"When I despair. . . I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been murderers and tyrants, and for a time they can seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it . . . Always."
Mohandas K (Mahatma) Gandhi

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Most everyone thinks of anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders as conditions only young women face, but new evidence shows that many women over 35 suffer from these afflictions throughout their lives.

When I was about 14 years old and just beginning my initiation into the mysterious rites of passage toward becoming a woman, one of the very first "secrets" I learned was how to diet. Here was a way, or so I thought in my innocence, that I could eat whatever I wanted and make up for it later by dieting it all off. How clever were these older women who taught us youngsters how to have our cake and eat it too! As it turned out, not only did I enjoy dieting, with all its deprivations and strict rules, but I had a real talent for it. When I embarked upon a diet, my willpower was resolute and unshakable. But when the diet was over and I'd reached my preferred number on the scale, I couldn't wait to run into the kitchen and start scarfing down all the foods I'd forbidden myself during the diet. That was how I discovered firsthand what so many women have known throughout the ages-forbidden fruits do taste sweeter.

By the time I'd gotten older, into my late 20s and early 30s, this routine, which had started out as an innocent game, had developed sinister overtones. Now I know the name for what I was doing: yo-yo dieting, which is the practice of losing pounds and regaining them over and over again, moving up and down in weight like a spinning toy on a string. I managed to keep my weight more or less stable into my 40s using this method-it just meant I was perpetually on a diet.

When I looked around at most of the women I knew, both older and younger, I saw a secret society whose members seemed to have the same unspoken agreement (which I personally didn't recall signing) that looks counted above all else. And I realized that the wish I'd long been secretly harboring-that there would be some age limit on this crazy way of looking at food and my body, some point at which I would finally be old enough to opt out of the whole insanity-was not going to come true. I was going to either have to find my own way out or this could easily go on for the rest of my life.

I now know that I was hardly alone in continuing to face serious food and body issues well into midlife. Conventional wisdom in the medical community used to posit that eating disorders were something that happened only to younger girls, and that most women in their mid-30s would certainly have outgrown them. But now those who specialize in the treatment of eating disorders have come to understand that there is no age limit. Eating disorders can and frequently do occur in women that age and beyond. In fact, for the most part, as happened with me, these are eating disorders that women developed as adolescents or young women and never resolved.

This new definition of eating disorders as a condition that can affect any woman at any age may come as a huge relief to the leagues of older women who thought they were all alone, suffering from a disorder they should have outgrown. The good news? When it comes time for treatment, older women bring a mature perspective on life and a resourcefulness to the process that younger women don't yet possess.

The most common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa-in which a person consumes too little food and suffers extreme weight loss-and bulimia-in which a person repeatedly forces herself to vomit after eating, typically after binge eating. Bulimics may also use laxatives to purge themselves. A more general category is binge eating disorder, which, according to Diane Mickley, MD, director of the Wilkins Center for Eating Disorders in Greenwich, Connecticut, shares features with bulimic behavior, such as binging, placing too high a value on food and body issues, and having increased anxiety around food. The general category known as "EDNOS" (Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified) includes a wide variety of eating behaviors that don't otherwise have a name but have one thing in common: spending an inordinate amount of time and energy obsessing about food and body. Overexercising, overemphasizing thinness, obsessive thinking, repeated "cleansing," yo-yo dieting, and other forms of excessively restricted eating fall into this catchall category.

One of the worrisome new eating disorders to which women in midlife and beyond may be especially susceptible is orthoexia nervosa, which is defined as a "fixation on righteous eating." This occurs when an obsession with healthy eating begins to dominate a person's thoughts and life to the point where the behavior itself becomes unhealthy. According to Tacie Vergara, clinical supervisor at the Renfrew Center's Thirty-Something and Beyond Group (an inpatient eating disorders program in Philadelphia and other East Coast locations), orthoexia "can start for older women when they've got a life crisis-fear of mortality, a cancer diagnosis, or maybe their husband just got diagnosed with a cardiac problem," Vergara explains. "It starts out as a healthy impulse to eat better, but before you know it, it's out of control."

Whatever the eating disorder, experts agree that most of these conditions don't just come out of nowhere in midlife. "The vast majority of affected people have their first onset in adolescence," says Mickley. "Some may have had longtime food and weight concerns; they may have had low-grade problems that hid out under the radar for a long time. But it's extremely rare for an eating disorder to manifest for the first time in middle age."

Most afflicted women manage to cope for years with the many different forms of eating disorders, and many of them don't even realize that they're suffering from one.

"It didn't dawn on me I had any kind of eating disorder until I was in my 30s," says Karen Franklin, a woman who has struggled off and on with anorexia since she was a young girl. "I thought that I was just some kind of freak around food-I didn't know how to nourish myself. But then I came across some articles on anorexia, and I had an amazing awakening that I was like those girls."

Franklin thought her problem was behind her until she saw her child develop an eating disorder of her own. "I felt like I had things under control-my life felt really full-but when my daughter started having eating problems, something really clicked for me," Karen recalls. "All my old body issues came tumbling back."

Sorelle Marsh also saw her long-standing eating disorder spin out of control in midlife. "I started out as an anorexic when I was about 17 or 18," Marsh explains. "But then I learned about bulimia, and I thought, ÔWow, this is a great way to have it all and still be thin!'" Marsh says the bulimia continued off and on until, at age 41, she found it increasingly difficult to hide her behavior from her husband and children. She went to see a therapist who gave her some drugs to help with her anxiety and depression. However, the drugs sent her into a suicidal depression.

"I was very depleted in every way, shape, and form from the binging and purging," says Marsh. "I thought to myself, ÔYou can't go on like this,, you need help,' and I decided that I needed to go somewhere, away from my life, to get help."

According to Mickley, eating disorders reassert themselves in midlife for myriad reasons. "Number one is if you feel that your self-worth is heavily based on your appearance, as you get older it inevitably means the loss of your youthful appearance," she says, "and there are so many other kinds of losses that can occur in midlife, such as the end of a relationship or a divorce, the stress of remaining in an unhappy relationship, or a medical illness. There are also so many issues around kids-kids growing up, kids with problems, or kids going off to college."

Whatever the cause of a relapse, the number of women over 35 seeking help for eating disorders is rapidly increasing. According to Vergara, from 1985 to 2000 approximately 3 to 5 percent of those seeking treatment at the Renfrew Center were over 35. From 2003 on, that number skyrocketed to 30 percent. Vergara credits this in part to Renfrew creating a special program called the Thirty-Something and Beyond Group. "We'd always served these women but never specifically targeted them before," Vergara explains. "Once we gave them permission and let them know there was a place for them to come, they were there waiting and hungry for our services."

Eating disorder clinics and specialists generally don't use any special therapeutic tricks when treating older women. The same techniques and approaches work with younger and older women alike. "In treating eating disorders in general, one of the common myths is that there are underlying psychological problems, you work them out, and the illness will evaporate," says Mickley. "But it's the reverse. If you have an eating disorder, you must first manage food, weight, and eating symptoms if you want to do good work in therapy. The notion that you'll take someone who is throwing up all day and build her confidence makes no sense-that act of vomiting provides her with emotional Novocaine, and if you numb your feelings, how are you going to learn what you feel? the first line of defense in folks of all ages is symptom management."

Still, peer-group programs work especially well for women in midlife. "These women have lost so much in midlife that they're not going to get back," says the Renfrew Center's Vergara. "So we have groups specifically geared for their unique life situations, such as how do you be a mom on the go and also provide sound nutrition for you and your family, how do you learn to care for yourself as well as others, and all the unique issues that come up over not being fed and being out of balance in midlife."

The Renfrew program has given Marsh a new outlook on life, food, and her own journey. "The first thing the Renfrew program did for me was get me out of my home and environment and stop the binging and purging," Marsh recalls. "I knew my time at Renfrew was my only and last chance. It causes me a lot of sadness that I couldn't have done this when I was 20 or 25 or any other time-but I've realized this is now my time to do it."

For all of us working with eating issues in midlife, it's important above all to remember that each of us is a work in progress. Life will continue to change, with new challenges, new joys, and new wrinkles-including those that line our skin. The point isn't to get it all figured out once and for all and rest on your laurels. Rather, you can achieve many levels of success and many levels of satisfaction. Waking up to all of the richness that life can offer when you are conscious can help you heal your eating disorder, as well as live a life with purpose and passion.

When I realized that I no longer wanted to spend my days obsessing about food and body, I had no idea how to go about making that change. At this same time I began to do yoga and to meditate. I found that both practices increased my ability to be conscious-not only around food-but also of seeing the kind of habitual thoughts that were etched deep in the recesses of my mind. When I ate consciously, it was very hard to accidentally eat a bag of cookies and wonder where they might have gone to, which enabled me to control my eating without even trying. And consciousness also proved to be the key for actively identifying what held meaning for me in life.

Mind/body practice, such as yoga, tai chi, meditation, or mindful walking can help a person who is struggling with any form of eating disorder learn consciousness in motion. This can directly impact the way one eats, since mind/body practices help us listen to what we're truly hungry for on our physical, emotional, and spiritual planes. The key is to use the mind/ body practice as a tool of self-discovery and as a means to develop consciousness-not as one more opportunity to beat yourself up about what a lousy meditator you are or how bad you look in your yoga outfit.

"Yoga brought me to a place where I could like myself without looking in the mirror," says Karen Franklin, who's struggled with anorexia for years. "It was so clear to me that yoga is about non-judgment and self-reflection, but it's also about action-I act, and then I can let it go. For me yoga is always a fresh start-I messed up today and tomorrow will be better. That's a very different point of view from when I used to think, ÔI messed up today, and tomorrow I won't eat.' It's brought me a certain amount of wisdom around my actions and has also helped me discover what will nourish me."

The following practice introduces you to some basic techniques for conscious eating. The seemingly simple act of having the intention to stay conscious as you eat and to maintain attention to the process of eating can completely alter your relationship with food. It will help you break food patterns that may otherwise feel all-powerful, overwhelming, destructive, and out of control.

After you've finished eating the food, take just a moment to reflect. Consider what percentage of the time you were conscious in between the first and last bites and what percentage of the time your thoughts were elsewhere. Did setting your intention to remain conscious for the first and last bites make you more conscious in between, or just for those bites?

Repeat this simple food practice once a day for a week. You may eat the same food or choose different foods each time. You'll probably notice that the amount of time you spend between bites being consciously aware of your food and the eating experience will increase gradually over the week.

Adapted from the book, What Are You Hungry For? Women, Food and Spirituality, by Lynn Ginsburg and Mary Taylor (St. Martin's Press, 2002).

Beverly Price, RD, MA, RYT
Registered dietitian, exercise physiologist
And registered yoga teacher
Prazamana Foundation - Helping People Reconnect with Food

The benefits of yoga are many. For someone with an eating disorder, including individuals interested in exploring issues related to food, body image and emotions, these benefits can be a powerful adjunct to psychotherapy and nutrition counseling.

What are the benefits of yoga for an individual with an eating disorder or disordered eating?

Regular attendance at a yoga class is encouraged, which gives eating disordered individuals a chance to become part of a community and make sorely need connections. Yoga becomes part of daily maintenance during recovery and indefinitely. The regular practice of yoga becomes part of self-care just like brushing one's teeth.

What type of yoga should an individual with an eating disorder or disordered eating practice?

Depending on the nature of their eating disorder, the type of yoga that an individual should practice needs to be discussed with the treatment team, which includes the medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychotherapist and registered dietitian. An individual who is not yet weight restored or one who is purging (bulimic) needs to start with a gentle or "slow flow" and progress to a level that the team is comfortable with. Ashtanga, Vinyasa or more cardio-intensive yoga may be more suited for someone trying to lose weight, but is not purging. However, in any class, students are taught to "find their edge" meaning working at a pace of intensity that is not too extreme where breathing is compromised, but also challenging themselves and taking balanced risks. This is an important concept in life as individuals begin to "take their yoga off the mat" and find their edge in everyday life. Participation in any yoga pose is voluntary, therefore a class of any intensity can be modified to suit the needs of an eating disordered patient on any given day.

Extremely high temperatures in the classroom may be contraindicated for the anorexic individual. Emphasis should be placed on breath and movement vs. how a student looks in the poses. It is important that a recovering individual does not use the yoga as form of exercise "work-out" or purging mechanism as many yoga studios have "westernized" yoga making it a form of aerobics and compromising the integrity of this ancient teaching.

Choosing a teacher is somewhat like choosing a psychotherapist or registered dietitian. Individuals need to consider whether or not they like the teacher and feel comfortable in their presence. The teacher should do minimal modeling or demonstrating during class while giving clear and simple directions so that the student can follow. The teacher should be skilled in listening to their students' breath, which gives them an understanding of what the student is experiencing during that particular yoga practice.

Students must be able to tell the teacher if they don't want to be touched/adjusted in yoga class, especially if they have a history of sexual abuse, which often goes hand in hand with eating disorders. This requires a good rapport and a degree of trust with the teacher, who must have a certain capacity for understanding and compassion. A teacher with a soothing voice but is also enthusiastic and positive is a plus. Also, the teacher should offer support and encouragement to people who are learning unfamiliar ways, while avoiding criticism or judgment.

Individuals with eating disorders need to talk to others who take classes at certain studios, try different teachers or even interview potential teachers. Yoga teachers and studios who tend to get caught up in their own issues and unload them on their students, or try to profess to have training in an area that they do not understand from a treatment standpoint should be avoided by someone with an eating disorder. This can be very dangerous to an individual in recovery, leaving this teacher or studio with serious liability. Yoga teachers who find individuals with eating disorders in their classes, should make appropriate referrals to psychotherapists or registered dietitians who are credentialed and trained at accredited institutions, but also have specialized training in eating disorders. Students should not be afraid to ask the teacher their education and training beyond just yoga.

In our Reconnect with FoodSM weekly series program, a total of 51 eating disordered individual enrolled in a seven week series, that incorporated one hour of Hatha yoga plus one hour of mindfulness based training and discussion. After seven weeks, subjects reported that they began to tap into and feel their emotions on a deeper level, relate their yoga practice to food behaviors, work through uncomfortable asanas to let go of fears and move outside their comfort zone, experience their body and allow change to take place, experience self-love and self-acceptance, while sharing their experiences with others. It was concluded that yoga can help the individual, with an eating disorder, delay impulse control, enjoy their body, learn to eat mindfully while recognizing sensations of hunger and fullness, heal negative body image and fostering self-acceptance, along with avoiding the use of food or starvation to numb painful emotions. In a four-week program, 49 eating disordered individuals experienced similar benefits, but not as great as those enrolled in the longer program.

After just one week in our Reconnect with Food Intensive Support Program, participants improved coping skills and began to practice mindful eating and awareness, while beginning to think about food and their bodies in a healthy way. Participants also experienced a positive synergy with yoga, meditation, art and music therapy, craniosacral therapy, recreational challenges and psychodrama in opening doors to their recovery. Participants valued the significant connections that they made with others.

Further studies are warranted to understand the mechanics of yoga and how yoga can help the patient release emotions locked in the brain in order to help the psychotherapist, registered dietitian and physician to break through barriers.

Beverly Price is a registered dietitian, exercise physiologist and registered yoga teacher

who specializes in the treatment of anorexia and bulimia nervosa, binge and compulsive eating along with adult, adolescent and childhood weight management. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Dietetics from Michigan State University, emphasizing the Science of Human Nutrition and Medical Nutrition Therapy. She holds a Master's Degree in the Science of Human Movement from Wayne State University. Beverly has a private practice located in Bingham Farms and Royal Oak, Michigan, or by telephone, where she offers conscious eating for body, mind and spirit along with yoga therapy. She offers a weekly series along with a weeklong intensive program for eating disorder recovery for those near and far. For more information, log onto www.prazamana.org

References:
1. Finger W, Arnold ME. Mind-body interventions: Applications for social work practice. Social work in health care 35(4) 57-77, 2002.
2. Gimbel, AM. Yoga, meditation and imagery; clinical applications. Nurse practitioner forum, 9 (4) 243-55, 1989.
3. Long L, Huntley A, Ernst E. Complementary therapies in medicine 9:178-185, 2001.
4. National Institute of Health (NIH), National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). Clinical Trial: Meditation-based treatment for binge eating disorder. Clinical Trials.gov., 2003.
5. Self-Care, Gretchen Rose Newmark, RD, Yoga Journal, March/April 1997 and Hatha Yoga as an Adjunct to Eating Disorders Treatment, Gretchen Rose Newmark, RD, Today's Dietitian, January 2004.
6. Yoga and Eating Disorders, Marcie Berman, PhD, Yoga World, No. 15, Oct/Dec 2000.

Shame is that feeling of being inherently flawed, damaged, and defective. It dampens spontaneity, drains life energy, and keeps us prisoners of self-doubt. Shame has many faces and shows up with different voices, but they all say that the person we present to the world is deficient, that we won't amount to much, and that we should keep ourselves hidden.

Feelings of shame live in the body and get stored there over time. Shame can evoke strong urges to shrink ourselves and disappear from sight in an attempt to avoid perceived interpersonal humiliation. It can produce agitation, suspiciousness, resentment, irritability, a tendency to blame others, and even terror. Shame leaves us wanting to flee rather than be present. It makes us want to block out emotions because we don't know how to soothe hurts or manage pain.

People often confuse shame with guilt, but there are important differences that distinguish them. Guilt focuses on an action that we have done or failed to do. With guilt, we feel bad about our behavior, while with shame, the feeling isn't that we have done something bad, but that we are bad.

Shame causes feelings to get converted into beliefs, and with time these beliefs come to be thought of as truths. For instance, "I feel stupid" becomes "I am stupid;" "I don't feel loved" becomes "I'm not lovable;" "I'm unhappy in this situation" becomes "It's all my fault." Shame supports name-calling, accuses self-blame despite innocence, and holds us responsible for others' shortcomings. All these things create fertile ground for ongoing self-criticism.

Individuals who live with high degrees of shame tend to tell themselves: "I'm weak. I'm disgusting. I'm pitiful. I'm damaged. I'm inadequate. I deserve to be put in my place." They frequently assume that others view them in the same negative ways that they view themselves. They anticipate humiliation and disdain from others and feel undeserving of kindness and praise.

This high degree of shame can become so basic to a person's inner life that therapists often call this spiraling cycle of self-degradation as being "shame-based." While everyone encounters moments of shame, people who are shame-based get stuck in their shame. Others have the resilience to recover and reclaim feeling good about themselves, but those who are shame-based find such recovery difficult-at times it may seem nearly impossible.

In the normal course of development, all children feel inadequate to certain tasks. They may feel less capable than an older sibling, frustrated in the course of skill mastery, or somehow "different" from those around them. Good parenting helps children struggle with and manage these challenging feelings. When parents coach their children to accept feelings and frustrations, it helps build self-esteem. When parents convey compassion towards their children's vulnerable feelings, they teach soothing techniques and build the capacity for their children to tolerate frustration and imperfection.

When opportunities for compassion and understanding are missed, children may not develop sufficient skills for managing the normal feelings of shame that arise, and they may become deficient in the skills of self-comfort and calming.

Children who grow up in shame-based families learn to please others in order to avoid experiencing shame and disapproval. In families where blaming, humiliation, and critical parenting styles are dominant, children's self-worth erodes and they develop fewer healthy defenses for coping with emotional stress. Seeking ways to feel good, they develop radar for discerning how to please the people in their lives. They organize themselves to figure out "who should I be?" rather than the healthier stances of "how do I feel and what do I want to do about it?" These children are most at risk for developing self-destructive defenses and are therefore at greater risk for becoming perfectionistic about their actions and appearance.

Parent Styles that Influence Self-Esteem and Body-Esteem

Promotes Low Esteem	Promotes High Esteem
Controlling	Understanding
Judgmental	Accepting of differences
Avoidant	Attentive
Indirect	Direct
Behaves like a victim	Demonstrates caring for self
Expects child to please	Recognizes child as separate
Angry/disapproving	Tolerates emotions/sets boundaries
Encourages perfectionism	Realistic, healthy standards
Compares and competes	Doesn't compare/compete
Defensive	Accountable
Diets/body dissatisfaction	Healthy eating/body satisfaction
Depression/anxiety	Balanced in mood
Under/over exercise	Enjoys moderate exercise

Shame-as well as hurt, sadness, anger, and fear-gets under the skin and is incorporated in the body. The body becomes a container for negative thoughts, painful feelings, and distorted perceptions. Coping with these emotions and thoughts becomes an enormous challenge. Limited in their repertoire of choices, shame-based individuals instinctively search for ways to get rid of distressing feelings. Sometimes the mind dissociates, which is the process of cutting off awareness to what is going on. Instead of experiencing these feelings, it will block out those that might feel too overwhelming. Dissociating from unacceptable thoughts and feelings allows people to live "as if" their thoughts, feelings, and life situations do not exist.

In all forms, eating disorders offer a form of adaptive dissociation. Eating disorder symptoms-restricting, purging, compulsively overeating, always feeling fat-provide a way of distracting attention away from one's original sources of shame. They direct the mind to criticize the body and obsess about food. Thoughts get conceptualized in "either/or" terms: there is good and bad, right and wrong, thin and fat, and nothing in between. "I feel so fat" draws attention toward weight loss rather than an exploration of distressing feelings.

While eating disorder behaviors are attempts to diminish the harmful effects of shame, they end up strengthening and maintaining it. After months or years of living with an eating disorder, women and men often have no idea that their disorder is related to childhood experiences, shame-based patterns, or forgotten trauma. Over time they come to believe that they are just bad for having their symptoms.

Compassion is the antidote to shame because it resists judgment and seeks understanding. It allows for imperfection and mistakes and sees life as a journey of experimentation, discovery, and learning. As we experience compassion, our inner critic loses power and we become able to treat ourselves with the kindness that we believe our loved ones deserve. Remember that it takes patience, hard work, and much practice to change habits of condemnation and disapproval.

What You Can Do:
1. Become aware of how you talk to yourself and what your inner critic says. Noticing and becoming aware is the first step in any change process.
2. Replace words of shame and criticism with words of compassion and understanding. Notice how much harder it is to speak to yourself in nonjudgmental language. If it would be mean to say something to a loved one, then don't say it to yourself. Practice journal writing with words that tolerate imperfection and promote self-acceptance.
3. Accept that you are a human being with a range of feelings and experiences, not an inanimate object that is meant to be controlled. Learn to focus your attention on thoughts of respect and awe for what your body does for you rather than getting annoyed by what it doesn't do for you.
4. Surround yourself with people who treat you well and stay away from those who cause you to feel bad about yourself.
5. Acknowledge any experiences of being shamed. When we talk with people we trust, we can begin to heal our shame.

Hatha yoga, once the province of Indian yogis and '60s hippies, has become mainstream. It is offered in most gyms and YMCAs, as well as in yoga centers, many of which have sprung up in the last few years. Yoga is Sanskrit for "union." Union can be seen as balancing the active-alert and quiet-relaxed states of body/mind, and, in Western culture, where we see the body and mind as separate, bringing the experience of mind and body into one. Although hatha yoga was developed as physical training to enable people to sit in meditation, many classes in the United States are nonsectarian and would appeal to people from almost any religious background.

There are eight main types of yoga, developed some 3,000 to 5,000 years ago, before there was written language. These eight types of yoga include disciplines such as studying the yoga scriptures, devotional practices, meditation, concentration, breathing practices, and physical development, or hatha yoga. Although various teachers have named their particular style of yoga, any yoga that involves physical postures and movements is hatha yoga. In this article, I will refer to hatha yoga as "yoga" and "hatha yoga."

There are many benefits of yoga. For someone with an eating disorder, these benefits can be as powerful as psychotherapy and nutrition counseling and can be an important adjunct. Hatha yoga teaches stillness and awareness, or mindfulness. A weekly or more frequent class gives the opportunity to practice relaxation and mindfulness, with instruction on breathing and body posture. "Stress management" training tends to fail because people don't have ongoing support to practice the techniques. Unconsciously, we all "practice" being stressed all the time. Our habitual breathing is relatively shallow and rapid. We hold our bodies as if we are threatened-shoulders elevated, muscles tensed, prepared to run or fight. Regular hatha yoga training teaches the opposite-how to notice tensed muscles and relax them, and how to breathe fully to reverse the physiology of stress by lowering cortisol and epinephrine levels. Julie Lawrence, director of the Julie Lawrence Yoga Center in Portland, Ore., is an internationally known teacher. She describes yoga as "teaching us self-reliance and self-esteem. It shows us how to listen to and trust our own body and its wisdom. This presents an alternative to the Ôshoulds' of our society and the perceived imperative that we must always be in control."

In addition, hatha yoga offers a wonderful training for people to come back into their own bodies. A good yoga teacher will give continual prompts to notice what the body is feeling and how one is breathing. A class will often begin with some kind of centering, with focus on any held tension and on the breath. As the class moves into the yoga "asanas," or poses, the teacher should begin to ask students to notice whether a pose is comfortable or uncomfortable, and whether any discomfort is the useful sensation of a body stretching or using strength beyond its "comfort zone" or reflects forcing the body beyond its ability. Experienced teachers will give detailed training in breathing and continuously remind students to notice their breath and lengthen the inhalation and exhalation. Well-trained yoga teachers will also focus on body alignment, helping students learn how to position the body to create a relaxed posture with a long spine to facilitate breathing, stamina, and prevent injuries. Good classes will also stress noticing what the mind is doing. Students have the opportunity to practice tuning into their habitual thoughts and feelings, such as self-deprecatory thoughts that exacerbate depression and anxiety.

Yoga offers an unparalleled opportunity to heal negative body image. The various poses challenge people to use balance, strength, stamina, stillness, mindfulness, and flexibility. Teachers invite people who have habitually focused solely on their bodies' outer appearances to instead notice these inner qualities. Students are encouraged to let go of competition with themselves and others. Traditional yoga studios, unlike those for dance, do not have mirrors, but rather rely on the student's internal experience and the teacher's external corrections for learning. This diminishes our culture's emphasis on appearance. Hatha yoga classes provide consistent training and practice in noticing many aspects of the physical body's function, deemphasizing appearance. Lawrence says, "Yoga teaches self-acceptance-in the poses and in life. People come to yoga for a variety of reasons. Without expecting it, through the practice of yoga, they gain a deep sense of well-being." Regular attendance in a good yoga class also gives us a chance to become part of a community that is focused on health and wellness, as opposed to the obsession with appearance and possessions in the culture at large.

Many people with nonrestricting, binge-type eating disorders have difficulty with impulse control. Hatha yoga again offers training and practice in restraint from acting on impulse. Most people will find a number of the poses uncomfortable, especially in the beginning. There is a natural tendency, exaggerated in our culture, of wanting to escape anything that causes psychological or physical discomfort. We escape by thinking, working, food or substance abuse, and other distractions. In yoga, teachers encourage students instead to notice their discomfort, breathe, and listen carefully for what the body/mind is conveying. Teachers suggest that students come out of a pose only if it is actually hurting the body and to stay with it if it is merely unfamiliar or uncomfortable. Outside of yoga, there is little repetitive training available for people to create the habit of staying present to difficult thoughts, feelings, or sensations. This training is extremely valuable to people who need to learn to avoid using food or starvation to numb painful emotions.

The recent popularity of yoga is at the same time a blessing and a curse. Choosing a skillful yoga teacher has become more difficult as it becomes more lucrative to teach it. Well-trained teachers have typically done at least five years of their own yoga practice before they enter training programs. Effective teacher training programs take months or years to complete and include an apprenticeship with an experienced teacher and written and practical exams. Recently, however, more people with very little training or experience are teaching yoga. A company called YogaFit gives a certification in yoga to fitness instructors after one weekend of training. Needless to say, two days is not enough. People with this training are likely to view yoga as just another means of shaping the body and are likely to miss the most valuable features of the form. Certain forms of yoga, such as Iyengar, Kripalu, and Integral yoga, have been around for decades and require extensive training for teacher certification.

There are many kinds of hatha yoga being offered in the United States, and more are emerging. Some are better or less useful for people with eating disorders. Ashtanga yoga is a strenuous series of postures. The teachers tend to be well-trained. It would be useful for someone who is eating enough calories to fuel intense physical activity, and it might be attractive to someone who is athletic and doesn't enjoy the quieter forms of yoga. However, for someone who is restricting calories, this form of yoga would be of less benefit. "Power yoga" usually refers to individual teachers' interpretations of Ashtanga. These forms will probably be strenuous like Ashtanga, and the teachers might be as well-trained. They will vary according to the teacher's individual style. The extremely popular Bikram, or "hot room," yoga is also a strenuous form that would be counter-productive to people who are undereating. Bikram's franchised teachers tend to put less emphasis on breathing and alignment, focusing somewhat more on the outer form of the poses. The room is heated to above 90¡, and, with the strenuous practice, it tends to create a feeling of relaxation without actually teaching people how to relax their muscles and change their habitual breathing and thinking patterns. And any form of yoga that teaches the same series of poses every time might be more of a "follow me" approach rather than teaching self-reliance and listening to one's body.

Other forms of yoga, such as Iyengar, Integral yoga, Vini yoga, and Anusara yoga, typically offer certified, well-trained teachers and emphasize the inner experience. The movements are slower so they demand fewer calories. The slower pace and the emphasis on breath, alignment, and noticing body sensation and emotion offer good practice to people who need to improve awareness, relaxation skills, impulse control, and body image. Many forms of yoga may bring up emotion, as people relax and release held tension. However, Kripalu yoga focuses primarily on using the poses to release emotions held in the body. This form could be problematic for someone who does not have the support of a psychotherapist, but offers a wonderful adjunct for people who do.

Choosing a teacher is somewhat like choosing a therapist. People need to consider whether or not they like the teacher and feel comfortable in his or her presence. Especially with the proliferation of yoga, people need to ask detailed questions about the teacher's training and experience, which may be difficult for someone in the early stages of eating disorders recovery. Some teachers have better verbal skills than others. Students should be able to easily understand what is being asked of them. If they are confused about how to do the poses, perhaps they could use a teacher who can describe and demonstrate better. Well-trained teachers will move around the class, giving suggestions to ease tension, improve form, or will adjust the student's pose with their hands. Students must be able to tell the teacher if they don't want to be touched. This would require a good rapport and a degree of trust with the teacher, who would need to have a certain capacity for understanding and compassion. Experienced teachers will tell students initially that it is OK if they don't like to be touched. It is most helpful when the teacher has a soothing voice, offers support and encouragement to people who are learning unfamiliar ways, and avoids criticism or judgment.

Healthcare providers who want to recommend yoga classes to clients and patients would do well to familiarize themselves with one or more yoga centers, experiencing different forms and teachers. If you aren't interested in yoga yourself but want the benefits for clients, seek out well-established yoga centers and interview the directors and teachers as you would any other potential referral. Ask them how they teach overweight people. Ask what they emphasize in class.

If your client is already taking yoga, ask him or her about the teacher-the training and emphasis. Ask if they are getting training in breathing and alignment. Find out if the teacher is focusing on "abs," "butts," or other outer appearance, especially if the class is offered at a health club or the YMCA. Ask your client how they feel when they are in class and after and whether or not they are learning anything that stays with them. Encourage your client to be discerning when choosing a yoga teacher and to ask questions about their background. A good yoga teacher will reinforce the skills that people are learning in nutrition counseling and psychotherapy. Unfortunately, a poorly trained yoga teacher will inadvertently reinforce the negative stereotypes of the culture and can cause shame and physical injury.

I encourage my clients to try yoga if they are open to it. If they come from a conservative religious tradition and express interest in yoga, I direct them to classes that do not include chanting, study of the yoga sutras (teachings), or meditation. If a client chooses a teacher I don't know, I gently ask questions to discern the teacher's training, style, and emphasis. If it is a strenuous form, I remind my client that it is increasing their need for calories. I reinforce their yoga training by inquiring about it regularly and answering any questions they have about it. Even with clients who aren't open to yoga training, I incorporate aspects of it in my care, sometimes just referring to it as "stress management." I teach simple breathing techniques to alleviate anxiety and invite the client to practice both in sessions with me and on their own. I also teach yoga poses that might be useful, such as poses for deep relaxation.

Because I have practiced and taught yoga for many years, I love it when one of my clients finds a good teacher. It gives us a common language that is health-focused. I can use their training to give examples and metaphors: "Do you know how it is when you are doing Trikonasana, and you are learning to be aware, strong, relaxed, focused, and balanced all at the same time? Well, that's the way this process is." Or, I can say, "You know when you are in a pose you don't like and your mind is telling you to run out of the room, but you breathe and remain in the pose? Well, that's how it is to stay aware of disturbing emotions and the urge to eat to make them go away." If they say they feel fat, I can inquire how their yoga practice has been and what they are noticing about their body/mind in it. I can ask how their balance, strength, stamina, flexibility, and focus are developing and help them recognize the many faceted qualities of their own body/mind. I find that I can easily build on the training that hatha yoga provides, and clients are usually able to generalize the skills they learn to other physical activity and their eating.

Lawrence says of her students, "Yoga practice gives people a positive relationship with themselves. They get to know and feel comfortable with themselves for the first time." It is a source of great joy to me that healthcare providers are waking up to the benefits of ancient practices like yoga, chi gung, tai chi, aikido, and meditation. We live in an increasingly stressful, empty culture that robs people of the recognition of the simple pleasures in the moments that make up our lives. I encourage anyone who wants to help their client blossom to recommend yoga or any of these forms that teach relaxation and awareness.

- Gretchen Newmark, MA, RD, LD, is an eating disorders specialist in private practice in Portland, Ore. She is also a spiritual director who has been practicing and teaching yoga for many years.

A study published in the latest issue of Psychology of Women Quarterly reports that mind-body exercise, such as yoga, is associated with greater body satisfaction and fewer symptoms of eating disorders than traditional aerobic exercise like jogging or using cardio machines. Yoga practitioners reported less self-objectification, greater satisfaction with physical appearance, and fewer disordered eating attitudes compared to non-yoga practitioners. Through yoga, this study suggests that women may have intuitively discovered a way to buffer themselves against messages that tell them that only a thin and 'beautiful' body will lead to happiness and success.

Yoga offers an unparalleled opportunity to heal negative body image. The various poses challenge people to use balance, strength, stamina, stillness, mindfulness, and flexibility. The yogic system identifies eating disorders as a problem related to the first chakra. Different poses are used to balance it: crab, full wind, pigeon, locust, staff, and many more. Strengths and courage can be increased by using grounding postures such as mountain, goddess, standing squat, and prayer squat. The postures re-establish the strong mind-body connections and help overcome many physical obstacles. Most back bending poses help reduce depression and forward bends usually calm the spirit and minimize the effects of anorexia.

An active, specifically targeted meditation practice will prove to be highly effective in managing eating disorders. General meditation practice will be beneficial, but using an active and targeted meditation would be more effective. Practice any or all of the following based upon what calls you to be invoked within yourself: Inner Peace Meditation, Third Eye Meditation, Root Chakra Meditation or Prana Healing Meditation. If it becomes uncomfortable to practice with the eyes closed, have them slightly open with a soft downward gaze.

Yoga, highly therapeutic and relatively non-threatening, is the ideal therapy: a gentle reawakening of the mind and a soft embrace of the body, all helping to get patients back into the land of healthy living.

Crab posture (Catuspadapitham)
Crab posture opens the front side of the body and builds arm, leg and core body strength.
Instructions

10 November 2004(Published 2006)
Laura Douglass
Independent Studies
Nancy Waring, Priscilla Das-Brailsford, Micheal Keene

Prior to become a sannyasin (monk), Swami Atmatattwananda lived with a rare debilitating kidney disease that required heavy medication three times a day. His physical condition did not inhibit him, however, from establishing himself as a production manager in the film industry of Sydney, Australia. For twelve years he adapted to his illness, until the day he discovered that his blood pressure was 50 points above heart attack level (200/140). Hospitalized for an entire month, physicians released him with the information that there was no possibility of a cure and that his illness should be considered life threatening. Swami Atmatattwananda was 24 years old.

Atmatattwananda's time in the hospital gave him ample room for re-prioritization; establishing himself in Yoga became one of these priorities. After his release from the hospital he was fortunate to walk into the clinic of Dr. Swami Shankardevananda, a medical doctor and Yoga therapist. After four years of simple but dedicated practice, Swami Atmatattwananda was able to access and understand the root source of his illnesses. He defied the medical profession by gradually coming off all medications; he has not visited a doctor or hospital for these conditions since.

Deeply grateful for this powerful and liberating experience, Swami Atmatattwananda wished to teach and share this superb integrated system of Satyananda Yoga with others. He committed himself to the practice of Satyananda Yoga and received mantra initiation and a spiritual name in 1985. Two years latter he further devoted himself to the service of others through Yoga by becoming a swami.

Swami Atmatattwananda's service is guided his Guru, Paramahamsa Swami Satyananda and his 'Boss' and inspirer, Swami Niranjananda Saraswati. His time is divided between India, Europe and the Middle East Ð where he plays the role of teacher, lecturer, examiner, editor, archival expert and administrative assistant. While Swami Atmatattwananda helps setting up new schools and centers of Yoga internationally he has found his most rewarding work in the direct service of others. He describes it as "his fortune" to have been able to teach Yoga in male prisons, and to those with cancer and HIV. Swami Atmatattwananda's message is one of hope and inspiration. Not only has he overcome many obstacles through the practice of Yoga, but also he is tireless in reminding the student that practice and service are where the heart of Yoga truly lies.

Sevika (S): What is the human "mind?"
Swami Atmattavanada (A): What is the human mind? My limited understanding comes from an intellectual, but also partially from experiential insight. There is the conscious state or level of mind, the sub conscious, the unconscious and a super or supra conscious state or level of mind. These are western terms. In yogic terminology these states of mind are referred to as jagrit, swapna, sushupti and turyaÐ waking, dreaming, sleeping and the more untranslatable fourth state. Turya is the state that we in the West know least about, and are most keen to experience. Swami Niranjananda has mentioned that our western understanding of the mind is still in its early infancy days. The first psychologists and psychiatrists only coined the terms conscious, sub-conscious, unconscious and super-conscious a mere 100 or so years ago. Whereas the ancient texts and empirical science of Yoga has studied the mind extensively, and has many more refined words to describe mind and it's subtleties or states. The Yogic physiology of the mind uses the terms manas (The instrument of action in the mind that is reliant on the senses); buddhi(intellect and comprehension), chitta (consciousness), & ahamkara (ego). These different aspects of mind have specific functions such as rational thought, logic, discrimination, intellectual activity, perception, and memory.

S: What, if any, is the minds relationship to ego?
A: Of course there is a relationship between mind and the ego. Without ego one cannot function, without mind one cannot function. It is a symbiotic relationship. This relationship works in varying degrees of harmony and efficiency, depending upon the state of health of both mind and ego!

S: One of the criticisms that Western psychologists level against Yogic theory is that there is not a developmental model, i.e. the model does not take into account childhood experiences. How do you respond to this?
A: I feel this is simply not correct. The Yogic model of mind takes into account, not only childhood experiences, but every single one of the impressions that the mind has absorbed from the moment of first consciousness in the womb up to the present minute. In Yogic terms these sensory impressions are known as samskaras, and we all have millions of them. It is acknowledged that they affect our behavior, our attitudes, and our relationship with our selves, with others and with the world. There is also a rising trend in evidence and research that previous life experiences may also have both adverse and positive effects in this incarnation.

S: In Swami Niranjananda's article "Mind and Consciousness" he explains that consciousness is a shared universal energy, where as manas (mind) is the individual's sense organ or tool of perception. This is very different from the Western model, which largely thinks of consciousness as something that individual's possess. How does this fundamental difference manifest itself in understanding what an individual is and how the mind works?
A: I would put this one straight into the satsang box (where questions are put to be answered by a senior teacher Ð usually in a community setting) for Swami Niranjananda to answer one fine morning on the lawn; if we were lucky. I have not read the article recently and do not feel qualified to try and explain his thinking or understanding in this case. However, I will ask him to expound on this should the opportunity arise.

S: Afflictions of the mind such as jealousy, anger, fear and hatred are considered to be a normal aspect of the human experience by western psychology. This is very different from the Yogic perspective; can you please explain why these mental states are indicative of a mind that is not functioning at its optimal potential?
A: I'm not sure what you mean by 'this is very different from the yogic perspective?'

S: It's my understanding that in Yoga such afflictions are considered to be indicative of afflictions in the mind; whereas in Western psychology they are considered normal and completley acceptable.
A: Fear is certainly recognized as one of the primary instincts. Both fear and anger may prove to be life saving. We are lucky to come across Yoga so easily today. The science of Yoga is extremely ancient. The original proponents of this science were rishis, munis and yogis, who dedicated their lives to understand the higher meaning of consciousness, of life itself. The very fact that they were living in an environment of absolute sanctity and purity, high up in caves in the Himalayan Mountains has an affect. They lived in relative solitude, searching for union and harmony with focus and purpose. Their entire goal was to realize the Self; to realize their relationship with God. This implies that they would not be dealing with the same degree of negative emotions such as jealousy and hatred that we deal with these days. Today negative emotions are so very prevalent and 'normal.' But if a wild animal came to their cave, ate their meager supply of food and were threatening their lives, of course anger and fear would be there. Fear of death, Abhinivesha, is one of the key kleshas or afflictions for a yogi to overcome. So I would not say these emotional states are different from the Yogic perspective, rather that they are recognized as being states that will disturb and cause imbalance in the functioning of the mind. Basically, anything that is not conducive to well being and harmony is not Yogic. Therefore a well functioning mind can and will learn to accept and recognize the presence of these states of mind, their repetitive patterns, their trigger points, their effects on the self, the energy, on others, on the environment. Through the careful and systematic use of Yogic techniques as tools, the mind will aim, gradually, to identify and weed out the deeper samskaras that cause these emotions to move so strongly that they disturb the mental and physical equilibrium. Look at the etymology of the word; E=energy and motere is Latin for "to move."

S: Could you comment on the appropriateness of Yoga as a therapy for those with mild mental illness such as fears, anxiety, anger and those with more severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder? Or is this question not relevant as Yoga is primarily a practice for liberation?
A: Although the prime aim of Yoga is to help us tread the path of higher consciousness, and would have been used as such in the ancient times, this question is most definitely relevant. In these modern times the initial aim of Yoga is to purify and eliminate our physical and mental afflictions and disturbances. This is necessary before we can go any further. So these days certain techniques of Yoga are used very appropriately as a therapeutic management tool for quite a wide range of mental illnesses. Yoga is extremely helpful for managing and overcoming many fears, anxieties, phobias, and mental stress. It is also most effective for anger management. Bi-polar disorder is harder to manage. In most cases, the student needs to combine allopathic medicine with the practices of Yoga. Practitioners report the need for less medication and an increased awareness, acceptance and understanding of the nature of their disorder. Overall they are better able to manage their mental states with the addition of Yoga. When working with schizophrenia there are several contra indications regarding the type of techniques that can be applied. Again it is best for a Yoga teacher to be working in cooperative conjunction with the medical profession. Swami Satyanandaji has given me the understanding that the era when Yoga and meditation are used as a self oriented practice only (to gain enlightenment for ourselves) is gone. There are too many people suffering in our societies. People are in need and it is our duty to do whatever we can to try and alleviate this. This extends well beyond teaching asana and pranayama, to providing food for the homeless, clothing, blankets, as well as to provide voluntary work to offer care, love, support according to whatever means are available to us.

S: What are the qualities of one who has a healthy mind?
A: I feel it necessary to specify that the qualities of one who has a healthy mind, may be different to the qualities of a healthy mind. A healthy mind is able to function very efficiently, at will. It is able to adapt quickly to changing circumstances and modes of operation, applying whichever aspect is required according to need. It is able to multi task, to intuit, perceive, prioritize and act or not as appropriate, in less than a blink of the eye. A healthy mind is aware of its own tendencies, capacities and limitations, which it accepts with a friendly attitude. A healthy mind is able to be in the present, here now, rather than dreaming of the past or fantasizing of the future. A healthy mind knows there is much more to life than it can ever know. A healthy mind is aware of itself; it is able to witness. A healthy mind is free from conditionings and habit; a healthy mind is always able to be spontaneous.

S: How can one recognize one who rightly understands their relationship to the mind?
A: Few and far between are those who rightly understand their relationship to the mind. They are, however, recognizable immediately. Once recognized, every effort should at once be made to spend as much time as possible in their company. Although the experience is subjective, one can tell by the way that they walk, talk, breathe, act, and how one's own mind starts to behave when near to them.

S: This seems similar to descriptions of one's recognition of their guru. What is the role of a guru-disciple relationship in assisting the individual to greater mental clarity?
A: If you wanted to become a world-class concert pianist, or learn to speak and write a foreign language fluently or become a Doctor, what would you do? You would find the very best teachers possible, who have the most experience and knowledge so that they can assist you to achieve your aim.

S: Many American's believe they do not need a teacher to find lasting peace, how do you respond to this?
A: How many of those Americans without a teacher have actually managed to find and sustain lasting peace and what are they doing with it? If they have all achieved this satisfactorily, and can maintain it over a long period of time, then well and good. Personally, I believe the guru-disciple relationship is absolutely THE most important thing of all. Not only in regards to mental clarity, but for personal and spiritual growth. A true Guru, despite all the advertisements around these days, is very rare. A guru acts like a mirror. He or she is someone who is exceptionally, crystal clear and steady. This offers a clear, undistorted mirror for the disciple to reflect against. It is so easy for the ego to become self-deluded and to hide from oneself. With a Guru this is not possible. "Dispeller of darkness" is the literal meaning of the word Guru, and without an enlightened guide, it is very easy to lose the way when traveling into the vast, un-chartered areas of the mind. Perhaps the concept of true Guru or Master and disciple relationships has become distorted, misused and abused by charlatans in the West. This may have led to the attitude you mention, but in the East it has been and still remains an unquestioned and necessary part of learning about the Yoga tradition.

S: What is the role of discipline in achieving mental clarity?
A: At the most fundamental level, without discipline in our basic life style it is not possible to achieve mental clarity. This includes discipline about the number of hours we work, sleep, play, relaxation, practice of sadhana (formal spiritual practice), regulating when & what we eat. Discipline is not a minor pre-requisite. It is vital for both mental clarity and spiritual growth. It can be said the role of discipline is essential, particularly in the earlier years, for achieving mental clarity. Swami Niranjanananda recounts Shankaracharya's story about the dog with the bent tail. The dog's master put his tail in a tube to straighten (or discipline) it, but ten years later, when he took the tube off, the bent tail bounced back. The comparison was in regard to external or enforced discipline, which will provide benefits for a short while, but will not work in the long run. That is to say that discipline has to arise spontaneously from inside. It is like the desire to brush one's teeth in the morning Ð it comes naturally, easefully. Such discipline is assimilated easily by the mind.

S: Yoga is often seen as either a physical practice (hatha yoga/asana based) or as concerned only with meditation (raja yoga). Can you please talk about the role of the Yoga lifestyle in maintaining health? Can lasting changes to one's mental health be made by practice of asana, pranayama and meditation alone (without the support of a Yogic lifestyle)?
A: These days there are many different schools operating under the overall banner of 'Yoga.' In the West many of these are solely physically or hatha yoga oriented. A few schools practice a form of raja Yoga only. However neither of these approaches present or provide the full picture or scope of Yoga, both are incomplete. In the full picture, as expounded by the Satyananda Yoga system, asana, pranayama and meditation practices are just three small components. In an average day for a student here in the ashram, living a yogic lifestyle, they wake at 4:30 a.m. and go to sleep by 9:00 p.m. Asana, pranayama and meditation would occupy a total of approximately two and a half to three hours per day only. The remainder of the time would be spent in study, practicing karma yoga (which probably brings about more change than any other formal technique) and bhakti yoga. Although it can be said that some change to one's mental health can definitely be made through the formal practices of asana, pranayama and meditation. It is the support and inclusion of the Yogic lifestyle that ensures the change will be lasting. Obviously common sense has to be applied. People living a full family life in a city cannot be expected to maintain ashram hours, but nonetheless, the elements of regularity of timings for daily practice, sleep, meals, awareness of diet are important. Maintaining positive inputs into the mind are also essential. For example, practice some meditation first thing in the morning rather than listening to the news on the radio or TV. These lifestyle changes have a very positive effect.

S: One of the goals of this project is to share the Yogic perspective of the mind with those who are students of Western psychology. What issues do you see as important to furthering understanding between Yoga and Western Psychology?
A: Broadly speaking Western psychology can be an intellectual theorized subject, whereas yogic psychology is based on the premise of experience. To understand the deeper aspects of yoga psychology one needs to be a practitioner. It is only when these techniques are applied and practiced over a long period of time in a spirit of enquiry that their profound aspects can be understood. Ultimately, both the methods of Western psychology and yogic psychology and therapy can be considered as maps or tools. They help to guide people to explore alternative perceptual realities and behavioural and emotional choices. This awareness enables the necessary changes to take place in their lives.

S: Is there anything that I haven't asked that you feel is important to share?
A: If the subject of Yoga interests you in any way at all, don't think about, don't read about it, don't talk about it, rather follow the words of the great Doctor and Yogi, Swami Sivananda, who said 'an ounce of practice is worth a tonne of theory!' Or as Swami Niranjan would say 'Give Yoga a chance in your life.'
Hari Om Tat Sat

Swami Budhananda (1917-1983), was a monk of the Ramakrishna Order. He wielded a powerful pen and spent several years spreading Vedanta in the U.S.A. The Saving Challenges of Religion, Mind and Its Control and other books authored by him have been acclaimed as valuable guides for spiritual seekers.

In the early sixties when I was working as a preacher in New York, I found that my congregation consisted mainly of people who were pursuing careers in a competitive, affluent, materialistic society, with a religious back ground that was generally Judaeo-Christian.

Convinced that it was futile to engage in scholarly and theory-oriented religious preaching, while dealing with a highly pragmatic congregation of modern Americans, I tried to discover a meaningful and practical method of presenting to such an audience, the lofty teachings of Vedanta which were adumbrated in a totally different kind of social milieu. In doing so, I found that I was not only trying to address the needs of my congregation; I was in fact finding a solution to my own needs as a spiritual seeker. At a certain point it dawned on me that we were on the same quest. The imperative to assimilate the wisdom of the scriptures into the stream of daily living is universal.

Meanwhile, in the course of my personal studies I had read Swami Vivekananda's lectures on Practical Vedanta, where it is said:

I understood that religious striving is a process of actualizing one's own potential for self-transformation. Keeping this in mind I started a series of discourses on Applied Religion. These talks were always well received, whether the audience consisted of Westerners or Indians because they fulfilled an abiding need felt by all sincere and earnest spiritual aspirants.

The small book, The Mind and its Control, which has been based on these discourses, has been translated into several Indian languages. Subsequently, I had been requested by some friends to give a talk on the subject 'How to Overcome Anger'. However, I waited until I had enough material to give a purposeful discourse on the theme. Now, with the Lord's blessings, I hope to give a series of talks to deal with the subject in detail. The theme of these discourses is not confined to religious topics and is of relevance to the followers of all spiritual traditions.

Introduction

Everyone of us, except for a rare few, has experienced that passion called anger--its fury and flames, its madness and infernal energy. Some of us continue to be permanent victims of the tragedy brought about by it.

Not all those who have experienced anger are seeking to know how to overcome it - many even rationalize their anger, and would go any length to justify it, both to themselves and to others, as if the welfare of the world depended on their anger. These days it is also intellectually fashionable to speak approvingly of the 'angry generation', as if anger, which is considered destructive at the individual level, when collectivized, becomes a commendable virtue. In fact, anger has become a modern social ethos, a political weapon, a collective ploy for upsetting the status quo, and useful material for revolution - a kind of unconventional vested interest. The under-privileged sections of society, particularly their leaders, organized labour, student's unions etc., deliberately use the idiom of anger, as a strategy for action, or a keynote for bargaining: 'Do this or face the consequences.' And it would appear that it works!

Some people also seem to consider anger to be a kind of masculine virtue and wear it as a badge of leadership--for being regarded as the boss among a-social or anti-social elements. In the underworld of criminals, refrigerated anger is a status symbol. Any time, at will, he can get it out of the ice-box and get it heated on the stove of his design:

In advertisements, newspapers, electronic media etc., we see anger and violence depicted in great detail. Mental food of this kind cannot but have a harmful effect on the general public. Yet there is hardly any protest against this marketing of anger as a commodity. It is necessary therefore to examine the phenomenon of anger both in its social and individual aspects, before devising strategies to overcome it.

Anger and Its Effects

Let us examine some definitions of anger. 'Anger is momentary madness.' Another unusual definition is: 'Anger is a mirror into which you do not venture to see your own face.' The Oxford dictionary defines anger as 'extreme displeasure'. Swami Turiyananda regarded anger as concentrated desire.

While a precise definition of anger may prove elusive, everyone more or less knows what anger is, since it is pretty ubiquitous. We meet anger at home, in the streets, offices, social gatherings, election booths, legislative assemblies, play grounds, international meets, and most frequently, within ourselves.

Anger, oftener than not, is apt to cause more harm to oneself than to others. As anger issues out of man's own nature, it is a natural and a forceful emotion, with great destructive potential. As in every piece of wood there is hidden fire, so there is hidden anger in every human being, because of the 'Rajas' constituent of his/her nature. All are susceptible to anger - mildly, or strongly so. Anger is contagious. Words ignited by anger can cause anger in others. Soothing words are the water hydrants needed when passions are inflamed.

The evil effects of anger are innumerable The first thing that happens to an angry person is that he forgets the lessons of wisdom he has learnt in life. After that he loses control over his thoughts and emotions. He becomes over-active, with his highly charged ego, as his only guide. He loses his power of discrimination, sense of proportion, and becomes aggressive in manner, hostile to his own welfare. When anger becomes the second nature of a person, physical health and equanimity of mind suffer and inner peace vanishes in a trice. Anger can destroy friendships, families, business partnerships, professional prospects. Communal and ethnic riots, arsons, wars, suicides, murder, and many other forms of crime are basically products of anger. In fact. anger makes even a handsome person look ugly. I suggested to a friend who is remorseful about his flashes of anger, that he keep a large mirror facing his office desk. In case the anger-prone person has a lively sense of humour, this mirror-therapy is likely to work.

Has Anger Any Bright Side also?

This friend had said to his wife, 'Let us go to the Mission and listen to a discourse on, "How to Overcome Anger", which is likely to be interesting.' The lady thereupon said that she did not want to learn how to overcome her anger, because her anger was the only thing their children were afraid of. She would not like to lose the only instrument with which she could discipline her children! She held the somewhat unusual point of view that anger has some utility. This view is echoed in the dictum, 'Severity is allowable where mildness is in vain.' Use of anger could have a kind of utilitarian, if not moral sanction.

In the course of his discussion he hinted that his wife was easily roused to anger. This observation was helpful in understanding a somewhat piquant situation. Here the question to be asked is: 'Are you using your anger, or is anger using you? Is anger an efficient instrument in your hand or are you a mere tool in the hands of your anger?'

If we have not learnt how to overcome anger, we cannot use anger deliberately for any creative purpose. It is a difficult task to utilize anger masterfully and deliberately. Aristotle says: 'Anybody can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person, and to the right degree, and at the right time, and for the right purpose and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy.' If the mother did really know how to use her anger as deliberately, as electricity is used in a calibrated manner to heat water, it could be said that such conduct could be permissible where other measures would not work. However if she got burnt when trying to administer 'short-wave diathermy' to her children, her anger-therapy cannot do them good in the long run. The psychological implication of this statement is of profound importance for all who are inclined to apply anger-therapy on their children or on any one else.

Certainly, all mothers, except the abnormal ones, have their children's best interests at heart. In this instance the mother was only trying to do good by using anger as a disciplinary measure. But intrinsically anger is poisonous and contagious. When the mother, herself genuinely angry, administers the blows and billows of anger on her children, the children also get angry, but are unable to react or protest effectively. Besides, discipline imposed by fear has only a marginal chance of becoming a good acquired habit, because of the coexistence of suppressed, but developing animosity in the hearts of children. The result is that their anger goes under-ground in their minds and lies in wait, manufacturing animosity of different kinds in their psyche. When this animosity will suddenly explode, as it must, one day, she, who had not learnt to overcome her anger, and is now also unable to use her wonted anger-therapy on her grown up children, would find herself to be a very unhappy and frustrated person. And, to be sure, she has herself contributed to this situation! It is to be pondered over whether or not the permanent benefit of filial love should be sacrificed for a temporary advantage.

But the situation would be entirely different if the mother practiced anger-therapy on her children after learning how to overcome her own anger. In that case she would be only hissing like the cobra of Sri Ramakrishna's parable, and not biting. [Note: the reference is to the story of the Brahmachari and the Cobra in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna]

How Uncalculated Use of Anger Saved a Situation: The following narrative illustrates how the use of anger saved a grave situation but burnt the person concerned grievously. This incident happened in the monastery of a religious order during Durga Puja. Worship was going on with great solemnity, in the hall where many devotees had assembled to witness the worship of the Divine Mother.

The whole monastery was charged with a sublime atmosphere, reflected in the animated faces of the devotees. Suddenly a woman who was seated in the packed hall, being overpowered by religious fervour got up and rushed to embrace the image of Durga. In such a tense moment, when no one seemed to know how to save the image from the devoted onslaught of the lady, there appeared like the angry Asura of the Durga image, an enraged person. As one overpowered by rage, with his powerful arms he seized the lady before the wondering eyes of the vast congregation and removed her from the scene. Many monks and devotees were outraged by his harsh conduct. But, strangely and understandably enough, many heaved a sigh of relief that the image was saved from being mutilated, and thankful that the great Puja could continue unobstructed. Had the lady succeeded in embracing the image, it would have most certainly been broken, and this would have been very inauspicious. Among the thousands of well-behaved people not one lifted his little finger to save the situation. But the fierce response of the enraged person prevented a catastrophe and his conduct was viewed by many as a singular piece of service.

However, was the use of anger in such a situation beneficial or not? There could be no doubt the man's action was based on an unqualified explosion of anger even if it was undeniable that this very reaction saved the annual Puja.

Creative utilization of anger is impossible for a person who has not learnt how to overcome his anger.

Bibliography:
1. Swami Vivekananda, Complete Works, Vol. 2
2. Cassell's Book of Quotations
3. Gilbert & Sullivan H.M.S.Pinafore
4. The Bhagavat Gita

Indian psychology has been invisible as a subject in Indian academia. But exist it does, preserved in ancient texts and scriptures. At a recent conference, professors and students of psychology dwelt on this 'sophisticated, rich and practical' body of India's wisdom that concerns the human being and the enormous potential he carries.

When two German magazines, Yoga Aktuell and Advaita Journal, expressed interest in a report on a conference on Indian psychology, I was convinced of the demand for the subject in the West. Off I went to Pondicherry, a state in southern India, to attend the conference on 'Yoga and Indian Approaches to Psychology' a month ago.

Pondicherry was home to Sri Aurobindo and the Mother who left behind a huge body of work on yoga and psychology. He had stated: "Yoga is nothing but practical psychology." Sri Aurobindo's vision of an impending change in the consciousness of humankind prompted the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology to ask Dr Matthijs Cornelissen from the Netherlands to organise this conference.

He has lived in the ashram for almost 30 years and values the Indian tradition. During his lectures on Sri Aurobindo's vision of psychology in America and Europe, he noticed that there is a big demand for teachers of Indian psychology in the West.

The many conference sponsors included the Indian Council of Philosophical Research and the Infinity Foundation of USA. It drew 160 delegates from different universities and institutes from India and abroad, and over 80 papers were presented. In his keynote address, Prof Ramakrishna Rao, president of the Institute of Human Science in Vishakapatnam (India) and former vice-chancellor of Andhra University, said: "Isn't it ironical that there is no Indian psychology in any of our great universities?"

He pointed out that out of the 1,000 colleges in Andhra Pradesh (India), only 20 teach psychology. He asked why psychology was in such a pitiful state and answered the question himself: "Because psychology as it is taught now appears irrelevant in the Indian condition." It slowly dawned on me that Indian psychology is hardly taught in India, at least not at her colleges and universities. It amazed me.

Psychology in India is completely ignoring the Indian tradition in spite of the great treasures hidden in its ancient scriptures. The textbooks here are written by western authors and many teachers are trained abroad. Prof Girishwar Misra from Delhi University put it bluntly: "If you mention Freud, nobody asks questions. If you mention samadhi, everyone does." Prof Anand Paranjpe, who retired from Simon Frazer University in Vancouver, said he smuggled some Indian thought into his regular courses. This, he said, was tolerated and even appreciated in the West, but not in India. Thirty years ago, when he suggested including Indian thought into the curriculum, nobody supported his idea.

For him, the conference in Pondicherry was like a dream come true. Finally, professors, lecturers and students from all over India appreciate the profundity of Indian tradition and realise that it is possible to develop a scientific psychology based on this tradition, which goes far beyond western psychology.

About time, because the West has already discovered the immense potential of Indian traditions and techniques like yoga. Yoga and pranayama which concern the well-being and growth of human beings, are no doubt aspects of psychology.

Westerners have also taken concepts from India's ancient scriptures, and used them to go beyond behavioural and humanistic psychology to what is termed 'transpersonal' psychology and 'transpersonal' psychotherapy. This new movement began in the 1970s and even made inroads into the curricula of western universities.

The Indian tradition, according to Prof Anand Prakash from Delhi University, is a powerful, robust and all-encompassing system with its emphasis on consciousness as the primary reality. It offers invaluable tools for psychotherapy, education, management and social work. Prof Rao stressed that it has global relevance and can reduce the glaring and unhealthy asymmetry between outer and inner science.

Western psychology is still groping in the dark over the most important questions of humanity and prefers not to pose these questions. There is a huge body of psychological research, but most of it is either irrelevant or obvious.

This is because western psychology tries hard to be an objective 'science' and relies mainly on observation that lies outside and not on experience that is inside, thus missing what is truly relevant for a human being. It chooses to ignore consciousness or rather it has no idea that consciousness is the basis and beyond the mind.

Indian tradition said long ago that mind and intellect cannot know the truth, yet truth can be realised as one's own being because it is one's being. Several students expressed their disappointment with the present curriculum of psychology.

They chose psychology as their subject of study because they wanted to find answers to the basic questions of humanity and these questions just did not figure in the curriculum. The disappointment was probably most acute for those who practise their tradition, because they know for sure that Indian tradition is valid.

Dr Suneet Verma, a lecturer in Delhi University, wanted to write his first thesis on 'personal growth in the Indian tradition'. His professor told him that 'personal growth' was okay, but he should leave out 'Indian tradition'. This was in the 1980s, when the convergence between ancient Indian wisdom and modern science was the subject of conferences all over the world.

One of those was organised by the International Transpersonal Association in Bombay in 1982, where a new paradigm that assumes the whole universe is an interconnected whole that 'most probably is conscious' (as Fritjof Capra put it) was adopted. The Indian image of Nataraj was used to illustrate this new paradigm.

The Indian rishis of old knew that the world is maya, that it is not what it seems to be, that it is an appearance of the one true consciousness. Modern science recently confirmed their vision.

That should be reason enough for psychologists to study and prove their vision of the human being and its potential for liberation. Though yoga and Indian psychology was the subject of the conference, most presentations started by quoting western scholars.

"Do we have to deconstruct western psychology first to construct Indian psychology?" a student questioned. "We cannot ignore history," replied the lecturer. "In that case let us go back to the Vedas," the student countered. Now what is Indian psychology?

Indian psychology encompasses the vast body of India's wisdom that concerns the human being. Indian philosophy and Indian psychology share a framework and believe the human has enormous potential hidden in its being. Indian psychology also has the 'technology' to raise the consciousness of a human being.

It is "sophisticated, rich and practical", Prof Rao pointed out, and deals with the most basic human questions, for example: Who or what is a human being? What is the purpose and goal of life? Who is an ideal human being? How can one live a happy and peaceful life? What is the cause of suffering? What is death? Has every person his own 'battery' or is she connected with an all-pervading power? Is there free will?

The Indian tradition gives profound and intuitive insight into the human condition. It also gives practical methods to find peace, joy and love, which, it claims, are inside everyone. These qualities are aspects of one's true self-of pure consciousness. In the Indian tradition, a person is not a separate fragment but on a deeper level one with all-a claim that is in tune with the findings of modern physics.

To find one's true Self, and thereby dis-identify from the ego, which one mistook for one's self, is the goal of life and is multi-liberation. It is a change in consciousness that has vast implication for society as well. The Indian tradition not only goes beyond but is often diametrically opposed to the view held by mainstream western psychology.

For example, it says that one's inner state determines the outer, whereas western psychology believes the outer circumstances determine one's inner state. Indian tradition says that the fulfilment of desires would give short-term happiness, until a new desire springs up. Lasting fulfilment and joy are found by stilling the mind and diving deep within-to pure, thought-free consciousness.

Western psychology believes that a human being is his body and mind. It does not even consider the existence of pure consciousness. It is highly probable that the vision of the Indian tradition is valid and will be confirmed if proper research is done. At present, Indian psychology lies scattered in the ancient scriptures.

At the conference, papers mainly discussed the view of the Bhagavad Gita and Patanjali's yoga sutras. However, there is much more. For example, Kashmir Shaivism is a goldmine for psychologists. Buddhist and Sufi texts also give extraordinary insights.

It is a challenge to dive deep into the Indian tradition and come up with relevant and helpful insights for the human being and society. Further, it is necessary to find ways to prove the validity of those insights.

Westerners may do it badly, but Indians may also do it badly-if they do not practise what they read and preach. The psychologist has to be a mystic, Kundan Singh, a Ph.D. scholar from San Francisco, postulated. Prof V. George Mathew, director of the Integrative Psychology Institute in Thiruvananthapuram, suggested an aptitude test for psychology students, because they require a high degree of sattva. Moreover, he suggested an evaluation of their personal growth instead of exams. If a psychologist talks about sthithaprajna as an ideal, he needs to have some idea of what equanimity under all circumstances means. If he stresses the great power of pure consciousness, he needs to be convinced of it and be able to tap it.

"Psychology is not a theory, or an intellectual gimmick. It is a verifiable truth-verifiable in oneself," stressed Kittu Reddy, who grew up in the Aurobindo Ashram and worked as a psychologist with the army.

"It is based on fundamental laws. Yet these laws have to be grasped at a deeper level than merely by intellectual understanding. One has to follow a certain set of practices which will help intuition and self grow strong and one will be truly self-ruled," he said. The fact that several delegates, among the younger generation as well, had an inner experience of the Indian tradition, gives hope. However, to assume that every psychologist will be a mystic in the near future would be naive. The delegates were aware that given the politics in academia, it would not be easy to introduce Indian psychology into the universities' curricula.

The ego still rules where ideally the Indian psychologist should not be ruled by his ego. Change may be slow, but it is certainly approaching. "In ten years, when Indian psychology is taught in the universities, the number of psychology students will skyrocket," Dr Cornelissen predicted.

A 'Pondicherry Declaration' was passed and a committee was formed with Prof Rao, Prof Janak Pandey, head of the department of psychology of Allahabad University, Dr Cornelissen and Prof Misra on the board. It is high time Indian psychology was given its rightful place in the colleges and universities, to consider, study and verify the views of the Indian tradition.

Suppose psychological research reveals that persons who identify with their ego (the prevalent state of being today) live a life of far inferior quality than persons who truly feel the oneness of all and are not concerned with ego gratification.

Suppose the latter feel not just inner peace and joy, but their lives also flow with ease and their needs are met in an astonishing way. Suppose research confirms Krishna's assurance that he really looks after those who surrender to him...

Would it not motivate people to forsake the ego and its false promises of happiness and discover a deeper realm of their being that truly liberates? Perhaps Dr Cornelissen referred to this when he said: "Indian psychology is a living force for the future."

Excerpt from Words From the Soul: Time, East/West Spirituality, and Psychotherapeutic Narrative (pgs.183-186) by Stuart Sovatsky

In continuing our explorations of time, psychotherapeutic narrative, and spirituality, I will suggest that in vivo even the most psychotic, psychopathic, suicidal, or organic conditions are riddled with spiritual poignancy and even the most profound enlightenment confronts its attainer with new problems and challenges. For the essence of "crisis" is a temporal urgency which can hover ambiguously between "danger" and "maturational opportunity."

Some have said this is the import of The Cross (or Crux-crisis): the vertical breakthrough of the Eternal into horizontal, mundane time. Thus, the inherent ambiguity in the terms spiritual emergency and spiritual emergence. For, glimmers of eternality inherent to all moments shine moreso within such hormonally heated pressures, whatever the inciting fires. And such crisis-born epiphanies of the eternal can easily be misconstrued as the interminability of some specific difficulty now at hand.

Thus, conventional therapists with their past-oriented hermeneutic can overinterpret a client's reported fears of "endless" rage or his tears as signs of "vast pockets of long-repressed affect." So assured, they proceed with years of cathartic work seeking discharges from the past exclusively. Any awe of the eternal that broke into ordinary time via the crisis and was also part of the grievous moment is missed. Bereavements, momentous beginnings, and crises of all sorts commonly stir the impermanence-awe into mundane time.

Even the child's terrible disillusionment of his parental safety net becoming a web of horrific abuse partakes of this posttraumatic awe where a vast, sheer space ruptures into his life via security-ripping events. Sheer and (nonomnipotently) benign? Perhaps so. Thus, child protection agencies and other responsible adults try to deal with those aspects of abuse beyond the nonomnipotence of spiritual succor, yet, hopefully, guided by its inexhaustive wisdom.

Far less horrifically, attachment to a moment of bliss that then passes results characteristically in a disorienting anguish. Thus, the fleetings of a too-prized ecstasy can be nostalgically gripped by the dubious inquiry of "When is that good time going to return?" instead of being appreciated as a fleeting grace of endless impermanence, or as poignant longing. The condescending impatience of "spiritual materialism," can skip one over much of life, waiting only to meditate, assume an air of superiority, or become drug dependent, seeking only repeat peak experiences.

The so-called transcendence or psychosis? overly binary diagnostic debate initiated by my predecessor at the Kundalini Clinic, Lee Sannella, often revolves around this phenomenon of some inner soteriological (or "redemptive healing") struggle being suddenly and oscillatingly blown up to staggering proportions by the energetic stirrings. That the first chakra, where kundalini resides, is associated with the adrenals is an anatomical way of saying that spiritual awe and fear (not necessarily danger-evoked fearsomeness, for there may be little to fear, except awe misconstrued as fear, followed by fear-inducing, imagined dangers) are close cousins.

Here we encounter the Kierkegaardian "sickness unto death": a circularity of skepticism/cynicism regarding anything benignly awesome in someone who now encounters "awe of the eternal," yet unnamed as such. Both struggling to believe in this eternality and unable to fully enough believe, he longs for an ending to the discomfort of this no-man's-land that does not come. For his situation is unlike longing for an ordinary discomfort to end. Indeed, how difficult to sense an end to even a slight hint of the Infinite! And worse when It cannot be named credibly as such. Thus, this verbal misconstrual helps accelerate fear into panic: the harrowing thought of "what next?" mushrooms upon itself and all around, horribly.

For, what characterizes this awe most is how completely beyond egoic intentions it stretches, even if we do name it properly. Only soul identity can measure up, a matter that for the afflicted is incredulous. (Yet, such anxieties are exactly the prepubescent struggles of the postgenital puberties into the endless soul identity.) The alternating despair that there might be no ending, even in death, and then that death might be an obliterating end - whichever stand one takes, both are dreadful. To call such problems and their trials of faith a matter of "premature transcendence" underestimates the potency of the Divine Revelation which, according to their own reports, has jolted even the most matured of saints and saviors for thousands of year.

As well, any specific feeling or worry experienced within this Kierkegaardian "category of the infinite" thus portends obsessively to last for an eternity. Sick with a cold, one thinks, "It's okay, in two days, it'll be over"; sick with treatable cancer, on thinks (hopes), "After the treatment, I'll be okay." But touching a moment of endlessness throws any worry onto this vast temporal context with its unique hormonal substrate, thus the inherent soteriological sentiments shudder. And, as I assert, unnamed as such, we touch it in many moments: rushing in traffic or to meet deadlines, at funerals or weddings, having colds or AIDS, or feeling the mind bloom into unmani mudra. Its extreme tumults, however, can lead to (what we call) psychotic terrors, manic flights or depressive spiralings.

Thus, unless we can make subtle temporal distinctions that include possible "Awesome Eternality Experiences," these glimmerings of the endlessness of time can result in us believing that it is our mundane worry that could last forever. Or, in the soteriological shudder - if deprived of a sense of the merciful and the full potencies of gratitude, apology, and forgiveness - we can become entangled in the overly deterministic purgatorial narratives of Jonathan Edwardian moralities or of deterministic adult-child syndromatic etiologies and terminal survivorhood identities.

One feels doomed, hears inner voices of damnation, or obsessively believes herself (vengefully, then sorrowfully) to be a determined product of past events. Deprived of a yogic hermeneutic and praxes, some will fear the "strange" bodily sensations that are auspicious quickenings of the postgenital maturations. In any case, in this far more vast time sense, our problems (and the possible iatrongenics of their too severely worded narratives) mingle with the Eternal and now we begin to say we feel "doomed with no sense of an ending."

And, ironically, the greater the sense of eternal time - the eerie deathless grandeur of heaven - the greater the potential terror (or derealizing lull) of this seeming endless hell. And learning to accept or "witness" one's dread is only relatively helpful, for this guidance might never plumb the temporal depths that flow beneath it all: accepting the eternality sense itself and partaking of its mercies in which all things keep passing and, most particularly, perpetual "presence" itself: This is the uroboric "deep present," which would seem to be a far more awesome matter than many present-oriented therapies allow for.

Richard L. Peterson, M.D.

Private Practice Psychiatry

San Francisco, CA

November 26, 2004

The Healing Psychology of Yoga

Five months ago I completed 24 years of school – 12 years of primary and secondary school, then 4 years of university, followed by 4 years of medical school, and capped off by 4 years of psychiatry residency. I practiced yoga intermittently (once a month or so) during the past six years. It was a recent two-month trip to the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute (AYRI) in Mysore, India that compelled me to start thinking deeply about how practicing yoga can heal the brain, body, and mind. Because of my long education in medicine and limited yoga practice, I’m biased towards understanding yoga’s healing effects through the lens of Western psychology and medicine. This article is written from the perspective of a western scientist who is a novice yoga practitioner.

Yoga and western medicine

There is an accumulating body of scientific evidence documenting the many benefits of yoga practice. On a physical level, researchers have found that yoga practice can reduce symptoms and signs of carpal tunnel syndrome[1], asthma[2]-[3], high blood pressure[4], osteoarthritis

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