Arjun Soni is relatively young, eats right and weighs right, has a decent bank balance and two well-settled children. So when a routine medical check revealed two badly blocked arteries due to severe stress, the Soni family was caught off guard.

A visit to the cardiologist was followed by a battery of tests and then came the shattering news : Arjun needed an urgent bypass. After the surgery the doctor told him that while it is easy to be a stress victim, getting rid of it requires a massive effort. Over-the-counter drugs can only treat the symptoms and not strike at the root of the problem.

That’s when Arjun decided to take up yoga under professional guidance with a special emphasis on Pranayama - in literal terms, prana means vital energy and ayam is exercise.

“Pranayama,” says renowned yoga guru Swami Ramdev Maharaj “is an ancient yogic breathing technique. It involves taking in deep breaths to regulate and direct one’s Praan Shakti. The discipline is based on the principle that there is a definite link between the body, mind and energy and that variation in any one can affect the other two.”

Mind-Body Relationship

He adds that yoga and Pranayama, work wonders for the human body, ridding it of all depressive energy and body tensions. “When one is going through a stressful situation, the physiology; the brain and the endocrine system, are influenced negatively. Breathing techniques of Pranayama and Sudarshan Kriya establish a positive body-mind relationship. Removal of negative thoughts and tensions leads to a positive and healthy physiology.”

Swami Ramdev who is seen across many TV channels says the ancient science of Pranayama, involves deep breathing to regulate and direct Praan Shakti. “It is a complete medical science. It decreases toxins, helps rich oxygenated blood flow through the body and banishes negative energy.”

Which explains why the popularity of yoga has soared in the past few years. Researchers and practitioners testify to its healing values and many say it is the most effective way to deal with stress, obesity and chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and hypertension, something which allopathic medicine can just contain.

People who have watched on television the swami address the gatherings where people are taught yoga will be familiar with these findings. Many times participants talk of miraculous cure from yoga and pranayama which has freed them from a dependence on drugs for blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid problems, arthritis and so on. Weight reduction is quite a common solution through yoga, with people claiming to have lost up to 15 kilograms in a year.

“These are not empty claims. We have the medical reports from people who have been cured. You are welcome to check them out,” says Ramdev even as he asks for reports from those newly cured. “Breathing exercises alone can cure many ailments,” he adds while affirming that he has tried it on himself.

Food habits are of course vital while following yoga. Junk food, oily preparations, sweets have to be cut down on.

Suneel Singh, who teaches yoga at Delhi’s Le Meridien Hotel, and will now be appearing on the newly launched Channel 7 agrees with the Swami. "Yoga and Pranayama have been known to cure heart problems, blood pressure and sleeping disorders. There are certain exercises that help banish diabetes as well.”

A Wonder Drug

Singh says that different programmes are prescribed for different people related to their body’s needs. “For all those who thought that the only road to fitness passed through the gym, here is an alternative. Pranayama acts like a wonder drug which makes one physically, mentally and spiritually stronger.”

Singh expands on this theory by giving a simple example. Says he, “A turtle breathes three times in a minute and lives for two hundred years. Human beings breathe approximately sixteen times in a minute which Pranayama can help bring down to twelve times thus expanding life span.”

He feels that although yoga these days comes in new avatars up to suit the convenience of people in a hurry, a conventional course is still the best.

“New forms have tried to transform this age-old discipline into a contemporary and concise format by attempting to capture its holistic essence.”

Swami Ramdev agrees. “I don’t believe that traditional yoga is difficult or time consuming. People under stress cannot simply be hurried into health by adapting yoga to today’s hurried lifestyles. People first need to learn how to calm the mind and regain strength and this cannot be learnt through any shortcuts.”

Both the gurus feel that yoga is like a wonder drug. Apart from bringing peace to the soul it re-energizes the joints of the body and gives vigor to the skeletal system, body tissues and inner organs.

In fact Swami Ramdev has taken up several research projects to study the comparative effects of allopathy, homeopathy and other healing forms to establish yoga on scientific parameters.

The gurus of yoga and the followers all feel that ancient and new yogic cures should be introduced in the curriculum of medical colleges. They claim that once doctors understand breathing techniques they will recommend them as antidotes rather than relying blindly on drugs. Also yoga has no side effects.

In fact Swami Ramdev goes as far as to suggest that yogic breathing exercises that prevent stress and tension should be done right before a session of the Parliament to bring serenity into the minds and hearts of those who govern the country. He also feels that the police force could be trained in the art of Pranayama to help reduce blood lactate levels which is a sign of a peaceful mind on high mental alert.

So are these breathing techniques the full and final answer to our stress induced health problems?

“No exercise can guarantee complete cure. But certainly people who do these exercises regularly lead a healthier life with a better mental state leading to better physical health” says Singh.

The message of leading experts is clear. Destress yourself by making yoga and Pranayama a part of your life. An hour of yoga a day will definitely keep the doctor away.

PRANAYAMA

Step 1 - Block right nostril with thumb, inhale through left. Block left with index & middle finger & exhale through right

Step 2 – In the same way inhale through right while left stays blocked

There should be no gaps between breathing. Keep increasing the time according to your comfort.

HOW TO BREATHE

Are you a healthy breather?

Breath from the stomach….Place one hand on the chest and the other on your stomach and breath. If the hand on the chest moves and the hand on the stomach doesn’t your breathing needs correction.

Rib Expansion & Contraction…If your ribs don’t expand while you breath in and contract when you breath out then your breathing is shallow and more depth.

Breathing From The Mouth…This is an unhealthy practice and should be avoided all the time.