From the Archive of Gitananda Yoga Gesellschaft Deutschland
e. V.
1. November 2009
Yogic
view of W.H.O definition of health
Dr. Ananda Balayogi
Bhavanani
World Health Organization (WHO) defines health
as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being and not merely
absence of disease or infirmity. WHO has also in recent times suggested a fourth
dimension of spiritual health but has fallen short of defining it without confusing
it with religion. From a Yogic perspective it is heartening that the WHO definition
gives importance to 'well being' that is a vital aspect of 'being' healthy as
well as 'feeling' healthy. There is no use in a doctor telling patients that all
their investigations are 'normal' when the patients themselves are not feeling
'well'.
This qualitative aspect of health is something that Yoga and
Indian systems of medicine have considered important for thousands of years. The
definition of
asana given in the
Yoga Sutra as
sthira sukham
implies this state of steady well being at all levels of existence (
sthira
sukham asanam- Yoga Darshan II:46). Patanjali also tells us that through the
practice of
asana we can attain a state that is beyond dualities leading
to a calm and serene state of well being (
tato dvandva anabhighata-
Yoga
Darshan II: 48).
Yoga aims at enabling the individual to attain
and maintain a dynamic
sukha sthanam that may be defined as a dynamic sense
of physical, mental and spiritual well being. The Bhagavad Gita defines Yoga as
samatvam meaning thereby that Yoga is equanimity at all levels. (
yogasthah
kurukarmani sangam tyaktva dhananjaya siddiyasidhyoh samobutva samatvam yoga uchyate
- Bhagavad Gita II: 48) This may be also understood as a perfect state of health
wherein physical homeostasis and mental equanimity occur in a balanced and healthy
harmony.
One of the main lacunae of the WHO definition lies in the use
of the term 'state' that implies health is something to be achieved 'once and
for all' with no need for care about it thereafter! It is definitely not so. We
need to keep working on our health with great vigour and dynamic enthusiasm for
the entire span of our life. If health is to be understood as a 'state', then
it must be understood as a dynamic state that varies from day-to-day and often
from minute-to-minute! It is often actually more challenging to maintain this
dynamic state of health than to even attain it in the first place. Ask any World
No.1 sports champion and they will testify to this inherent truth that applies
to sports as well as to life itself.
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