Fundamental desire of human being is to live or survive (survival is the fittest with self interest). This desire is linked with desire to enjoy and desire not to suffer. Suffering may be of three types; adibhoutika (physical diseases), adidaibika (mental-emotional in-harmonies) and adhwatmika (spiritual ignorance). Modern medical science has addressed physical suffering in scientific manner but other two kinds of suffering has to be dealt mostly by individual Self.
If we don’t take food as medicine, then we have to take medicine as food to remove physical diseases. It is said that more than 60% of chronic physical diseases are psycho-somatic, means it manifests in body due to malfunctioning or stress and tension of the mind. Exercise-diet-sleep-medicine all has a role to play to be physically healthy but mental and emotional state is much more important to stay physically healthy.
Life has two basic thrust, one is ‘now and here’ real mode and another is ‘past and future’ relative mode. Mind has its modifications such as ego (identifying with physio-psycho-social aspect of being), identification or attachment to objective world and relationship, expectation or desire to become someone else and ignorance or delusion to immortal or eternal nature of Soul or Spirit. These mental activities if not managed properly are the causes of suffering if not understood and implemented in life.
Holisticyog addresses body-mind-soul as a whole through the combined principles of hatha yog, raj yog, gnyan yog, bhakti yog and dhyan yog. Body is taken care of by free hand psycho-physical exercises, asnas etc, mind is taken care of pranayama and right reasoning and soul is taken care of different types of general, visual and mindful meditation and conscious relaxation techniques. Of course, yoga is not a quick fix or instant solution but it is a process or way of life which will bring health, happiness, healing and harmony showing the purpose and meaning of life with clarity in most of the cases.
We have to understanding that pain and suffering is mostly due to transgression of health rules and regulations. Health is just not the absence of diseases but integration of physical-mental-emotional-social-spiritual wellbeing together. Thus, one has to nurture all aspects together to stay healthy which can be obtained through practicing holistic yog regularly. As we follow the holistic yog principles and advance in practice we will find transformation is happening from within and pain is transmuted to power and suffering is becoming offering flower to the feet of the fate or festivity.