Health Care

Probably the most commonly 'prescribed' form of health promotion by ayurvedic practitioners is yoga. In India, many traditional vaidyas teach yoga as an essential part of their ayurvedic practice. Yoga is a Sanskrit word which comes from yug, to join or to unite; yoga thus means ‘union’, in the spiritual sense of joining the individual spirit with the universal spirit, and joining mind, body and spirit. "The consciousness of a perfected yogi is effortlessly identified not with a narrow body but with the universal structure". Yoga is a holistic science which embraces physical, moral, social, mental and spiritual well-being.
Most branches of yoga are meditation of various forms. Hatha yoga, and its various offshoots such as Iyengar and ‘power’ yoga, involve more body movements than other forms; it is the closest to exercise of all the forms of yoga. Most forms of yoga assist in maintaining vigor and rejuvenating the internal organs.
Yogic science is thus based upon empirical considerations of somatic and psychological benefits. Its benefits have been well researched in India. Regular practice of asanas (physical discipline through set postures) has been proven to positively affect ill people. Pranayama has assisted people with vata disorders such as bronchial ailments. Dhyana (meditation) has been shown to stabilize emotional imbalances, prevent the abnormal functioning of vital organs and restrain and control the nervous system. People with diabetes and epilepsy have greatly benefited from the practice of yoga .