Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani's Keynote on "Integrating yoga therapy within the Modern Medical System" at the Global Yoga therapy Day conference 2021

1. Integrating Yoga Therapy
within the
Modern Medical System
Yogacharya
Dr ANANDA BALAYOGI BHAVANANI
MBBS, MD (AM), ADY, DSM, DPC, PGDFH, PGDY, FIAY, C-IAYT, DSc (Yoga)
Director CYTER of Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth & Chairman ICYER at
Ananda Ashram, Puducherry, India. yognat@gmail.com
Bhavanani AB-Keynote Global Yoga Therapy Day Conference 2021

3. SRI BALAJI VIDYAPEETH
(Deemed University Accredited with “A” Grade by NAAC)
Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education
and Research (CYTER)
Salutogenesis, our focus!

4. Salutogenesis, our Focus
• Moving from pathogenesis, the focus on disease
towards salutogenesis, the focus on health!
• CYTER is striding forward on an innovative path of
promoting holistic health for one and all.
Pathogenesis
Salutogenesis
www.sbvu.ac.in/cyter

5. From CAM to TCI medicine: The journey
Alternative
CAM: Complementary & Alternative Medicine
TCI : Traditional, Complementary & Integrative medicine

6. From CAM to TCI medicine: The journey
Alternative
Complementary
CAM: Complementary & Alternative Medicine
TCI : Traditional, Complementary & Integrative medicine

7. From CAM to TCI medicine: The journey
Alternative
Complementary
Integrative
CAM: Complementary & Alternative Medicine
TCI : Traditional, Complementary & Integrative medicine

8. Rudyard Kipling

9. Sorry Mr. Kipling,
they indeed have!
Through Yoga!

10. • This “East-West” dichotomy seems to have been
overcome in recent times.
• Many eastern healing traditions have slowly and
steadily percolated health care systems worldwide.
• This is especially true of mind– body therapies that
focus on the health promotive intrinsic connections
that exist between the human brain, mind, body, and
individual behaviour.
• Yoga is indeed all about integration!

11. National Health Service
www.nhs.uk
• Dozens of scientific trials of varying quality have
been published on yoga.
• While there's scope for more rigorous studies on its
health benefits, most studies suggest yoga is a safe
and effective way to increase physical activity,
especially strength, flexibility and balance.
• There's some evidence that regular yoga practice is
beneficial for people with high blood pressure, heart
disease, aches and pains – including lower back pain
– depression and stress.

13. https://nccih.nih.gov/news/multimedia/infographics/yoga_panel2

14. 2016 Yoga in America Study Highlights
• The top five reasons for starting yoga are: flexibility
(61 percent), stress relief (56 percent), general
fitness (49 percent), improve overall health (49
percent), and physical fitness (44 percent)
• 86 percent of practitioners self-report having a
strong sense of mental clarity, 73 percent report
being physically strong, and 79 percent give back to
their communities – all significantly higher rates than
among non-practitioners

15. 2016 Yoga in America Study Highlights
• Top five reasons for starting yoga are:
– flexibility (61 %),
– stress relief (56 %),
– general fitness (49 %),
– improve overall health (49 %), &
– physical fitness (44 %)
• 86 % practitioners self-report having a strong sense of
mental clarity, 73 % report being physically strong, and
79 % give back to their communities
• all significantly higher than among non-practitioners

16. 6,306
results for
“Yoga Therapy” in
PUBMED
6,306 results

17. Prof MADANMOHAN
The Pioneer of
Integration of Yoga in
Modern Medicine

21. http://www.yogatherapy-india.org/

22. Communication is
VITAL for Integration

23. “How”
to
communicate?

24. Bhavanani AB, Sullivan M, Taylor MJ, Wheeler A. Shared Foundations for Practice: The
Language of Yoga Therapy. Yoga Therapy Today 2019. 15 (3): 44-47.
Yoga
Yoga
Therapy
Yoga therapy nests
inside the larger
Yoga & is
therefore
neither separate
from nor greater
than Yoga.
Yoga and Yoga Therapy

25. Yoga therapy is the professional
application of the principles & practices
of yoga to promote health and well-
being within a therapeutic relationship
that includes personalized assessment,
goal setting, lifestyle management, and
yoga practices for individuals or small
groups. - IAYT 2020

26. Salutogenesis
• Derivation of Greek + Latin
–Latin: salus = health
–Greek: genesis = source
• In combination = Sources of health

27. SALUTOGENESIS versus PATHOGENESIS…
Pathogenesis
• What causes diseases?
• About avoiding problems
•Reactive - absence disease
• Against pain or loss
• Enables survival of species
Salutogenesis
• What causes health?
• About reaching potential
• Proactive - presence health
• For gain or growth
• Discover how to live fully

28. Health, a dynamic state
• Health is seen as a dynamic movement in a
continuum between total ill-health & total
health

30. Psycho-neuro-immuno-endocrinological
correlates of rehabilitation
NERVOUS
SYSTEM
ENDOCRINE
SYSTEM
IMMUNE
SYSTEM
Retards healing & delays
rehabilitation

31. Perceived
Stimulus

32. Mental
Agitations
Haphazard
Flow of
Prana
Unstable
Nadis
Hypo-cellular
activity
(Ajeeranatvam)
Hyper-cellular
activity
(Ateejeeranatvam)
Altered cellular
activity
(Kujeeranatvam)
VYAADHI
Physical
Ailments
Yogic understanding of Psychosomatic Disorders
AADHI
Manomaya
Kosha
Annamaya
Kosha
Pranamaya
Kosha

33. From the Yogic viewpoint of disease, psychosomatic,
disorders progress through four phases.
1. Psychic Phase
 vijnanamaya & manomaya kosha
2. Psychosomatic Phase
 manomaya & pranamaya kosha
3. Somatic Phase
 pranamaya & annamaya kosha
4. Organic Phase
 annamaya kosha

34. Stress management through Yoga
• Dr W Selvamurthy, one of India’s
greatest scientists said:
Yoga enables and empowers
individuals to
– Modify their perceptions of the stressors,
– Optimise their responses to them, and
– Efficiently release the pent up stresses.
• We can think of it as a 3-in-1 action!!

38. Psycho-neuro-immuno-endocrinological
correlates of rehabilitation
NERVOUS
SYSTEM
ENDOCRINE
SYSTEM
IMMUNE
SYSTEM
Enhances healing & facilitates
rehabilitation

39. “The treatment of the
part shouldn’t be
attempted without a
treatment of the entirety.
The treatment of the
body without treating
the mind and soul is a
useless waste of time”
- Plato
(428 – 348 BC)

40. Relevance to health care professionals
• Yoga is an experiential science and a dynamic state
of health is a by-product of Yoga
• “Re-orients the functional hierarchy of the entire
nervous system” - Dr B Ramamurthy
• Effective in preventing and combating the modern
pandemic of stress borne disorders.
• Scientific evidence indicates that Yoga has
– promotive, preventive and curative potential,
– is a safe, non-pharmacological therapy and is
– an effective lifestyle adjunct to reduce drug
dosage and improve QOL of patients

41. • Preventing and managing psychosomatic - stress
related disorders
– DM, hypertension, bronchial asthma, IBS,
epilepsy, back pain and functional disorders
• Reduce / eliminate drug dosage / dependence in
– DM, hypertension, epilepsy, anxiety, bronchial
asthma, constipation, dyspepsia, insomnia,
arthritis, sinusitis and dermatological disorders
• Yoga therapists must work in tandem with medical
doctors when managing patients on medical
treatment.
“COLLABORATION” is the key word

42. • LIFE STYLE MODIFICATIONS: “Yoga is a system of
perfect tools for achieving union as well as healing”
-Dr Dean Ornish
• REHABILITATION: “Modern medicine kept me alive,
Yoga gave me back my life”- Dr Swami Gitananda Giri
• COPING SKILLS: “Yoga may not be able to always cure
but it can surely help us to endure”- Sri BKS Iyengar
• HEALTHY DIET : biogenic, guna based diets
• RELAXATION: spanda -nishpanda concepts
• EXPENDITURE: cost effective, cost lowering
• AGING : anti-aging, regenerating, “young at heart”
• PSYCHOTHERAPY: the mind and beyond
• WOMEN’S HEALTH: puberty, pregnancy, menopause
• RESEARCH: Basic and applied scientific & literary

43. SOME THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS
• Yoga modifies coronary artery disease risk factors
and helps reverse heart disease
• Patients of respiratory disorders have shown
improvement with Yoga therapy
• Therapeutic tool for MR children -improvement in
IQ and social adaptation
• Has shown great potential in metabolic conditions-
diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome etc
• Psychiatry: OCD–improvement in Yale/Brown &
perceived stress scales, anxiety, depression

44. • Comprehensive bibliometric analysis of Yoga
therapy research between 1967 & 2013 by Jeter PE,
Slutsky J, Singh N & Khalsa SB. (J Altern Complement
Med 2015)
• Three-fold increase in number of publications seen
in the last decade, inclusive of all study designs.
• 45% RCTs, 18% controlled, and 37% uncontrolled.
• Most publications originated from India (n=258),
followed by USA (n=122) and Canada (n=13).
• Top three disorders addressed by Yoga
interventions were mental health, cardiovascular
disease, and respiratory disease.
Other reviews by Kim Innes (2005, 2007 & 2012), Yang
(2007) and Sengupta (2012) have also highlighted role
of Yoga therapy.

45. © www.indeedcare.com/blog/tag/yoga-therapy

47. Helps
rehabilitation &
manifests healing
from within
Retards
rehabilitation and
delays healing

48. Relaxation is the key to healing!
• An essential prerequisite for healing.
• We cannot heal when we are stressed.
• Conscious relaxation facilitates self-healing
• All about educing the “Relaxation Response”
• Yoga’s greatest contribution
to modern healthcare!

50. Yoga places great importance on a proper and healthy
lifestyle whose main components are:
ACHAR – healthy physical activities & exercise
VICHAR – right thoughts and right attitude towards
life that are vital for wellbeing.
AHAR – healthy, nourishing diet with adequate intake
of fresh water; balanced intake of fresh food, green
salads, sprouts, unrefined cereals & fresh fruits.
Sattwic diet, prepared & served with love & affection.
VIHAR – proper recreational activities to relax body
and mind are essential for good health.
VYAVAHAR – healthy relationships for social health

51. And not merely the absence of disease.
Physical well-being
Mental well-being
Spiritual well-being
Social well-being
Definition of Health (WHO)
Health is a
dynamic
state of
complete…

57. Healing is multifactorial
Lifestyle Attitude
Relaxation Breathing
Healing

58. How to put it into practice?

59. SRI BALAJI VIDYAPEETH
(Deemed University Accredited with “A” Grade by NAAC)
Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education
and Research (CYTER)

60. An Integrated Set Up
At CYTER we are:
– Educating future Yoga therapists,
– Helping patients recover from their illnesses,
– Scientifically researching ‘Hows & Whys’ of Yoga.
Joseph Le Page,
Integrative Yoga Therapy
“There are many centers where you can get a
Yoga degree, attend a Yoga therapy session or
find Yoga research being undertaken. However,
to have all three happening in one place is
surely innovative. This center is indeed a role-
model that combines the best of the East with
that of the West.”

61. Clinical Services
@ CYTER
• Daily OPD consultations
• Individual & group sessions
• Master Health checkups
• IP wards
• ~ 80,000 participants in targeted
individualized and small group (~ 35,000) &
salutogenic (~ 45,000) general sessions

66. Yoga Research
• 22 completed & 10 ongoing projects
• Current inter-disciplinary studies
– Geriatrics,
– Cardio-respiratory physiology,
– Medicine, Pulmonology, Nursing,
– Dentistry, ENT, Opthalmology,
– Dermatology, Obstetrics & Gynecology
– Divyanga and Transgender community.
• Published research studies/ papers / review articles (126),
compilations/books (15), chapters (7) & abstracts (48).
• Adjuvant YT is found to halt disease progression not being
prevented by Medical Rx alone: COPD, DM, HT etc.

67. Some of our work in recent times
1. Randomized controlled trial of 12-week yoga therapy as lifestyle
intervention in patients of essential hypertension and cardiac autonomic
function tests. Natl J Physiol Pharm Pharmacol 2016; 6: 19-26.
2. Finding peace on a Psychiatric Ward with Yoga: Report on a pilot
anthropological study in Pondicherry, India. Annals of SBV 2016; 5(2): 14-9.
3. Effect of yoga therapy on fasting lipid profile in chronic kidney disease: a
comparative study. Int J Adv Med 2018;5: 294-98.
4. Effects of overnight sleep deprivation on autonomic function and
perceived stress in young health professionals and their reversal through
yogic relaxation (Shavasana). Natl J Physiol Pharm Pharmacol 2018;8
5. Effect of adjuvant yoga therapy on pulmonary function and quality of life
among patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A
Randomized Control Trial. J Basic Clin Appl Health Sci. 2018; 2(3):117-22.
6. Immediate effect of Sukha Pranayama: A slow and deep breathing
technique on maternal and fetal cardiovascular parameters. Yoga
Mimamsa 2018; 50:49-52.

68. Some of our work in recent times (contd..)
7. A comparative study on the effect of music therapy alone and a
combination of music and yoga therapies on the psycho-
physiological parameters of cardiac patients posted for
angiography. J Basic Clin Appl Health Sci. 2018; 2:163-8.
8. Yoga training enhances auditory & visual reaction time in children
with autism spectrum disorder: A case - control study. J Basic Clin
Appl Health Sci. 2019; 2:8-13.
9. Effectiveness of adjuvant yoga therapy in diabetic lung: A
randomized control trial. Int J Yoga 2019;12:96-102.
10. The efficacy of yogic breathing exercise Bhramari pranayama in
relieving symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis. Int J Yoga
2019;12:120-3.
11. Yoga therapy as an adjunct to traditional tooth brushing training
methods in children with autism spectrum disorder. Spec Care
Dentist. 2019; 1–6.
12. Effect of adjunct yoga therapy in depressive disorders: Findings
from a RCT. Indian J Psychiatry 2019; 61:592-7.

69. Some of our work in recent times (contd..)
13. Gupta K, Bhavanani A B, Ramanathan M, Rajasekar B, Sarkar S, Dayanidy
G. Effect of Adjuvant Yoga Therapy on Craving in Participants of an
Alcohol De-addiction Program: A Pilot Study. 2019; 2 (4):138-141.
14. Balaji R, Ramanathan M, Bhavanani AB. Nephroprotective Impact of
Adjuvant Yoga Therapy on Diabetes - A Randomised Controlled Trial. J
Clin Diagn Res.2020; 14(12): KC01-KC04.
15. Ramanathan M, Bhavanani AB. Yoga training enhances auditory and visual
reaction time in elderly woman inmates of a hospice: A pilot randomized
controlled trial. Yoga Mimamsa 2020;52:56-60.
16. Artchoudane S, Ramanathan M, Bhavanani AB, Muruganandam P, Jatiya L.
Effect of Yoga Therapy on Neuromuscular Function and Reduction of
Autism Severity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot
Study. International Journal of Health Systems and Translational Medicine
(IJHSTM). 2021; 1(1): 76-85.
17. Thiruvalluvan A, Sekizhar V, Ramanathan M, Bhavanani AB, Chakravathy D,
C. Reddy JR. Effect of pranayama techniques with Marmanasthanam
Kriya as yogic relaxation on biopsychosocial parameters prior to
endodontic therapy: A cross sectional study . Int J Yoga 2021;14:146-51

73. 73

74. Community Empowerment
• Workshops/Seminars/CMEs on “Yoga for lifestyle disorders”,
“Sleep, consciousness and meditation: neurological correlates”,
“Therapeutic potential of Yoga” ,“Introducing Yoga in HPE”,
“Role of Yoga in chronic diseases” & “Role of Yoga in COVID19”
> 300 medical, paramedical, yoga professionals, students &
international delegates attending every year since 2013.
• International Day of Yoga celebrations June 2015 onwards.
• Regular awareness programs conducted at SADAY, SATYA, Serene
Pelican, Karunai School, Cluny Hospice, Education Dept,
Pondicherry University, various schools, colleges, senior citizen
welfare, medical, Yoga and social associations locally.
• Interactive Yoga Therapy workshops during International Yoga
Festivals organized by Govt of Pondicherry since 2014.

75. Beneficiaries
Ministry of AYUSH, Govt of
India, New Delhi
CCRYN, Ministry of AYUSH,
New Delhi
Morarji Desai National
institute of Yoga, New Delhi
Quality Council of India Gitananda Yoga Association,
Australia and New Zealand
Kaivalyadhama, Maharashtra
Indian Yoga Association Gitananda Yoga Association
of Canada.
Directorate of Tourism, Govt
of Pondicherry
International Yoga Teachers
Association, Australia
Directorate of School
Education, Pondicherry
Integrative Yoga Therapy,
USA
Krishnamacharya Yoga
Mandiram, Chennai
South Zone Cultural Centre ,
Tanjore
Krishnamacharya Healing &
Yoga Foundation, Chennai
WHO Collaborating Centre
for Traditional
Medicine (Yoga), MDNIY
Department of Siddha of the
Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical
University
Sant Hirdaram medical
college of naturopathy and
yogic sciences, Bhopal
Danalakshmi Srinivasan
Medical College , TN.
SDM College of Naturopathy
& Yogic Sciences, Ujire.
A J Institute of Medical
Sciences, Mangalore.
Doordarshan Pondicherry
Kendra
Sangopita & Aadahar Special
Schools, Maharashtra
Sri Venkateshwaraa Medical
College , Pondicherry.
St Joseph Cluny Hospital, and
Hospice, Pondicherry
SADAY Special School,
Pondicherry
Pondicherry Senior Citizens
Welfare Association
Serene Pelican Township Rajiv Gandhi College of
Engineering and Technology
Integra Sofware services,
Pondicherry
75
Consultancy from CYTER

76. Innovations & Best Practices
1. Integrating Yoga in Health Professions Education ©
2. “Divyanga Yoga”: The CYTER Model ©
3. “Silver Yoga": The CYTER Model ©
4. Yoga for the “Third Gender ": The CYTER Model ©
5. Choice Based Credit Courses in Yoga Therapy ©
6. CYTER Yoga Therapy Educational Videos ©
7. Incorporation of Yoga therapy education in nursing
curriculum©
76

77. 8. Standard Operating Procedure for Application of Yoga in
Primary Health Care (Voyaging of Yoga Basics to Grass
Roots – VYBGR) ©
9. Integrating Yoga in Health Professions Education ©
10.MYFSC - Making Yoga Fun for Special Children ©
11.PURNAM : CYTER Model of Salutogenic Communication of
Wholesomeness in a Clinical Setting ©
12.YOGA CHIKITSA ANUKRAMA : CYTER Model ©
77

78. What did we do at CYTER?
• Upgraded our “Best Practices”:
– “Salutogenic approach of yoga for the third
gender”: The CYTER model
– “Silver Yoga”: The CYTER Model
– “Divyanga Yoga”: The CYTER Model
• Codified our CBCS courses:
– Choice Based Credit Courses in Yoga Therapy
• Put together the YT videos:
– CYTER Yoga Therapy Educational Videos

80. • Worked on the opportunity to introduce Yoga in
healthcare:
– Incorporation of Yoga Therapy education in Nursing
Curriculum – Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (SBV) Model
– Integrating Yoga in Health Professions Education
– Standard Operating Procedure for Application of Yoga
in Primary Health Care (Voyaging of Yoga Basics to
Grass Roots – VYBGR)
• Contributed to SBV policy:
– Administrative policy statement and SBV Policy on
salutogenesis implementation and SBV Standard
Operating procedure for salutogenesis (2018/SBV
POL./SALUT./002)

81. Mapping the future
• Collaborative Research Centre with Central Council
for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy, AYUSH Ministry
• International Yoga Therapy Conferences
• Multi-centric research studies submitted to AYUSH,
DST, ICMR etc
• Qualitative research with anthropological inputs
• MOU with International Yoga & Yoga Therapy
Associations and Institutions.
• Internship opportunities for International Yoga
therapists recognized by IAYT, AAYT etc.
81

82. Charting a New Path
• Government of India promotes indigenous systems strongly
through Ministry of AYUSH.
• Holistic integration of Yoga and modern medicine enables
best quality patient care as the limitations of one are the
strength of the other.
• Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth provides a supportive and innovative
milieu where Yoga, our cultural heritage, reaches everyone
optimally, effectively & holistically.
• CYTER can be Nodal Centre to train medical educators &
administrators to set up Integrative Health Centers as we
have necessary infrastructure and man power.
82

83. “Path breaking innovation
indeed. Much needed for the
modern world. Congrats SBV!”
Ammaji
“CYTER is such a huge
inspiration. There should be
many more projects like
this.”- Yogacharini Kalavathi,
Wales, UK
“CYTER is balancing the
difficult path of staying true to
tradition on one hand, and
adapting it to the modern
world on the other .
Dr Ramesh Bijlani, AIIMS
CYTER is engaged in spreading
awareness about traditional Yoga
and its benefit for the welfare of
society, in addition to carrying out
research in yoga to establish strong
scientific foundation for Yoga, which
is most needed of the hour.
-Dr HR Nagendra, Chancellor
S-Vyasa Yoga University

84. CYTER is doing the perfect seva,
with a strong knowledge base.
-Dr Shirley Telles, Patanjali
Research Foundation
Haridwar
“CYTER is not just a centre, it
is the medicine of the future.
Joseph Le Page, Integrative
Yoga Therapy, USA.
“CYTER will surely be one
of the torch bearers in
Yoga Therapy worldwide in
time to come.”
Sri S Sridharan, KYM
“A great opportunity to train
‘hands on’ in the application
of Yoga in medicine.
Excellent training in a yoga
therapy department within a
modern medical hospital
with a unique team!” -
Nathalie Cazach,
Student PGDYT, France.

85. 85

87. Gratitude
is the
highest
attitude.

90. Thank You!