Dr. Mukund Vinayak Bhole - Understanding Yoga in the Language of Modern Medical Science

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It can be related with the Five Sensory Faculties where we get knowledge about the objects, events, happenings and phenomena in the world outside the body (External Space in Yoga).

It can also be related with the functioning and the condition of the organs and structures present inside the body.

This helps us to become aware of our feelings, thoughts, emotions and mental states.

It starts with some kind of “Disturbance” in the “Present State of Being or Self-Consciousness ”.

The “Disturbance” gives rise to an “Imbalance in resting Energy Level of the concerned structure/s”.

This gives rise to an “Impulse”.

The “Impulse” starts travelling as a “Wave of Disturbance along the sensory nerve”.

This “Impulse” is recognized and perceived as a “sensation” after reaching the sensory cortex .

Perceived Sensations give rise to “Feeling”.

Feelings give rise to Thoughts and Emotions.

These, in turn, give rise to Mental States and States of Consciousness as well as to Actions, Activities and Behavioral Changes.

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• The response of the “Organism” to any change or disturbance in its “State of Being” perceived as a “Sensation” results in the “Motor Activity” in the nervous system.

• It is a “Nerve Impulse” which starts in the “Central Nervous System” and travels to the periphery along the motor nerves.

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These “Motor Impulses” can start at any level of the central nervous system viz.

• Spinal cord, • Brain Stem (Medulla, Pons i.e. Reptile brain), • Mid Brain (Limbic Brain/Visceral Brain or Emotional Brain) and/or • Human or Neo-Cortex (Intellectual Brain).• Autonomic Nervous System – Sympathetic and/or Para-sympathetic Nervous System.

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• It can be Voluntary or Involuntary

(Reflex) in nature.• Reflexes can be Learnt (Conditioned) or in-born (Un-conditioned)• Motor activity indicates our natural activities, emotional expressions, willful actions or behavior. 26

• It is related with the skeletal muscles of the arms, legs, trunk, vertebral column, face, head and the smooth muscles of the internal organs such as heart, stomach, intestines, colon, bladder, sphincters etc.

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• It is also related with the secretions of the Exocrine and Endocrine glands as well as the Immune system.

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• The response of the “Organism” to any change or disturbance in its “State of Being” perceived as a “Sensation” results in the “Motor Activity” in the nervous system.

• It is a “Nerve Impulse” which starts in the “Central Nervous System” and travels to the periphery along the motor nerves.

This “Motor Impulses” can start at any level of the central nervous system viz.

• Spinal cord, • Brain Stem (Medulla, Pons i.e. Reptile brain), • Mid Brain (Limbic Brain/Visceral Brain or Emotional Brain) and/or • Human or Neo-Cortex (Intellectual Brain).• Autonomic Nervous System – Sympathetic and/or Para-sympathetic Nervous System.

• It can be Voluntary or Involuntary

(Reflex) in nature.• Reflexes can be Learnt (Conditioned) or

in-born (Un-conditioned)• Motor activity indicates our natural

activities, emotional expressions, willful

actions or behavior.

The Neuronal connections inside the Central Nervous System gives rise to our Response Patterns and Learned Reactions and Behaviors.

Through every kind of learning, new networking develops. Thus response patterns and behavior can be changed.

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Breathing is the only “Vital Activity” which can be easily:

1. “Perceived and Experienced” by us,

2. It can be “Monitored” by us, and also

3. “Modified and Manipulated” by us. 38

There are other “Vital Functions and Activities”.

But, some of them can not be easily Experienced, Monitored and Modified by us. For example, hormones, immune system, kidney function etc.

Activity of the heart can be experienced and monitored, but it can not be modified by us.

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• Even though the Activities of the arms, legs, vocal cords and five senses are important, they are not so vital for our existence.

• Therefore, in Yoga, we work with our Breath, Breathing and Internally aroused sensations related with breathing.

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