scientific research and yoga - traditional tibetan medicine · patanjali yoga sutra: eight stages...

Scientific Research and Yoga: Holistic Science of Body, Mind and Spirit

Bhushan Patwardhan, PhD, FNASc, FAMSInterdisciplinary School of Health Sciences

Savitribai Phule Pune University

17-Mar-17 OSHS3.1-Part 5 Yoga

Yoga As a Darshana

• Six Darshanas include Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta. Buddha and Jain are also Darshanas

• Darshanas are distinctive knowledge systems and thought streams

• Yoga is an approach towards life (समत्वं योग उच्यते)

• Yoga is a means for Global Good

• More than a physical exercise or materialistic science


Introduction to Yoga: Body, Mind & Sprit

• Yoga literally means to integrate to join or to unite.

• It considers a person as a whole with body-mind-spirit and not in isolation.

• Yoga emphasizes on strong immunity, balanced behavior and stable personality with positive attitude to prevent several physical, behavioral and psychological conditions.

• Reducing yoga merely as a therapy is not correct - healthy mind and body is a prerequisite for practice of yoga.

• Yoga is physiological intervention that empowers individual to take charge of own health


Patanjali Yoga Sutra: Eight stages towards samadhi

1. Yama- non-violence, truth, honesty no greed and abstention

2. Niyama is about personal conduct

3. Asana is set of postures for preparing body and mind for breathing and meditation to retain health

4. Pranayama is controlled breathing technique to gain control on life processes and energy or prana

5. Pratyahara is withdrawal of senses from external objects

6. Dharana is concentration of mind

7. Dhyana is meditation.

8. Samadhi is the alignment with super consciousness

Buddha calls it Nirvana, Patanjali describe as Kaivalya & Veda names it as Moksha


Yoga Practices

• Present practice of Yoga is a mix of Hatha Yoga and Raj Yoga.

• Raj Yoga deals with meditation, in which the mind is trained in eight steps as described by Patanjali.

• Hatha Yoga is about physical techniques supplementary to a broad construct of Yoga. It emphasizes on body postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama) and purification procedures (shuddhi kriya).

• Bhakti Yoga is loving devotion to a deity.

• Jnana Yoga deals with highest and continued quest for pure knowledge and understanding of the nature.

• Karma Yoga


Yoga therapeutic interventions

• Yoga describes various preventive, promotive, therapeutic and rehabilitative measures for several diseases. The terms kriya or karma indicate cleansing, purificatory, and reconditioning therapies.

• Hatha yoga describes six processes for purification of mind and body. Neti, Dhauti, Nauli, Basti, Kapalbhati, Mudra and bandha.

• Like Panchakarma these interventions have therapeutic effects through regaining physiological balance.


Global Popularity: Yoga, Ayurveda, TCM, Acupuncture

40

300

0

67

100

4440

00

39

800

0

45

70

00

00

0

3370

0000

17

700

000

502

000

00

YOG A AYUR V EDA TCM ACUP UNCTUR E

SCITOMETRIC DATA

Scholar Google Column1


Scitometrc data Yoga is most popular but trails in Scientific Research

403000

67100

444000

398000

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

400000

450000

500000

Yoga Ayurveda TCM Acupuncture

Google Scholar

Scholar Column2 Column1

0

50000000

100000000

150000000

200000000

250000000

300000000

350000000

400000000

450000000

500000000

Yoga Ayurveda TCM Acupuncture

Google

Series 1 Column1 Column2



Strengths

• Over 4000 years of living great tradition

• Strong philosophical basis

• A complete and holistic science

• Well organized knowledge database

• Physiology promoting system

• Global popularity


Weaknesses

• Lacks correct and contemporary interpretations

• Research stagnancy in India

• Incomplete understanding

• Lack of suitable research methodology

• Issues of Authenticity and Authority

• More focus on body than mind and spirit


Opportunities

• Growing global market?

• Realization of limitations of modern science

• Epidemic of Lifestyle disease

• Increased need for global peace

• Beyond physical medicine

• Consciousness and Science


Threats

• Commercial variants

• Overemphasis on physical / fitness aspects

• Very little basic research in the country of origin

• Inadequate confluence with neurosciences, genomics and quantum sciences

Yoga can help us understand our Body, Mind and Spirit


Yogah Chitta Vritti Nirodhah

Yoga is about the control of the mind field

Yoga: Holistic Science of Body, Mind and Spirit

The Body100 trillion cells, 4 basic tissues,

206 bones, 78 Organs, 13 Systems


The Epistemology and Language is Different


Human classification as per Yoga

Concept of Human Anatomy and Physiology is Different in Yoga


Concept of Nadi


Concept of Kosha


Knowing the ‘knowledge’ is a challengeDo biologists need a different language?


Suryanamaskara: Simple and effective holistic exercise


Meditation

• Drugs are medicines for diseases of the body, Meditation is tonic for mind to strengthen internal energy.

• Meditation can help improve concentration, and mind activity enhancing the power of the natural healing force.

• Meditation is to relax the mind, and heal diseases like hypertension, anxiety, and depression.

• Meditation can be done in various ways - through prayers, worshiping, and total devotion; extreme dedication, involvement, and commitment to work, or a worthy cause.

• Meditation is an emotional state, which may involve chanting a mantra, and closing the eyes to attempt critical introspection, and sense the inner voice.


Yoga-based new techniques

• A secular practice of mindfulness has been promoted at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, which draws from Yoga

• Vipassana practice includes contemplation, introspection, and the observation of bodily sensations. A few studies have shown beneficial neurobiological, and clinical changes

• Salutogenesis incorporates concepts of resilience, sense of coherence, coping up, purpose in life, and self-transcendence— all connected to inner strength


Scientific Evidence – Clinical Benefits

• A joint clinical study by the University of California and University of Washington on 435 patients with low back pain reported that yoga, meditation, and body awareness had better recovery from pain.

• Analysis of 1,193 abstracts, involving fifty-eight trials reported that yoga, and mindfulness-based behavioral modifications significantly improved cognitive symptoms, more than exercise alone.

• A meta-analysis of thirty-four studies from thirty-nine clinical trials involving a total of 2,219 participants has shown evidence that mind-body therapies can increase the immune response to vaccination, reduction in inflammation markers, and improved virus-specific immune responses.


Scientific Research and Evidence

• Chanting yoga mantras has been reported to induce psychological and physiological effects.

• In a randomized controlled study on lymphoma patients, a yoga program was found to be beneficial for patients with cancer

• A prospective, randomized trial has suggested that yoga can be complementary to the conventional treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.


Shannahoff-Khalsa DS. Patient Perspectives Kundalini Yoga Meditation Techniques for Psycho-oncology

and as Potential Therapies for Cancer. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2005 Mar 1;4(1):87-100.

Yoga: Holistic Science of Mind, Body and Spirit

The Mind Heart- Brain


Mind-Brain-BodyPsycho-neuro-endocrinology and Neurotransmitters


The Brain

• The brain is not merely a computer - else, NDE, OBE, transcendent states, and spirituality would never have existed.

• Modern science understands the brain better than the mind. Brain activities can be tracked with sophisticated equipment like fMRI and SPECT.

• Advances in psycho-neuro-endocrinology have helped to understand how the brain and neurotransmitters can control many vital functions of body.

• It is easier to measure brain activities, so it is easier to manage the brain than mind.

• So present focus is on psychiatry with drugs acting on the brain and nervous system -stimulants or suppressants.


The Mind: Heart- Brain

• WiKi defines mind as the set of cognitive faculties that enables consciousness, perception, thinking, judgement, and memory—a characteristic of humans, but which also may apply to other life forms.

• What is Mind? Where is it?

• This is a philosophical question with philosophical answers

• Science has no clear answer as of now….


Body, Mind, Consciousness

• The relationship between the mind and brain is still a central philosophical question.

• Neuroscientists believe that the brain causes mind. But the brain and the mind are different types of entities. The brain - physical and the mind -mental.

• Where does the consciousness arises is not known yet not fully rejected by science.

• Many scientists believe that consciousness is created by electrochemical activity within the brain.

• How the functions of the brain can produce consciousness is not clearly known. The conscious mind can realize human existence.

• The pioneering, scientific work of scientists like Sir John Eccles, Roger Penrose, Elizabeth Blackburn and Dean Ornish has played a key role in drawing the attention of the scientific community to science behind Yoga and consciousness.


Beyond Behavior

• Lifestyle and behavior in humans is influenced by body-brain-mind, and spirit. Lifestyle and behavioral changes can cause diseases, while their modification in right direction can prevent, and treat these diseases, too.

• People should be told about the power of their own mind, brain, and body.

• If spiritual practices like prayers can help improve the mental status of people, at least we should not ridicule these practices.

• Many renowned neuroscientists like Candace Pert, have formally acknowledged the importance of spirituality in human life—especially for health, tranquility, bliss, and peace.


Scientific research and evidence

• Yoga interventions such as performing gentle postures, breathing exercises, and meditation have definitive advantages

• Recent studies have demonstrated that even short-term training in yoga can influence the sympathetic nervous system, and immune system.

• Healthy volunteers practicing Yoga have shown profound increases in the release of epinephrine, which leads to increased production of anti-inflammatory mediators.


Scientific research and evidence

• The PET /SPECT studies have helped to identify neural networks in brain regions which are active in different states of consciousness.

• Scientists have shown that systematic breathing exercises can alter cerebral hemisphere activity, neuro-endocrine, and autonomic functions.

• A meta-analysis of forty-seven trials with 3,515 participants, indicated moderate evidence of improved anxiety, depression, and pain, and some benefit to mental health-related quality of life. Researchers suggested that the clinicians should talk to patients about the positive role of meditation in addressing psychological stress.


• Cerebral blood flow changes during chanting meditation, Khalsaet al. Nucl Med Commun. 2009 Dec;30(12):956-61. Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation, Tucson, Arizona, USA.

When the meditation state was compared with the baseline condition, significant rCBF increases were observed in the right temporal lobe and posterior cingulate gyrus, and significant rCBF decreases were observed in the left parietotemporal and occipital gyri.

Scientific research is bringing new revelations


Brain-to-brain (B2B) communication system overview.

Grau C, Ginhoux R, Riera A, Nguyen TL, Chauvat H, et al. (2014) Conscious Brain-to-Brain Communication in Humans Using Non-Invasive Technologies. PLoS ONE 9(8): e105225. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0105225http://127.0.0.1:8081/plosone/article?id=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0105225

Hyperinteraction


http://127.0.0.1:8081/plosone/article?id=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0105225

View of emitter and receiver subjects with non-invasive devices supporting, respectively, the BCI based on EEG changes driven by motor imagery (left) and the CBI based on the reception of phosphenes elicited by a

neuronavigated TMS (right) components of the B2B transmission system.

Grau C, Ginhoux R, Riera A, Nguyen TL, Chauvat H, et al. (2014) Conscious Brain-to-Brain Communication in Humans Using Non-Invasive Technologies. PLoS ONE 9(8): e105225. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0105225http://127.0.0.1:8081/plosone/article?id=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0105225

“Indeed, we may use the term mind-to-mind transmission here as opposed to brain-to-brain, because both the origin and the destination of the communication involved the conscious activity of the subjects”.


http://127.0.0.1:8081/plosone/article?id=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0105225

Yoga: Holistic Science of Body, Mind and Spirit

The SpiritUnknown territory to modern science


Simulating illusory own-body perceptions, Blanke O. et al. (2002), Nature, 419:269-270.

Out of Body Experience


(a) Electrical stimulation of cortical sites over the angular gyrus,

marked in yellow, elicited vestibular illusions, body schema

distortions, and an apparent out-of-body experience (OBE).

Stimulation at other sites elicited other behavioral responses:...


Koch, C., Massimini, M., Boly, M. and Tononi, G., 2016. Neural correlates of consciousness: progress and problems. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 17(5), pp.307-321.

Neurophysiological markers as quantitative indices of consciousness

Patanjali, Penfield and SAMADHI !


• Samadhi is much beyond just Out of Body Experience!

• Jagrat, Svapna, Sushupti and Turiya

• Way to gain knowledge and not just for fun!!

• Way to the ultimate realization of the supreme consciousness!!!

• Possibility of acquiring siddhi through technology is a big threat to humanity

Out-of-body experiences: from Penfield to present, Frank Tong , Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 2003, 7:104-106Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA


10% brain capacity may be

myth, but we do not know

how much..

CPH4 is hypothetical

substance

Control over body, others

body, environment, but the

imagery looks like Yogic

Siddhi

Interstellar:

There is a universal super-

consciousness that

transcends time and space,

and in which all human life is

connected… It is Vedic

knowledge.

George Lucas was

influenced by the

mythologist Joseph

Campbell mantra

“follow your bliss”,

derived from the sat-

chit-ananda.


“This is a yogic movie, which says that this world is an illusion. It’s

about maya. If we can cut through the illusions and connect with something

larger we can do all sorts of things. Neo achieves the abilities of the

advanced yogis who can defy the laws of normal reality.”

Peter Rader, Producer Matrix


Drs., Elizabeth Blackburn, Elissa Epel, Jue Lin, and Eli Puterman at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Drs. William Mobley and Michael Rafii at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD)

This study concluded in 2016 suggests benefits to attending a meditation retreat over vacation in promoting a more resilient response to daily stressors and positive mood.

Bridging the gap between Science and Spirituality


Shadripu - the six enemies of health

• Kama - Lust or Desire

• Krodha - Anger

• Lobha - Greed

• Mada - Arrogance

• Moha - Attachment

• Matsara - Jealousy

These bind the soul to the process of birth and death and keep it confined in this material world – Maya or Illusion.



Scientific evidence for Sadvritta??

दशेकालात्मववज्ञानं सद्वृत्तस्यानुवततनम ||५३||

Who am I?

Where did I come from?

Why am I here?

Where am I going?

American Association for the Advancement of Science

November 1-3, 2001Chicago


http://www.u.arizona.edu/~chalmers/biblio/1.html

Real Purpose of YogaMoksha, Nirvana, Kaivalya


कैवलं्य, स्वरूपप्रतिष्ठा वा तितिशक्तिरेति ।The Ultimate State of Enlightenment - Kaivalya

Liberation and the Power of Pure Consciousness

योग: तित्त-वृतत्त तिरोध:"Yoga is restraining the mind-stuff (Citta) from taking various forms (Vrittis)

Patanjali Yoga Sutras – A power packed knowledge system consisting of 139 sutras created sometime during 400 AD (?)

Integrative Approaches for Health: Biomedical Research, Ayurveda and Yoga

http://store.elsevier.com/Integrative-Approaches-for-Health/Bhushan-Patwardhan/isbn-9780128012826/


Thank you!!NCCS and VIBHA

Best wishes for the International Yoga Day 2016


scientific research and yoga - traditional tibetan medicine · patanjali yoga sutra: eight stages...

Documents