The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare sponsored the NATIONAL YOGA WEEK 2009 from 16 to 22 of February 2009 and Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY), New Delhi organised a mass awareness programme for health, happiness and harmony through yoga with the theme of “Role of Yoga in School Health”.
As part of the National Yoga Week, a MASS YOGA AWARENESS PROGRAMME was conducted in schools in different parts of the country through the active participation of leading and eminent yoga institutes who have come together under the banner of the Indian Yoga Association, a self regulatory body for yoga sponsored by the Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
ACYTER organized the mass yoga awareness programme in 48 schools of Puducherry with the cooperation of the Education Department, Government of Puducherry. The inaugural ceremony for the yoga week in Puducherry was held at Kendriya Vidyalaya, JIPMER campus on 16 February 2009 and the valedictory function at the Indira Nagar Government Higher Secondary School on 20 February. Shri MA Fathimaraj, Deputy Director Education (Sports and Youth Services) was the Chief Guest at the valedictory function.
Daily yoga camps of 1½ hours duration on the theme of the national yoga week were conducted in 48 government and private schools of Puducherry by 28 yoga teachers under the direction of Prof Dr. MADANMOHAN, Director-Professor & Head, Dept of Physiology, JIPMER, and Programme Director, ACYTER and coordinated by Mrs. Meena Ramanathan, Coordinator Yoga courses, Pondicherry University Community College. The International Centre for Yoga Education and Research (ICYER) and Pondicherry Yogasana Association extended active cooperation for the conduct of the yoga classes.
More than 5,000 students as well as their teachers and parents were sensitized to the importance of yoga for school health during this programme. Yoga is the best means to improve the psychosomatic health of everyone, especially children. Regular yoga practice enhances the personality of children, improves concentration and memory power, helps endure stressful situation during examinations, increases immunity and improves overall health. The main objective of the programme was to increase awareness about the benefits of yoga among the children and there was much awakening as evidenced by feedback from the schools.
To read the report in The Hindu, please go to http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/24/stories/2009022453560300.htm 
The holistic science of yoga has a great future as it has the potential to prevent as well as manage a number of stress-induced chronic diseases that defy allopathic medicine. A holistic physician and practitioner of yoga will be able to render better medicare and will be a boon to the society.
The objectives of the programme were:
- To promote awareness among medical students about the effectiveness of yoga as an inexpensive means for achieving holistic health.
- To impart knowledge, skill & attitude about theoretical & practical aspects of yogic science.
- To motivate medical students to take up further studies, therapy & research in yoga.
- To introduce yoga in medical curriculum as a branch of physiology & contemporary medicine.
A 60 hour programme was designed that included i) lectures (12 h), ii) lecture-demonstrations (3 h) iii) practice sessions (36 h) iv) students seminar on yoga therapy modules (6 h) and v) pre-test, post-test, administration of questionnaires to students and programme evaluation by the students (3 h).
The programme had an overwhelming response with excellent co-operation from the medical undergraduates.
In light of the encouraging student feedback, the following are the suggestions:
- Yoga should be made an integral part of medical curriculum, as a branch of physiology and contemporary medicine. Complementary and alternative health systems are already being taught in many standard modern medical schools in different parts of the world.
- The ideal time in an undergraduate medical programme where yoga can be incorporated is during the first semester and again during the sixth and / seventh semesters. The former will help them in combating and adapting to the totally new and extremely stressful first year undergraduate medical curriculum. The latter will help in better understanding of the science of yoga and its applications in clinical practice.
- It is suggested that there should be a space fully furnished, having the right ambience and comfort that will facilitate the teaching and practice of yoga. The space should be exclusively devoted to the yoga training programme.
- From the students’ standpoint, practice sessions with integrated theory, morning practice sessions and training schedule within college hours are among the major recommendations. Students also wanted a facility to continue yoga practice on a regular basis even after the completion of the introductory programme.
ACYTER and Department of Physiology, JIPMER organized a two day National Workshop on “Introducing Yoga in the medical curriculum” on 19th and 20th March 2009 at JIPMER.
The workshop was organized in collaboration with Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY), New Delhi under auspices of Department of AYUSH, Govt of India.
The workshop was inaugurated by Dr KSVK Subba Rao, Director JIPMER. Dr Ishwar V Basavaraddi, Director, MDNIY, New Delhi and Dr AK Das, Medical Superintendent, JIPMER were guests of honour.
The national workshop deliberated on the need, feasibility and modality of introducing yoga science in the medical curriculum for medical students in particular and medical professionals in general.
20 resource persons from MDNIY, DIPAS, sVYASA, Karuna Trust, Iyengar Yoga Institute, Mumbai Yoga Institute, Kaivalyadhama, ICYER and JIPMER as well as 150 participants from all over the country participated in the workshop that covered the theory, practicals and therapeutic aspects of yoga and evaluation methods for such a course.
The following are the recommendations of the workshop:
- The workshop appreciated the Department of AYUSH and Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, New Delhi for making efforts to integrate yoga science in the medical curriculum and create awareness of yoga amongst the medical students in particular and medical professionals in general.
- It was recommended to introduce yoga science to medical students in particular and medical professionals in general through a “Foundation Course in Yoga Science”.
- It is recommended that 14 hours of yoga theory be included in theory lectures for 1st, 2nd and 3rd professionals and 32 hours practicals be included in the 2nd professional.
- It was also recommended that a 48 hour foundation course be conducted after class hours for interested professionals through the yoga units of the institutions as per the syllabus that has been prepared by the MDNIY in consultation with eminent yoga and medical experts.
ACYTER organized a workshop on Chakra Meditation for Healing on 1st January 2010 by Sri Bala Ratnam, founder of Vibrational Breath Therapy from Melbourne, Australia. The workshop conducted at Bernard Theatre, JIPMER was chaired by Dr. Madanmohan, Programme Director ACYTER.
More than fifty members of the staff, students, residents and invited guests from Pondicherry and Chennai participated actively. Sri Bala explained in detail the stages of consciousness and the pancha kosha and guided the participants through the self healing techniques visualizing the chakras with the chanting of akara, ukara, makara and omkara nada. He conveyed many of his personal experiences through his intensive yoga sadhana and also in dealing with patients of various ailments. Sri Bala is a dedicated disciple of Swami Gitananda Giri and has codified the Vibrational Breath Therapy based on Rishiculture teachings of his Guru. Sri Bala at 87 years of age is a living example of the beneficial effects of yoga and is a role model for all sincere yoga sadhakas.
ACYTER organized a seminar-cum workshop on “Yoga and Complementary Therapies for AIDS/HIV” on 30 January 2010. More than 100 delegates participated in the sessions held from 9 am to 5 pm at the JIPMER Nursing College.
The seminar-cum-workshop aimed to introduce medical and paramedical professionals and yoga therapists to the potentialities of yoga and other complementary and alternative therapies in the prevention and management of HIV/AIDS.
Dr KSVK Subba Rao, Director JIPMER inaugurated the workshop in the presence of Dr Subbarayalu Naidu, Project Director, Pondicherry AIDS Control Society. Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani, Director ICYER and Dr N Ardhanari, Eminent Social Activist offered felicitations.
The workshop was conducted by 12 resource persons from various medical and Yoga organisations of Pondicherry under the direction of Dr Madanmohan, Professor and Head, Department of Physiology and Programme Director ACYTER.
Dr Subbarayalu Naidu gave a talk on “HIV infection & AIDS” and Dr Madanmohan spoke on “Role of Yoga in HIV/AIDS”. Practical sessions were conducted by Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani and Shri E Jayasettiaseelon assisted by Smt. Meena Ramanathan, Shri G Dayanidy and Selvi L Vithiyalakshmi.
A panel discussion on “Yoga and CAM therapies for AIDS” was chaired by Dr Madanmohan and moderated by Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani. Panelists included Dr Prakash Rao (homeopathy), Yogacharini Dr Nalini Devi (modern medicine and Yoga), Dr Rajalakshmi (siddha), Smt. Meena Ramanathan (yoga) and Dr Zeena Sanjay
(naturopathy).
YOGA CLASSES FOR NURSING STUDENTS
A lecture on yoga, meditation and spiritual healing was conducted for final year students of BSc Nursing on 1 February while lectures and yoga practice sessions highlighting benefits of yoga for antenatal and postnatal health were conducted on 23 and 24 February at the JIPMER Nursing College.
The classes were conducted by Selvi Vithiyalakshmi, yoga instructor while Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, programme co-ordinator gave a theory session highlighting important yoga practices for both antenatal and postnatal care. Shri E Jayasettiaseelon, SRF gave a theory session on yoga, meditation and spiritual healing.
More than 50 nursing students enthusiastically participated in the classes and expressed the physical and mental benefits they felt after the yoga practice sessions.
NATIONAL WORKSHOP-CUM-SEMINAR ON "ROLE OF YOGA IN PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF HYPERTENSION"
A National Workshop-cum- Seminar on “Role of Yoga in Prevention and Management of Hypertension” was held at JIPMER on March 18-19, 2010. The workshop was organized by the Advanced Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education & Research (ACYTER) and Department of Physiology, JIPMER in collaboration with Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) an Autonomous organisation under Dept of AYUSH, Ministry of Health, Govt of India, New Delhi.
The Workshop-cum- Seminar was inaugurated by Dr KSVK Subba Rao, Director JIPMER in the presence of Dr AK Das, Medical Superientendent, JIPMER. Senior faculty members from various departments of JIPMER as well as eminent yoga and medical experts from all over the country participated in the inaugural function.
The academic proceedings were conducted at the Bernard Theatre while the practice sessions were held at the JIPMER Community Hall. 133 medical and paramedical professionals and Yoga therapists from all over the country participated in the deliberations along with 40 faculty, residents and staff members of the department of physiology and ACYTER.
Lectures, lecture-demonstrations, panel discussions and practice sessions were conducted by 27 eminent medical and yoga experts from all over the country representing JIPMER; DIPAS, New Delhi; Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Chennai; Iyengar Yogashraya, Mumbai; Kaivalyadhama, Lonavla; Viniyoga Healing Foundation of India, Chennai and the International Centre for Yoga Education and Research (ICYER), Pondicherry.
We, the organizers, delegates and all the participants urge the State Government, Central Government, Medical Council of India & Department of AYUSH to evolve a concrete policy for promotion of yoga as an adjunct to modern medicine so that a mass movement for yoga awareness with a sound scientific footing can be initiated.
We jointly propose the following:
- There is an alarming rise in the incidence of hypertension, even among the younger age groups. There is an urgent need to evolve a strategy to reduce the incidence, morbidity and mortality of the disease. Also, the comorbidity of hypertension namely obesity, impaired glucose tolerance and dyslipidemia need to be contained. All this can be achieved by including the holistic science of yoga practice as an adjunct to conventional treatment modalities. Yoga practice should be included in the school curriculum for reducing the incidence of childhood obesity, diabetes mellitus and hypertension.
- For effective implementation of the above action plan, and to make yoga therapy readily available to the public, there is a need to have sufficient number of qualified yoga therapists and instructors. This capacity building should be done by designated institutes.
- There is a need for designing specific yoga modules for prevention and management of hypertension and other lifestyle disorders.
The 48 hour “Foundation course in yoga for medical professionals” was conducted from 2 June to 17 July 2010. 15 medical and paramedical professionals from JIPMER and the Government Dental College registered for the course that was conducted at the ACYTER yoga hall.
Lectures were conducted in the evening sessions by Dr Madanmohan, Programme Director, Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, Programme Co-ordinator, Shri Jayasettiaseelon, SRF and Dr Zeena Sanjay, SRF. A guest lecture was given by Mrs. Meena Ramanathan, Co-ordinator Yoga Courses, PUCC. Practice sessions were conducted in the mornings and evenings by Shri G Dayanidy and Selvi Vithiyalakshmi, Yoga Instructors ACYTER.
Different topics were allotted to the participants for self study and they presented seminars on yoga therapy during the course. Valedictory function was held on 17 July 2010 and certificates issued to the participants based on attendance, assignments and seminar presentation. Those who had not completed the 48 hours were given the option of completing remaining hours in regular sessions for certification.