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Modern lifestyle towards making more comfortable affects our health in different aspects-physical, mental as well as social of life. It increases the risk of fatness or obesity that results mental turmoil with tension. Mental stress is one of the biggest problem in our day to day life. It affects in our working capacity, relations, physical and mental health.
Although we have hi-tech medical facilities, we are still leading a stressful, unhealthy and unstable life. In such a case, yoga brings peace to our body, and mind.
Yoga reduces the risk of getting so many diseases which resulted from our day to day lifestyles. The importance of yoga in modern life is abundant to lead a healthy life. Yogic way helps us to lead a healthy life by developing our concentration, creativity and sharpening our memory. In order to maintain a positive physical and mental health, practicing yoga is a must. This paper, therefore, discusses the importance of Yoga in modern life with motivation to encourage to practicing Yoga into our modern busy life to remain physically and mentally fit.
In modern days, it has been observed that people suffer both from physical problems and mental stress.
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But people are found to experience mainly mental stress rather than physical stress. Many reasons may be cited for this such as lack of physical exercises, using technology, and sitting long hours in the office and in front of computers and laptops, an argument with a friend or family member, monthly bills, journey from place to place in a very stressful traffic jam, an accident, death of loved one, etc.
These causes of stress cannot always be controlled, nonetheless, we can learn how to face them and to this end.
The following verse shows the effects of mental stress in our life----
Following the above verse from सुभाषितानि, the difference between the spelling of the two words चिंता (stress) and चिता (funeral pyre) just an extra dot. The funeral pyre, that is, चिता, burns the dead body, and stress, that is चिंता burns the whole life.
Modern lifestyles makes the life of a person more luxuries, comfortable and easy. This, in turn, makes us to go through anxiety and truncated energy level. Consequently, compared to traditional one, modern lifestyles gives borne to many diseases like diabetes, heart disease, blood pressure, cardiac problems and others diseases too. Social isolation is one of the vital factors of mental trauma and anxiety. This occurs due to spending many hours on computer and internet surfing. As a result of this people suffer from mental stress. People are busy chatting in WhatsApp and Facebook on Mobile which creates another mental stress in their life.
In ancient time, people were using natural food like fruits and vegetables. But now this habit is shifted to food produced in artificial ways in a factory like fast foods, pizza, etc. The people of urban modern society have no sufficient time to prepare his own food, and therefore they consume fast food from restaurants which lack of nutritional diet. As such, people’s food habit are also totally changed, but worse than ancient one having rich nutrition in food. In the field of information technology (I.T.), brain of a person is required at a constant to use for many hours. As a result of this mental stresses and strains are increased manifold. Therefore, in this paper, I will discuss the importance of yoga in modern life as a way of remedy for these problems resulted from the modern lifestyle.
Exercising yoga is defined as most important in modern stressful life. It is very useful for our day to day life to keep good body and health. Verma says, 'Yoga is based on the philosophy that is practical and useful for our daily lives. Yoga constructs desirable physiological alterations and has scientific foundations' (Verma, et al. 2015). The term Yoga is an ancient and comprehensive construct meaning of which is spiritual self-discovery. It is derived from the Sanskrit root Yuj, which means “to join”, “to union”. Literally, the word “yoga” stands for union i.e. the union of mind, body, and the Soul. This union is accomplished through the eight steps of Yoga, known as aṣṭāṅga yoga. The eight steps of Yoga are mentioned in Yogasūtra of Patañjali. He says, “यमनियमासनप्राणायामप्रत्याहारधारणाध्यानसमाधयोsअष्टावङ्गानि |” (पातञ्जलयोगसूत्र – २.२९)
Yama (abstention) , Niyama (observance), , Āsana ( posture), Prāņāyāma (control of breath ), Pratyāhāra (withdrawal of the senses) , Dhāraņā (contemplation ), Dhyāna (meditation) , and Samādhī (concentration) are the eight steps of Yoga. Among these eight steps, the Āsana, Prāņāyāma, and Dhyāna are most important in modern life. These three steps of Yoga are the best means to serve the physical body and mind. They help in controlling both physical and mental stress, thereby enabling the mind to rest on calm and cool.
According to Patañjali, posture or Āsana is that which is steady and comfortable (स्थिरसुखमासनम्, पातञ्जलयोगसूत्र – २.४६). There are so many Yogic postures or Yogāsana that are important in modern life for reducing diseases and mental stress. Some Yogic postures are good for calming the mind, while others are good for digestive, respiratory, circulatory, nerves and granular systems. Yogic postures work mainly on the brain and nerves systems of human beings. These Yogic postures dealing with them on the physical level release mental tension. The continuous practice of posture can be helpful to promote social harmony and building individual health and wellbeing. The practice of proper posture decreases the back pain and other joint pains also at physical level.
Prāņāyāma and meditation are also important to modern life. Prāņāyāma is a step that controls the inspiratory and expiratory movements of breath (तस्मिन्सति श्वासप्रश्वासयोर्गतिविच्छेदः प्राणायामः, पातञ्जलयोगसूत्र – २.४९). The modern society of urban areas is more complex and filled with tension and difficulties. Yoga can work like a magic for the people of modern urban society. Regular practice of yoga can improve their power of concentration. Practice of meditation increases their concentration on one thing and helps them to be less distracted by their thoughts, which makes the mind calm and thereby controlling the mental stress. According to Patañjali meditation is the unbroken flow of the mental effort (तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम्, पातञ्जलयोगसूत्र – ३.२).
The modern urban life is mostly driven by science and technology. This resulted in such problems as stress, depression and anxiety. With the practice of Prāņāyāma and meditation properly for a long time, the anxiety and stress that we face are gradually reduced. The practice of constant breathing and meditation help to relax, thereby leading to the optimum functioning of the nervous system. Meditation helps not only in lessening stress but also in the development of inner mental energies which are concealed in all individuals. In this way, Āsana (like Savāsana, Makarāsana, Vajrāsana, Bhujangāsana, Trikonāsana, Virabhadrāsana, Padmāsana, etc.), Prāņāyāmas (like Anuloma-Viloma or long breathing) and meditation on ‘Om’ can enable a person to become stress-free.
To attain the stress free mind, Bhāgavad-Gītā also states three important ways, viz. Jňanayoga, Karmayoga, and Bhakti yoga. Jňanayoga means the way of obtaining stability through the knowledge of the ultimate Self. Karmayoga means the way of attaining stability by the desire-free works and Bhaktiyoga means the way of attaining stability through implicit faith in the divinity.
It is natural in modern days that our focus and concentration get assaulted everyday by the mobile, laptop, TV and social media. In this regard, yoga helps us to stay focused and improve our concentration. Children are busy in watching TV, Computer, listening to their ipods, playing video games and as a result of this they could not spent much time on physical activity. Parents and school teachers are more expected from their children and put more pressure to perform well in their school tests, project etc. This resulted suffering of the children from mental stress. Thanks to Yoga because it can solve all the problems which they have faced in the present complex time. They become calmer, more alert, better listeners, more creative, physically and mentally strong through the continuous practice of Yoga as ultimate medicine. According to World Health Organization (WHO), “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO 1964).
Practice of Yoga can bring change in all and every walks of life. T. Claire says, “Yoga is a way of life” (Claire: 2004). There is strong interrelationship between the mind and the body. When the physical body is healthy, the mind is healthy and the tension also be diminished. Sunil says that when the body is physically healthy, the mind is clearly focused and stress is under control (Sunil, 2015). Thus, practicing Yoga is important for creating physically and mentally healthy people and society.
Even most of the doctors in present days recommend their patients to practice yoga regularly because of its scientifically proven health and mental benefits. According to Anita, Yoga is highly suggested for people in competitive, stressful working atmospheres, which is characteristics of modern life (Anita, 2014). The diseases like Asthma, blood pressure, arthritis, digestive disorders, heart problem and other diseases can also be cured through yoga therapy. According to medical scientists, yoga therapy is successful because of the balance created in the nervous, endocrine system and excretory systems which directly influences all the other systems and organs of the human body.
In the present times, the physical labours are highly reduced which is one of the important aspect of changing modern urban lifestyles. The change in lifestyle creates competition for survival which leads to suffering from stress both mentally and physically. The systematic use of practicing Yoga brings effective solution to such problem. It helps to reducing respiration problems, increases the immunity of the physical body and also to weight reduction. The continuous practice of Yoga lessens the amount of harmful hormones produced in the human body at the time of stress. It helps us to make our body more strength and flexible. The practice of Yoga can help people to live in harmony with the surrounded environment and peacefully interact with the society to which one belong. Practicing yoga every day improves our IQ and memory level as well.
During the COVID-19 pandemic period, depression, stress and anxiety are increased among the people all over the world. The normal lifestyle and working activities of the people due to COVID-19 pandemic are totally stacked and changed to immovable situation to contain the spread of pandemic such as, work from home and lack of physical contact with friends and colleagues. And, this increases depression and anxiety. Here lies the importance of exercising Yoga every day during this unavoidable situation. Hence, one should practice Yoga to fight social isolation, depression, and stress during the pandemic period. Furthermore, Yoga plays an important role in the psycho-social care and recovery of COVID-19 patients in quarantine. Practice of Yoga can help to prevent virus from entering into the body and passage to the lungs.
The importance of Yoga in modern life is endless. The modern lifestyle is more complex and filled with depression, and stress .Today, the people of urban areas are busy with works hour by hour, day by day. In urban areas, the work style, eating habit and family life structure of the people have totally changed. This lifestyle brings stress to the people leading to different kinds of diseases. To get rid of the diseases, one needs to practice Yoga regularly. Yoga recommends a number of ways to attain a calm and stress free mind. Therefore, Yoga is important in reducing physical and mental stress resulted from modern lifestyle. In present day Yoga is much popular as the science and art of holistic living. Yoga is attractive to people as a holistic caresystem which provides physical, mental, social and spiritual benefits.
Yoga also help to strengthen as well as boosting immunity and so provide an effective, accessible, and affordable means of prophylaxis of COVID-19 infection. A disciplined lifestyle and the practice of Yoga everyday can help to fight against the coronavirus. Yoga is a holistic tool to improve respiratory health and immunity, both of which are involved in the prevention from COVID-19. So let us all make it a habit to practice Yoga in our daily life and stay good health.
Importance of Yoga in Modern Life. (2021, Dec 08). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/importance-of-yoga-in-modern-life-essay
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