yoga centric Lifestyle Intervention Program, a holistic therapy program offered to patients suffering from various ailments and health conditions from four major categories viz., non-communicable diseases, degenerative diseases such as musculo-skeletal and neurological degenerative diseases, cancer and mental health Issues. Decades of research on yoga, psychophysiology and traditional medicine have shown that conventional medicine can be augmented with holistic therapy modalities to improve the quality of life, to better manage chronic health conditions and also to reverse some of the diseases through proven Lifestyle intervention. Hence medicine is evolving to become Integrative Medicine where best of the conventional and traditional medicine would come together to offer all that is required for a patient care that treats the person NOT the disease alone.
Our lifestyle prescriptions include:
- Disease-specific-evidence based yoga for healing (therapy) [as opposed to one-size-fit-for-all wellness yoga]
- Clinical diet plan specific to different diseases
- Functional foods-foods which are identified with key healing ingredients
- Nutritional supplements-plan based organic proven supplements
- Herbs-clinically tested herbs with specific healing properties [NOT just from Ayurveda, herbs from all over the World which are proven to have clinical benfits would be prescribed]
- Chiropractic adjustments for pain management and for musculoskeletal conditions
- Ayurvedic panchakarma based detox therapies
- Acupuncture for pain management and energy medicine
- Natural home remedies
The above listed therapy options would serve as host of passive and active therapies. Where passive therapies would treat the acute symptoms and facilitate healing. Thereafter, yoga, healthy eating habits and structured lifestyle would form active therapy to reverse the Lifestyle diseases.
Healthcare is our responsibility and spending money on health care is the best investment one can do for ourselves. If money is lost, nothing is lost, but if health is lost something is lost. They are expensive because there is a lot of TLC (tender loving care) in holistic therapy – be it chriorpractic, accupuncture, yoga or Ayurveda. Popping a pill may seem easy and inexpensive, but we are slowly hurting the body with side effects.
When one opts for holistic healing, one’s focus changes from illness to wellness and from reactive to proactive approach of healthcare. We do not have to wait for a disease to show up before going for a Chiropractic for adjustment or for Ayurvedic massage therapy. While we know that stress and Lifestyle are the two major risk factors for most diseases, We need to embrace a system of heath care which is [5Ps]:
- Promotive
- Proactive
- Participative
- Preventive
- Personalized
Adopt a stress-free healthy lifestyle
- to adopt self caring behavior;
- to stay away from lifestyle diseases;
- to improve quality of life
- to enhance productivity and
- to experience the joy of living, self awareness and self evolution.