The presentation by Dr. Meena Ramanathan at the conference on yoga emphasizes the importance of integrating salutogenesis in yoga therapy, which focuses on promoting health and well-being rather than merely treating disease. It highlights the multifaceted aspects of yoga, including physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, and the need for a holistic approach to health that incorporates lifestyle, diet, and proper practices. The ultimate goal of yoga therapy is to empower individuals towards optimal health through the teachings and practices of yoga.

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

2. RETAINING “YOGA” IN
YOGA THERAPY
Presented by
Dr Meena Ramanathan
Deputy Director & Associate Professor,
CYTER of Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Pondicherry .
www,sbvu.ac.in/cyter
Presented at the Conference on Philosophy and Practice of Yoga: Issues of
Authenticity, integrity and Ingenuity. 15-16 Feb 2020. Bangalore, India

3. Disclaimer
Acknowledge with deep sense of
gratitude and thank all those whose
creations I have used through the
known and unknown sources in this
presentation

4. Acknowledgements
Special and sincere acknowledgements and
thanks to my Guru
Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani
for magnanimously permitting me to use his
materials in this presentation

5. 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…
Grad FP. The Preamble of the Constitution of the World Health Organization. Bulletin of the
World Health Organization 2002; 80 (12): 981-84.

6. Yoga Marga
Yogic lifestyle prevents dis-ease & promotes
wellness (Sukha)
Good health & wellbeing- Priceless
Good but not pleasant

7. Bhoga Marga
Unhealthy lifestyle is the main factor for
disease & suffering (dukha)
Ill health & disease – a curse
Pleasant but not good

9. YOGA & YOGA THERAPY
• YOGA is the process & state of integrative
synchrony of mind-body-spirit
• Dissolution of individual (microcosm) into the
Infinite (macrocosm)
• YOGA THERAPY consists of the concepts & tools
to attain state of integrative synchrony.
• It requires in-depth knowledge of yogic practice
& not just ability
– to perform advanced asanas (or)
– treat aches & pains

10. “Yoga is more than mere asana practice”
It is not just about
touching your toes
It is about what you learn
On the way down.

11. 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

12. “Yoga therapy is the process of
empowering individuals to
progress toward improved health
and wellbeing through the
application of the teachings and
practices of Yoga”. – IAYT

13. Salutogenesis, our Focus
• Salutogenesis is focusing on factors that support
human health & well-being, rather than on factors
that cause diseases (pathogenesis)
Pathogenesis
Salutogenesis
*Antonovsky, A. The salutogenic model as a theory to guide health promotion.
Health Promotion International 1996; 11(1):11–18.

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

15. Sense of Coherence (SOC)*
• COMPREHENSIBLE
- “My world is understandable”
• MANAGEABLE
- “My world is manageable”
• MEANINGFUL
- “My world has meaning”
SOC has strong positive correlations to perceived
health, mental health & QoL
* Antonovsky, A. The salutogenic model as a theory to guide health promotion.
Health Promotion International 1996; 11(1):11–18.

16. Acharya Sushruta (~600 BC) defined health as
“a dynamic balance of the elements & humors,
normal metabolic activity & efficient
elimination coupled with a tranquil mind, senses
& contented soul”.
DEFINITION OF HEALTH BY SUSHRUTA
samadoshah samaagnishcha samadhaatu malakriyah
prasanna atmendriyamanah swasth ityabhidheeyate
-Sushruta Samhita 15:41

18. Physical
wellbeing
Mental
wellbeing
Social
wellbeing
Dynamic and
wholesome
wellbeing
Spiritual
wellbeing

19. Integration through Yoga
Integration at all levels achieved by considering the
multi-dimensional aspects of yoga
• Nourishing diet
• Natural environment
• Wholistic lifestyle
• Adequate bodywork : asana, mudra, bandha & kriya
• Invigorating breath work : pranayama
• Cultivation of healthy thought process through jnana
yoga & raja yoga.

21. Systems
Tissues Cells
DNA, RNA
Genes
Organs
Modern perspective of human body

22. Structural existence
(annamaya)
Functional mechanisms
(pranamaya)
Cellular memory
(manomaya)
Intelligent feedback
(vijnanamaya)
Systemic interactivity
(anandamaya)
Cellular Panchakosha !

23. 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

24. CAUSE OF DISEASE ACCORDING TO YOGA
• Tri Dosha & their imbalance
• Dwadasha Prana & their imbalance
• Yoga Vashistha
psychosomatic (Adija Vyadhi )and non psychosomatic
(Anadija Vyadhi ) disorders
Somato-psychic disorders
Dwaitam, (sense of duality, dichotomy) is the root
cause of imbalance (adhi), manifesting as disease
(vyadhi) through psycho-somatic mechanisms.
- Swami Gitananada Giri

25. 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

26. The relationship between psychosomatic, somatopsychic,
multi system illness, & medical uncertainty.
Bransfield RC, Friedman KJ. Differentiating Psychosomatic, Somatopsychic, Multisystem Illnesses, and Medical
Uncertainty. Healthcare (Basel). 2019;7(4).

27. Psycho-neuro-immuno-endocrinology

28. Understanding the Prana Vayu in a modern scientific manner
for diagnosis and management in Yoga Therapy
Functional energies of :
1. Respiration
2. Communication
3. Circulation
4. Digestion
5. Excretion
Helps us to work
using Yogic
diagnosis rather
than only the
medical one!

29. 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

30. * Bhavanani AB. Are we practicing yoga therapy or yogopathy? Yoga Therapy
Today 2011; 7 (2): 26-28
Yoga Therapy “without” Yoga
Will no longer be Yoga Therapy
• Yoga Chikitsa is based on salutogenesis
• Yogopathy * is based on pathogenesis

31. The defining pathway is YOGA
x Bhoga Marga
x Preya Marga
x Dukham
x Pathogenesis
x Dis-ease
x Illness
x Devolution
x Disassociation
x Dwaitam
 Yoga marga
 Shreya Marga
 Sukham
 Salutogenesis
 Ease
 Wellness
 Evolution
 Union
 A-Dwaitam

32. Conclusion
• The ultimate aim & goal of any system of treatment
is to generate optimal health & well being
though methodology differs in each.
• While modern science looks outward for the cause of
all ills, the Yogi searches depths of his own self.
This two way search can lead us to
many answers for the troubles
that plague modern man.

35. May we all be blessed to travel this
yogic journey!
Hari om tat sat

36. “Health and happiness
are your birthright.
Learn and live Yoga
for then you will
know true health and
happiness”
Yogamaharishi
Dr Swami Gitananda Giri
Guru Maharaj
(1907-1993)
Founder:
ICYER at Ananda Ashram,
Pondicherry, India.

37. References
1. Grad FP. The Preamble of the Constitution of the World Health Organization. Bulletin of the
World Health Organization 2002; 80 (12): 981-84.
2. 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.
3. Antonovsky, A. The salutogenic model as a theory to guide health promotion. Health
Promotion International 1996; 11(1):11–18.
4. Taylor MJ. What is yoga therapy? An IAYT definition. Yoga Therapy in Practice 2007;3.
5. Bransfield RC, Friedman KJ. Differentiating Psychosomatic, Somatopsychic, Multisystem
Illnesses, and Medical Uncertainty. Healthcare (Basel). 2019;7(4).
6. Bhavanani AB. Are we practicing yoga therapy or yogopathy? Yoga Therapy Today 2011; 7
(2): 26-28
7. Bhavanani AB. Psychosomatic mechanisms of yoga. Annals of SBV 2013; 2 (2): 27-31.
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Dec;18(6):491-519
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from CYTER, Pondicherry, India. EJPMR 2017; 4(1): 256-262.
11. Ramanathan Meena. Applied Yoga. Pondicherry, India: AarogyaYogalayam; 2007
12. Streeter, et al. (2007) Yoga Asana sessions increase brain GABA levels: a pilot study
(Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, May, 13(4):419-26)
13. The evaluation of a mind/body intervention to reduce psychological distress and perceived
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38. Thank You!