cikitsā

Devanāgarī: चिकित्सा Translation: therapeutics; medical treatment Related concepts:śikṣaṇa, rakṣaṇa, svastha, āyurveda, āhāra, vihāra, oṣadhi, roga, aroga, arogya, rogya, ārogya, viniyoga, krama, kriyā, hīna, atiyoga, mithyā

Appears in

Yoga Rahasya:

Chapter 1: 84 , 85

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“In Veda, Āyurveda and Yoga Sūtra,
various techniques are offered to aid in healing the sick.
In addition to herbs and medicines,
Patañjali suggests that Āsana, Prāṇāyāma and Vairāgya
are particularly beneficial and, as any medicine,
should be used with care and discipline.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 34

“In Yoga Sutra Chapter Two, the role for
Īśvara Praṇidhānā in the Kriya Yoga section, can
be as an appropriate Upāya for a Cikitsā situation.
Here, as one of a triad in the cultivation of helpful
lifestyle habits, its purpose is in reducing agitation.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 1

“According to one’s capability and reference,
Prāṇāyāma done along with Mantra yields fruits
in the treatment of all kinds of diseases.”
– From T Krishnamacharya’s composition,
the Yoga Rahasya Chapter One verse 84

“If engaging therapeutically, firstly
examine the gait of the breath
and the power of the body.
Otherwise it will not bestow fruits.”
– From T Krishnamacharya’s composition,
the Yoga Rahasya Chapter One verse 85

“General outline on Cikitsa Krama.
More sophisticated than Śikṣaṇa Krama.
Already when you know an object it is seen differently by different people.
So when I offer a healing object it is seen as a cause of disease by others.
One mind can influence minds differently,
because different minds receive things differently.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“The process of Cikitsā has two parts:
1. Rakṣaṇa Krama
I am healthy and don’t want to be sick.
By not doing anything there will be no Rakṣaṇam.
For example:
Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 16
heyaṃ duḥkham anāgatam
I’m alright now,
but I must be careful so I don’t get sick tomorrow.
This is Rakṣaṇa Krama.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“We cannot say that this Āsana or this Prāṇāyāma can be given for this disease.”
– T Krishnamacharya 1984

“One could say, of course, that I have taught Yoga to hundreds of people, of different ages, states, origins, but by Yoga I mean only postures and breath control, and do not count meditation or interpretation of the texts.
These I have only taught to a few people and only to those I deemed worthy after several interviews, designed to give me an idea of their personality and the firmness of their intentions.
I discouraged those who appeared to have superficial reasons for learning Yoga, but never those who came to find me because of health problems and who had frequently been turned away by the medical profession.”
– From interviews with T Krishnamacharya by Sarah Dars, published in Viniyoga Review no 24, December 1989

“There are two categories of practice, the Śikṣaṇa Krama way, according to the rules,
or the Cikitsā Krama way, the application or adaptation of a posture
to suit a particular person or a particular situation.
Where postures need to be adapted to suit particular bodies and their limitations.
The authority for the postures comes from the teacher,
although some rules are indicated in the texts.”
– TKV Desikachar England 1992

“There are simple postures for Prāṇāyāma and Dhyāna,
so that we can relax in the body and not be distracted by it.
There are challenging postures,
to enable us to master our bodies and for young people who
will be engaged by the performance aspect of the posture.
There are also corrective postures.”
– TKV Desikachar England 1992

“Krishnamacharya’s understanding of Cikitsā
or Yoga therapy and the arrangement and
sequencing of postures, along with modifying
the posture and using different breathing
patterns, plus the use of sound and different
Bhāvana or mental foci was profound.
This allowed for many possibilities to be
offered, for a great number of students
with problems, from a range of relatively
few postures and breathing techniques.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1996

“Preventive health is a self-discipline and only a minority
seeks Yoga as a preventive measure to prevent illness.
Most people seem to seek Yoga only for therapy.
But it must be remembered that the essence of Yoga is discipline.
Essentially it is the discipline of the body,
it is the discipline of the mind and
it is also the discipline of the spirit.
But prevention does not interest people
even though it is of obvious importance.
People get interested only when they are in trouble.
So we now need to develop strategies
using the salient principles of Yoga practice,
so that it can be adapted to people with specific problems.”
YOGA: SURGERY SANS INSTRUMENTS
– Interview with TKV Desikachar from ‘The Hindu’ 1998

“The teacher decides which of the Tri Krama is the best for the student:
Śikṣaṇa Krama requires a perfect knowing to transmit a strict practice,
without any compromise, as it should be in Vedic chanting for example.
Rakṣaṇa Krama is aimed at protection and preservation;
it promotes continuity in any levels like health, abilities, knowledge, etc.
Cikitsā Krama looks for adaptation, healing, recovering…”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“Preventive health is a self-discipline and only a minority
seeks Yoga as a preventive measure to prevent illness.
Most people seem to seek Yoga only for therapy.”
– TKV Desikachar 1998

Question to TKV Desikachar:
“How is Āyurveda linked to Cikitsā or the therapeutic application of Yoga?”
TKV Desikachar Response:
“There is a lot of difference. As far as Yoga is concerned, we are concerned with the personality of the person, the mental aspect and the higher aspirations of the student
That is why Yoga has a lot to offer. For the body Āyurveda is the solution. A good combination would be Āyurveda and Yoga.
My father used to do that. He would teach Āsana practice, or Prāṇāyāma or meditation and he would talk about diet and he would also give some Āyurveda medicine.
He was treating not only the body but the whole person with the help of this great combination.”
– Extract from an interview in the Journal Viniyoga Italia on Yoga and Well Being

Response from TKV Desikachar on attempts being made to link Yoga to specific diseases
“We have to examine many factors to see what is the origin of what is known as a symptom and according to that we have to propose for this condition some Yoga which is not just Āsana. Yoga is a process which makes me understand how my mind is functioning and then reduces the turbulence of mind, any technique that helps this helps the person. We are reaching the human being through the mind; we are reaching the sickness through interaction at the mental level, with different tools of course.
This is why it is a challenge for Yoga.”
– Extract from Interview with TKV Desikachar by Paul Harvey in 2000
on ‘Science, Medical Conditions and Yoga as a Therapy’.

“Where do Āsana lead us?
1. For seated practices
(Adhyātmika Krama or Yoga Practice as a Self-Inquiry)
To stay in a stable posture with the spine erect,
for Dhyāna or preparation for Dhyāna.
2. For health.
(Cikitsā Krama or Yoga Practice as a Self-Healing)
They do something for the energy flow of the body.
3. Ability to master the body
(Śakti Krama or Yoga Practice as a Self-Empowerment)
Not necessarily to promote health,
but to show that we can master the body.
Often these are good for health,
though many are only useful as challenges.”
– TKV Desikachar
Further Reading – What is the Yoga of Krishnamacharya?

“Within the teachings of T Krishnamacharya,
as transmitted to TKV Desikachar,
the role of Śavāsana within an Āsana practice was as
a transitional link pose between categories of Āsana.
For example between Standing and Lying Āsana,
or Lying and Inverted Āsana,
or Inverted and Prone Backbends,
or Prone Backbends and Seated Āsana,
or Seated Āsana and Sitting Practices.
The extent of its use and length of rest at each stage,
when transiting from one category to another within our
Āsana practice journey, was dependent on the facility
of the practitioner and the intensity of the practice.
Within this individualised variance is the guiding
principle that the role of Śavāsana is to facilitate a
smooth transition for the flow of the breath and also
the pulse through and beyond the Āsana practice,
as a marker for the practitioner’s state of mind.
However according to Desikachar the Viniyoga of
Śavāsana was seen in terms of recovery from the
fatigue of the preceding aspect of the practice rather,
than say recovery from the preceding aspects of one’s life.
Regarding the approach for the recovery
from the preceding aspects of one’s life,
amongst other things such as Āhāra and Vihāra,
the wider purpose, content, duration and frequency
of the Āsana practice must be carefully reconsidered.”
– 108 Postural Practice Pointers

“Within the application of Cikitsā Krama
Śavāsana is a position for relaxation.
Within the application of Rakṣaṇa Krama
Śavāsana is an Āsana for resting.
Within the application of Śikṣaṇa Krama
Śavāsana is an Āsana for observation.”
– 108 Postural Practice Pointers

“Prāṇāyāma, the same as with Āsana and Dhyānam,
was taught according to the core principles within
Cikitsā Krama, Rakṣaṇa Krama and Śikṣaṇa Krama.
Thus we have breathwork practice possibilities
ranging from Cikitsā, using simple ratios to settle
an irregular breathing pattern or pulse fluctuation,
to Rakṣaṇa, with a visible competence and fluidity
within a range of basic techniques and mild ratios,
to Śikṣaṇa and a skill base encompassing all techniques,
and ratios and especially, the application and integration of
Kumbhaka with long holds both after the inhale and the exhale.”
– 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

“These days, it appears that
there is not much place for, or
interest in the use of Kumbhaka
within the practice of Prāṇāyāma.
If used at all it appears to be mainly
Cikitsā or about recovery, or at best about
Rakṣaṇa or constitutional support, rather than
Śikṣaṇa and a personal developmental exploration.”
– 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

“What defines the transition between
Cikitsā Krama, Rakṣaṇa Krama and
Śikṣaṇa Krama is the desire to practice
Prāṇāyāma for the sake of Prāṇāyāma,
rather than for purposes such as recovery, or
preventative health, or constitutional support,
or reducing agitation, or promoting relaxation.
Exploring Prāṇāyāma as Prāṇāyāma offers the
potential to propagate a fresh perspective into
the relationship between Prāṇa and Nirodha.”
– 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

“What can define a transition between
Cikitsā Krama, Rakṣaṇa Krama and
Śikṣaṇa Krama in terms of the breath?
Is it that in Cikitsā Krama, the priority is
within Āsana practice and establishing a
core relationship with using the breath?
Whereas, in Rakṣaṇa Krama, the priority
is within Āsana practice, and developing
the core relationship, primarily with the
exhale and secondarily with the inhale?
Whereas, in Śikṣaṇa Krama, the priority is
within Prāṇāyāma practice, and developing
the core relationship, primarily with the exhale
and the inhale, and secondarily with the holds?”
– 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

“What can define a transition between
Cikitsā Krama, Rakṣaṇa Krama and
Śikṣaṇa Krama in terms of Prāṇāyāma?
Is it that in Cikitsā Krama, the priority is
establishing an Āsana practice with the aim
of developing a core relationship with Ujjāyī?
Whereas, in Rakṣaṇa Krama, the priority is
establishing a Prāṇāyāma practice with the aim
of developing a core relationship, primarily
with Anuloma and secondarily with Pratiloma?
Whereas, in Śikṣaṇa Krama, the priority is
developing a core relationship, primarily with
Nāḍī Śodhana and secondarily with Sūrya Bhedana?”
– 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

“Cikitsā Krama is to stabilise dispersed Prāṇa.
Rakṣaṇa Krama is to conserve stabilised Prāṇa.
Śikṣaṇa Krama is to intensify conserved Prāṇa..”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“Cikitsā Krama is to gather dissipated Agni.
Rakṣaṇa Krama is to strengthen gathered Agni.
Śikṣaṇa Krama is to utilise strengthened Agni.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“Cikitsā Krama is to replenish depleted Ojas.
Rakṣaṇa Krama is to nurture replenished Ojas.
Śikṣaṇa Krama is to garner nurtured Ojas.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“When considering what, why and how to practice,
it can be helpful to consider our starting point.
For example, are we looking for the role of an Āsana
practice to help in recovering from a situation
where we are as if personally overdrawn.
Also, what is the nature of our ‘overdraft’?
Is its impact or origin physical, energetic, psychological
or emotional, or even a combination of more than one?
Here the concepts of too little, too much, or wrong
can also be helpful as a reference in that, as well as
considering the nature of the ‘overdraft’, we need to
consider the means we undertake to remedy this
aspect of the situation. In other words our first
priority is to choose to plan practice steps that
will initially reduce the negative aspect at least.
However, sometimes we can try something that is
as if a short term loan and at a high rate of interest
in terms of time, effort, energy and commitment.
Thus whilst finding our situation temporarily
improving a further depletion can possibly arise as
we find ourselves unable to as if ‘keep up with the
extra payments’ given the nature of the original
depletion and its current impact on our potentials.
So having a clear reference point in terms of
identifying the nature of our starting point, and
the short term or longer term potentials of a
choice of an appropriate remedy, is as important
as our personal determination to clear the deficit
that has knowingly or unknowingly emerged within us.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“It appears that Modern Therapeutic Yoga is increasingly angled
at looking at the problems in front of the person
in terms of Yoga for What,
rather than looking at the person behind the problems
in terms of Yoga for Who.”
– 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers

“Yoga Cikitsā is about
Respecting the Problem
and Treating the Person.
Rather than
Respecting the Person
and Treating the Problem.”
– 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers

“Yoga Cikitsā is about
treating a person in a problem.
Rather than
treating a problem in a person.”
– 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers

“Dhyāna Sādhana was taught
according to the principles of
Cikitsā, Rakṣaṇa and Śikṣaṇa Krama,
with meditational practices ranging from
pacification to protection to empowerment.”
– 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers

“You apply therapeutics through Cikitsā,
but not protection or preservation.
This is the role of Rakṣaṇa.”
– 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers

“The principles of Cikitsā, Rakṣaṇa and Śikṣaṇa Krama
are more applicable to the ‘mindset’ of a person,
rather than looking through the ‘fitness’ of their body.”
– 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers

“My Āsana study with Desikachar was shaped around forming
a deep appreciation of specific core principles that underpin
the planning and practice of Āsana and their application to
the individual student’s constitution, psychology and need.
Amongst these dozen or so core principles,
the first group when looking at any Āsana in depth,
were the concepts of Nāma, Rūpa and Lakṣaṇa, or the
name, form and characteristics of that particular Āsana.
Obviously, the Nāma is a useful tag point for identification
and the Rūpa is vital as a reference point for the Sat Viniyoga,
or right application of the Āsana within overall considerations of
initial direction and outcomes through such as the Śikṣaṇa Krama,
Rakṣaṇa Krama or Cikitsā Krama application of the forms used.
However, I do feel these days that our understanding in Āsana
practice is more dominated by the Nāma and the Rūpa with
little emphasis on the Lakṣaṇa or inherent characteristics of the
Āsana and how understanding this aspect can have a profound
effect on the approach, application and outcome of the overall or
accumulative impact of the Āsana within the student’s practice.
The teachings of Krishnamacharya around Āsana included
an in-depth appreciation of the Lakṣaṇa, especially around
the thirty or so primary and secondary support Āsana such as
Uttānāsana, Jaṭhara Parivṛtti, Bhujaṅgāsana or Januśīrṣāsana.”
– 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers

“The First and Second Chapters of the Yoga Sūtra
can be linked to the teaching concepts of
Śikṣaṇa, Rakṣaṇa and Cikitsā Krama.
In that the Samādhi Yoga in Chapter One
can be seen as apt for a Śikṣaṇa situation,
whereby the primary aim is discernment, as in
exploring what lies within the sense of I-Am.
Whereas in Chapter Two, the Kriya Yoga section
can be seen as being apt for a Cikitsā situation,
whereby the primary aim is recovering, as in
reducing agitation through lifestyle changes.
and the Bāhya Aṅga section of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga
can be seen as being apt for a Rakṣaṇa situation,
whereby the primary aim is establishing stability,
through a formal practice within a Yoga Sādhana.”
– 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers

“In terms of Prāṇāyāma from
a one-to-one perspective,
we need to consider whether
the practice starting point for
the practitioner is from a Rakṣaṇa,
Cikitsā, or Śikṣaṇa Krama viewpoint.
From a Rakṣaṇa Krama viewpoint,
the situation we are focusing on initially
is on developing the length of the breath.
From a Cikitsā Krama viewpoint,
the practitioner’s energy and
respiratory capacity may be low,
so the scope for working on the length
of the breath may well be limited.
Therefore a suggested strategy initially,
is to focus on the subtlety of the breath.
Whereas, from a Śikṣaṇa Krama viewpoint,
the potential is there to work and develop
both the length and the subtlety of the breath.
So both options can be explored from the onset.”
– 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers

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