Life style and_individual_transformation

1. Life Style and Individual
Transformation: Insights from
Vedas
Arun Pratap Singh
Department of Psychology
Ambedkar College
Delhi University
E-mail: jyotiarun13@gmail.com

2. Outline of Presentation
 Context of thought
 Meanings of transformation in Vedas
 Notions of Human Existence
 Modes and obstacles of
Transformation
 Relevance of Life Style Practices
 Conclusions

3. Context of Thought
 Transformation- alien territory for received
perspectives on human existence due to
over-emphasis on empiricism
 Prevalent notions; limited, over abstracted
 Need for holistic and behaviorally-mediated
theories

4. Meanings of Transformation
 Identified as supreme and ultimate objective of
human life
 ‘I am though’ (Individual consciousness (bounded)
part of supreme consciousness (unbounded)
 True Self is unearthed with in rather than searched
out
 Chitta- significant for transformation

5. Notions of Human existence
(relevant for transformational process)
 Human being composed of different forms of matter
(Prakriti) and cosciousness (Purusha)
 Initialy, Consciousness as central process differentiating
into cognition, moods, emotions, perceptions, behavior,
speech, social interactions, environment and interaction
with the forces of nature and biology.
 Interactive relationship between consciousness (Chit ) and
matter (Jad)
 Since consciousness is the basis of all reality, any shift in
consciousness changes every aspect of our reality
 As consciousness evolves, different aspects of
consciousness also change.

6. Modes and obstacles of
Transformation
 Either get raised up (Sadhana) or be raised
up (Iswhar Prandhan) (personal efforts or
devotion)
 Central mechanism in personal efforts: Satt
--- Chitt--- Annanda
 Efforts at multiple levels to remove
hindrances, - Body work (Annamaya
Kosha), mind work (Pranamaya &
Manomaya Kosha), Self-work (Vigyanmaya
and Anandmaya Kosha)

7. Life Style Practices for
Transformation
 Diet: important for cultivating positive states of body and
mind
 Positive Leisure: oriented towards wisdom and virtuous
affects (study of religious texts, Conscious self-restraint,
contributions to others)
 Postures
 Breath: for controlling mind
 Mantras
 Agnihotra
 Meditation

8. Conclusions
 Vedic Insights offer a holistic perspective
- physical and material gains
- emotional development
- sensitive for ecology
 Promising possibilities for scientific explorations – both in
terms of physical-mental indicators and qualitative
experiences
 A common ground for cross – cultural work and for
different religions
 Need to displace constricted meanings provided to
traditional practices

9. Refrences
 Singh, A.P. & Misra, G. (2015).Pattern of Leisure-Lifestyles in Indian
School Adolescents: Contextual influences and implications for health
concerns. Cogent psychology, 2(1), 1-11. doi:
10.1080/23311908.2015.1050779.
 Singh, Arun Pratap (2013). Life Style Counseling: Emerging
Challenges, Missing Opportunities and Future Directions for Research.
Asia Pacific Journal of Counseling and Psychotherapy, 4(2), 153-
162.doi: 10.1080/21507686.2013.812972.
 Singh, A.P. (2013). Yoga and parapsychology: empirical research and
theoretical studies, edited by Koneru Ramakrishna Rao. Asia Pacific
Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 4(1), 103-105. doi:
10.1080/21507686.2013.77143 .
 Singh,A.P.& Misra,G.(2012).Adolescent lifestyle in India: Prevalence of
risk and health-promotive factors. Psychology & Developing Societies,
24(2), 145-160. doi: 10.1177/097133361202400203

10. Refrences
 Singh, A. P., & Misra, G. (2012). Adolescent
Life Style Survey [Database record].
Retrieved from PsycTESTS.
doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/t28857-000

11. Refrences
 Singh, Arun Pratap (2015). Efficacy of a 4-week yogic lifestyle
education for promoting holistic health in Indian school adolescents.
Yog Mimamsa, 47(1), 22-29. doi: 10.4103/0044-0507.195455.
 Sawle, J.P., Lehakpure, R., Singh, A.P. & Jha, A.K. (2015).
Development of self-control in Gandhian Life. Indian Journal of Social
Science and Organizational Behaviour, 4 (1), 63-72.
 Singh, Arun Pratap (2015). Holism in Yoga: Some Reflections from
Yoga-sutra. International Journal of Yoga and Allied Sciences, 3(2), 61-
66.
 Singh, Arun Pratap (2015). Positive Life style and Spiritual Health:
Results of a Field Experiment among School Adolescents. Indian
Journal of Social Sciences and Organizational Behavior, 3(1 & 2), 45-
54.

12. Refrences…
 Singh, Arun Pratap & Jha, Arbind Kumar (2015). Adolescent health
education in India: demographic travails, contextual influences and
implications for health concerns. Indian Educational Review ,53(1),25-
38.
 Singh, A.P. & Misra, G. (2013). Life Style Counselling in School:
Emerging Implications and Future Directions. In Guidance and
Counselling: New Directions (edited by Dr. Sandhy Ojha, O.P.
Chaudhary, and Shambhu Upadhyaya).New Delhi: Shree Publications.
ISBN: 978-81-8329-522-2.

13.  Singh, A.P. (2012). Pattern of Health Behaviors among Indian School
Adolescents. Indian Journal of Social Science and Organizational
Behavior, 1(1), 9-16. ISSN: 2278-568X.
 Singh, A.P. & Misra, G.(2011). Lifestyle and Positive Health: Results of
15-day Life Style Intervention Programme among Indian School
Adolescents. In S.K.Yadav and S.B.Yadav (Ed.) Positive Psychology
(p.269-282). New Delhi: Global Vision Publishing House.