Links to Related Resources & Longer Articles:

• Āyurveda & Yoga – Linking the Two Arts – Part 1 of 12
• YOGA AND MODERN MEDICINE – Interview by TKV Desikachar
• Yoga and the 21st Century – Yoga can contribute to maintaining good health…
• Yoga and the 21st Century – Our future life will be stressful – there is no doubt about that…

Collated Related Short Posts & Quotes:

“Patañjali  does not mention this once.
He also says that if a person thinks about
Īśvara and its presence and omnipotence
he will avoid problems and not get sick.
It sounds odd that such a practice will make you avoid sickness.
It means you will not suffer like others with the Antarāya.
You will reduce the obstacles, the suffering that accompany sickness.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 29

“All the Antarāya can be viewed as disease.
Vyādhi perhaps relates to a physical cause.
Other causes relate to:
– Doubt
– Confusion
– Deficiency
– Over excess
– Failure in life.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

“The body consists of:
– A physical part
– Energies
– Senses
– Something else
i.e. Food is digested
Imbalance in these places is disease.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

“These inner obstacles that
confuse the psyche are:
– Physical Sickenss,
– Mental Rigidity,
– Lack of Trust,
– Negligence,
– Lethargy,
– Dissapation,
– False Opinions,
– Not Attaining a Foundation,
– Not Maintaining What is Attained.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

“Patañjali says you know the disease by
the way in which the body responds.
Duḥkha
– A condition I would like to be released from.
Daurmanasya
– How the mind behaves when things go wrong.
Aṅga Ejayatva
– Physical manifestation of a mental problem.
Śvāsa Praśvāsā
– How the disease affects the basic energy of the system.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 31

“There are essentially three causes for fear….
desire, disease and death.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 9

“A person who is physically fit and
who has been cleansed by the Agni of Dhyānam
has no fear of sickness, disease, age or death.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 2

“When the body is disordered,
make use of the body to reduce.
When thought is agitated,
make use of Prāṇāyāma to reduce.”
– From T Krishnamacharya’s composition,
The Yoga Rahasya Chapter Four verse 31

“Different people explain the cause of disease differently.
In the Yoga Sūtra disease is Vikṣepā, a mind which is unstable.
Mind loses its presence of mind before an object.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“The ancient people took the next step.
If there is disease what is to be done?
What is the cause of the disease?
The cause of the disease is that we are unable to follow Īśvara Praṇidhānā.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“As teachers we can only confine ourselves
to diseases where we have a role to play.
These are diseases where the mind is involved.
We work with diseases where a relationship
exists between body and mind.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“We need to evolve.
Evolution is like a river.
When we see the river at the source the water is so clean, so pure, almost blue.
As it comes closer and closer to the ocean it becomes a different river,
we don’t want to go near it because it is so dirty.
This is the natural flow, from up to down.
But where does this river get its water from?
It comes from the snow up in the mountains.
Where does the snow come from?
From the clouds. Where do these clouds come from?
From the ocean where all the dirty water goes.
There is some magic which is done in the ocean.
It can absorb all this dirt and gives such fresh water.
In our tradition, they say that when things get too dirty,
when disorder comes to a limit, when suffering is too widespread,
something will happen.”
– TKV Desikachar from unedited manuscript for ‘What are We Seeking?’

“The ancient model of the Pañca Maya from the
Taittirīya Upaniṣad can be used as a skillful
therapeutic paradigm in terms of its view of
five aspects of the human beingness as Physical,
Energetic, Mental, Personality and Emotional.
Though we can apply this paradigm within
the Western medical models for disease,
it’s associative roots are found within the
common energetic principles underpinning
Haṭha Yoga and Āyurveda and the psychological
principles inherent within the Yoga Sutra.
The Viniyoga of Yoga approach explores the
potentials of the Pañca Maya, by applying
these principles as diagnostic & prognostic
tools, in terms of recovery, lifestyle support
or developmental modalities. All of which is
framed within a wider consideration of a person’s
starting point, potential and personal goals.”
– 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers