Yoga not a religion but a health system: Dr Khalsa

Lonavala (Maharashtra), Dec 29: Yoga is not a religion but a health system, claimed Dr Satbir S Khalsa, a researcher with the Havard Medical School.

Addressing the fifth International Conference on 'Advances in Yoga Research and Yoga Therapy' organised by the Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute here yesterday, he said increased stress among people due to overdose of information, fast changing lifestyles and higher level of expectations has made societies vulnerable to psycho-somatic disorders and yoga offers an effective antidote to these ills.

''Research has proved that yoga helps strengthen the immune function of even HIV and cancer patients. It does not claim cure, but is certainly beneficial,'' Dr Khalsa told reporters.

Mr O P Tiwari, Secretary of the Kaivalyadhama Trust, which runs the institute said, ''This is one of the largest such conferences in India with over 1,000 delegates of which about a 100 are from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Japan, China, Indonesia, United States of America and others.'' While the event was inaugurated by Chief Justice of India designate, K G Balakrishnan, many senior yoga Gurus were among the delegates.

The four-day conference aims at discussing various topics related to yoga such as its commercialisation in recent times, advancement in scientific research in the field and effect of yoga on communal harmony.

However, some experts decried the tall claims made by self-appointed yoga gurus about the technique's healing powers with regards to several chronic diseases like cancer, AIDS and diabetes.

''Eighty per cent of the known diseases are psycho-somatic. While allopathic treatments only target ailing organ, yoga and Ayurveda combined offer holistic treatment, which first caters to the mind and 'prana' (life force) and then the physical manifestations of the ailments,'' Swami Mangal Teerth, former Dean of the Bihar School of Yoga, said.

''The message should go that yoga is not a circus. It should be carried out as the age-old Guru-Shishya (teacher-disciple) system,'' the Swami said.

UNI