EFFECTIVE STUDY ON TRANSFORMATION OF MODERN LIFE IN TO BLISSFUL LIFE THROUGH YOGA

-J.S.SUBHASHINI and Dr.V.RAMADAS

Ph.D. Research Scholar, Associate Professor

Department of Yoga for Human Excellence, WCSC- Vision SKY Research Center, Temple of Consciousness, Aliyar, Pollachi- 642101, Tamil Nadu

(Email ID: subhajanani2011@gmail.com, rammarine@yahoo.in)

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ABSTRACT

“Modern life is moving faster than the speed of thoughts, or thoughtfulness” – Rebecca Solnit

The given maxim is absolutely right because we live in a super-fast, crowded and busy period. We have been performing multiple tasks throughout our whole day for earning more money. However, we overlook that worthy well-being is much more important for our healthy life as air and water for the physique. In earlier days, life was not so hectic. It was quite humble and free. Human beings are healthy as they had to accomplish all the daily routine activities on their own. But now, in this technological world survival has become easy and comfortable but frantic because of the competitions. Nowadays, life has become costly, hard and unhealthy as everything like air, water, environment, food, etc., has become contaminated, infected and polluted. We should never forget that our healthiness is the only prosperity of our life. It is essential to earn money for fulfilling some basic needs. But it is also required to live a healthy and peaceful life which needs good well-being. Good health needs proper rest with sleep, cleanliness, healthy environment, fresh air and water, individual hygiene and daily physical activities. Maintaining good health is for better than shunting between hospitals and home. In this modern life, retaining good health is a good custom that must be practiced from childhood. Yoga is the best lifestyle modification, which aims to attain the unity of mind, body, and spirit through asanas (exercise), pranayama (breathing), and meditation. The health of people is more important for the betterment of the future world. Hence this article deals with the transformation of one’s vague modern life into blissful life through yoga.

Key Words: Challenges of Modern Life -Yoga Practice – Good Health-Transformation – Blissful life.

Introduction

Yoga is much more than contorting a human body into different poses. It’s a technique of life. If our mind, body, and soul aren’t where we want to be, yoga can help us to improve flexibility. It lows our stress and increases our confidence, contributing to a healthier lifestyle. It is the practice that leads us to combat stress, improve physical fitness and help manage chronic disorders like pain, anxiety, and insomnia.

Most of the people know that good health is only maintained by physical fitness, but they fail to comprehend that good mental health is also equally important. Health is not simply an absence of disease; it extends beyond the physiological aptness to psychological calmness, emotional constancy, and cheerful expressions. Moreover, body, mind, and spirit are like the steering engine and gear of the car. The malfunctioning of even one can create an imbalance in our life and lead to ill health. Yoga is the simple technique of generating coherence among these three components. Yoga is an old-style discipline with roots in the Vedic insight that eradicates filths from the levels of mind. One can get spiritual elevation through the continuous practice of yoga encompassing of meditation, pranayama, diet, and asana. It also leads an individual on the path of healthy living with greater consciousness.

Modern Life

Modern technology is machinery oriented. It creates life easier and saves time comparing to the old fashion way. We travel in more comfort with a number of welfares. It includes easing people’s lives, saving people from the fatal endemic diseases by the new era of medicine and vaccines. On the other hand, different modern lifestyle patterns have negative effects on health physically, psychologically, and socially. One of these modern ways of living in the high consumption of fast foods with lack of physical activity. Modern lifestyle increases the risk of obesity and leading to diabetes, heart diseases cancers and so on. Another fact is the pollution caused by machines and transport causing respiratory diseases. These are the sources for creating more stress and depression. Today our health condition, fitness, and ailments are seriously influenced by our modern lifestyle. This covers many aspects of human behaviors like patterns of eating, drinking alcohol, smoking, drug intake, human reproduction, sexual behaviours, etc. The public relationships and communications are hindered by modern lifestyle. Social isolation occurs due to spending long time on computer and internet. These conflicts should be removed from human life to lead a happy life.

Health and Wellness

The two concepts “Health” and “Wellness” paves more to lead a better lifestyle with good excellence. Optimum “Health” includes high level mental, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical fitness within limits of one’s heredity and individual disabilities. “Wellness” is the combination of all parts of health and fitness in the form of mental, emotional, spiritual and physical that magnifies one’s potential to live and to work successfully. This makes a significant contribution to society. Regular physical activity leads to a healthy lifestyle which can ensure an improved feeling of wellness. Only healthy people make a healthy society and country.

Healing Through Yoga

Human beings are the creation with three major components, body, mind and soul. These three need health, knowledge and inner peace. Healthiness is essential for physical, knowledge for psychological needs and inner peace for spiritual need. When all the three are sufficient, there is harmony. This harmony is reached only by Yoga. Yoga is the most ancient method of art. It is practiced for uniting of body, mind, and soul. Yoga stimulates one’s mind, emotion, soul, and body to feel happy and relaxed. It gives energy, strength and perfect health too. Regular practice of yoga with Pranayama is very much beneficial in achieving a healthy body and peace of mind. Self-realization is the greatest achievement of yoga. It is attained through meditation. An individual realizes about himself and his surroundings through systematic yoga practice. It helps in widening self-confidence, awareness, consciousness, peace of mind, better health and overall well-being. In a nutshell, yoga works on every individual life to achieve a better, healthier and perfect way of life.

“Yoga means union – the union of body with consciousness and consciousness with the soul.
Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude
in day-to-day life and endows skill in the performance of one’s actions.”
-B.K.S. Iyengar

Yoga is a light, which once lit, will never dim.
The better your practice, the brighter the flame.
-B.K.S. Iyengar

Inhale and God approaches you.
Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you.
Exhale and you approach God.
Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God.
-Krishnamacharya

The above quotes given by eminent yoga experts reveal the benefits of yoga and pranayama.

Merits of Yoga for Blissful Life

Expands Flexibility
Builds muscle forte
Perfects our posture
Protects and strengthens our bristle
Enhances our bone health
Increases our blood flow
Regulates all the glands
Helps us to focus well
Lowers blood sugar and blood pressure
Maintains our nervous system properly
Releases tension in our limbs
Helps us to have a deep sleep
Boosts the human immune system functionality
Gives peace of mind and happiness
Increase your self-esteem
Helps us to serve others

Conclusion

To sum up, modern lifestyle affects our health physically, psychologically, and socially. The essence of yoga is to make our life as efficient and enjoyable as possible in all aspects. It unlocks life’s wonder and unleashes hidden energies. The miracle transformation leads towards a blissful life if the day starts with yoga. Thus, spiritual development of an individual can be attained this Vedic practice “Yoga”.

References

K.S. Iyengar, Light on Yoga, George Allen, and Unwin, 1966
Gary Kraftsow, Yoga for Transformation: Ancient Teachings and Practices for Healing the Body, Mind, and Heart, 2002