Sub Theme : Healthful living Education. Title of the paper- Yoga for healthful living education. Dr. Neha Deo. Associate Professor

Transcription

1 International Multidisciplinary International e-journal Multidisciplinary e Journal/ Dr. Neha Deo ISSN Sub Theme : Healthful living Education Title of the paper- Yoga for healthful living education. Dr. Neha Deo Associate Professor P.G.Department of Education S.N.D.T. University,Pune Campus Abstract In the 21 st century India is trying to become one of the most powerful countries in the world. But as Dr. Kothari told, The destiny of India is being shaped in her classrooms. The destiny is in teachers hand.sound mind exists in sound body. For that purpose every teacher should take care of health of his/her student s.the best Indian traditional way (which is now accepted by the entire world) to be healthy is Yoga. Yoga is a regular practice of asanas, pranayama, mudras, bandhas, shuddhhikriyas, dharana, dhyana, yoganidra etc. Yoga trains & controls the mind. It develops stable, balanced personality. It gives mental peace. The peace so obtained is a dynamic, creative peace & not a passive one. Yoga can be practiced at any age. It can be practiced anywhere & it does not require any separate place or instruments or extra energy. Regular & proper practice of Yoga gives astonishing results. Due to Yoga, body becomes flexible & more energetic. Mind becomes peaceful. One can emerge as a balanced personality. In this paper, the current problems regarding school education are listed.the problems regarding school chidren are focussed. The important remedy for all the health problems whether physical, mental, social is Yoga. The advantages of Yoga are discussed in detail & a plan for daily practice of Yoga is suggested for school children. Key words School health, Yoga Vol-III, Special Issue of SNT college Bhor- Feb-2014 Page - 1

2 1. School education in India- Education in India falls under the control of both the Union Government and the State government with some responsibilities lying with the Union and the states having autonomy for others. India has made progress in terms of increasing the primary education attendance rate and expanding literacy to approximately three quarters of the population. As per the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2012, 96.5% of all rural children between the ages of 6-14 were enrolled in school. This is the fourth annual survey to report enrollment above 96%. 83% of all rural year olds were enrolled in school. But this increase in quantity is not sufficient.the quality of education should also be increased.in the 21 st century India is trying to become one of the most powerful countries in the world. As Dr. Kothari told, The destiny of India is being shaped in her classrooms. The destiny is in teachers hand.to make our future more & more bright teacher shoud concentrate on all round development of our students. Allround development includes healty personality of the students.sound mind exists in sound body. So every teacher should take care of health of his/her students 2. Problems in Indian school education In adequate funding Faulty education policies Non productive education Faulty evaluation system Poverty Non involvement of citizens Political involvement & interference. Unhealthy competition Stress inducing system. Problems of school children Lack of concentration. Lack of interest in education Mal Nutrition Juvenile deliquency Addiction Impact of technology-misuse/excessive use of mobile & internet Vol-III, Special Issue of SNT college Bhor- Feb-2014 Page - 2

3 Lack of motivation Frustration Competition oriented stress All these education system related problems & students problems both are directly affecting the school health in India. Due to these problems mental, emotional, physical, social & spiritual health of students (as well as teachers) is in danger. 3. What is health-- Health can be defined in different ways. A disease free body, quiver free breath, inhibition free intellect, stress free mind, trauma free memory, violence free society & an ego that embraces all is a sign of health (Bonsel2011 P 41) Health is not mere absence of disease; health is being established in the self. Health is the dynamic expression of life (Bonsel 2011 P41) Health is an asset we seem to neglect due to our busy lives. It is not just how fit we are when young, but how we want to be after twenty years (Unkule2010 P 160) The World Health organizatio (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." 4. Different aspects of health- Health is not related only with physique. It is relatede with five different aspect of our body 7 soul. Mental, Emotional, Physical, Social, and Spiritual. 5. Three important things necessarry to be healthy Proper nutrition-. Vol-III, Special Issue of SNT college Bhor- Feb-2014 Page - 3

4 National Nutrition policy, 1993, was introduced to combat the problem of under - nutrition. It aims to address this problem by utilizing direct (short term) and indirect (long term) interventions in the area of food production and distribution, health and family welfare, education, rural and urban development, woman and child development etc Exersises & Sound & sufficient sleep The most powerful way to be healthy is Yoga. 6. What is Yoga? India is having a very rich heritage. The nation has given three precious gifts to the world, namely Ayurveda, Classical music & Yoga. Yoga is a regular practice of asanas, pranayama, mudras, bandhas, shuddhhikriyas, dharana, dhyana, yoganidra etc. Yoga trains & controls the mind. It develops stable, balanced personality. It gives mental peace. The peace so obtained is a dynamic, creative peace & not a passive one. Yoga can be practiced at any age. It can be practiced equally by rich & poor. It can be practiced in any season. It can be practiced anywhere & it does not require any separate place or instruments or extra energy. Yoga is beyond any cast, religion, country, philosophy & ism. Regular & proper practice of Yoga gives astonishing results. Due to Yoga body becomes flexible & more energetic. Mind becomes peaceful. One can emerge as a balanced personality. The most important is that person gets a great experience of happiness. Paramhans Satyanand Saraswati founder of Bihar school of Yoga has rightly said, Yoga is our Heritage of Yesterday, Need of Today & Culture of Tomorrow. (Vyawahare,2000,P25) Today s life has become very fast. Kent says If the aim of life is to accumulate more & more money & possessions- this urge being driven by the senses puts body under more & more pressure.( Vinod,2004 P ix). Such pressure affects our health adversely. Our life is full of anxieties, strains, tensions, fears & phobias, immortality & intolerance. Such a life created lots of behavioral & ultimately social problems. Yoga can definitely prove to be the right solutions to all such problems. It will prove to be the master key for all such problems Vol-III, Special Issue of SNT college Bhor- Feb-2014 Page - 4

5 Yoga is not a religion by itself. It is the science of religions, the study of which will enable a sadhaka the better to appreciate his own faith (Iyengar2012P39) Yoga is an ancient form of meditation, breathing & postures, which encourages spiritual growth & evolving one s consciousness. (Jencroft, 2004) Yoga is the most effective technique to be healthy. Yoga is an art too. Any action done with beauty & purity & in complete harmony of body, mind & soul is art. Art elevates the artist. As Yoga fulfils the essential need of art, it is an art. (Iyengar2005 P xiii) Pranayama is one of the major aspects of Yoga. We come into this life with the first breath in & leave this world with last breath out. Between this first in breath & the last out breath, our lives unfold. (Bonsel2011 P11) Controlling our breath with awareness is Pranayama. By regulating or holding our breath, we regulate our Prana or the life force energy. (Eswaren2004 P79) 7. Advantages of Yoga- Regular & proper practice of Yoga gives astonishing results. It gives advantages for body, mind & spirit. Body: Makes body flexible. Regulates respiration. controls digestion & blood circulation Assists neuromuscular-development Promotes development of the vestibular system Develops a strong and flexible body Increases balance, body awareness and coordination Improves posture and alignment Strengthens the immune system Reduces injuries & pains. Vol-III, Special Issue of SNT college Bhor- Feb-2014 Page - 5

6 Mind: Increases stability of mind. Enhances power of memory. Increases memory. Gives mental peace. Improves thinking ability. Calms and clears the mind, bringing us into the present moment Relieves tension and stress Increases concentration, focus and attention span Promotes thinking and memory Stimulates auditory processing and responsiveness Expands imagination and creativity Reduces stress and anxiety Improves ability to be less reactive; more mindful of thoughts, words and actions Balances energy (high or low) Relaxes the body, promoting better sleep Inculcates positive attitude. Spirit: Builds confidence and self-esteem Supports character development and emotional intelligence Enhances team skills and social interaction Develops discipline and self-control Supports individuality and self-expression Encourages social and environmental awareness and responsibility Supports a sense of universal connectedness Inspires respect for self and others Unfolds the deeper aspects of personality. Vol-III, Special Issue of SNT college Bhor- Feb-2014 Page - 6

7 Overall: Improves mind/body connection Encourages a fit and healthy lifestyle Promotes an overall sense of well-being The most important is that person gets a great experience of happiness. One can experience general feeling of well being. Yoga is our Heritage of Yesterday, Need of Today and Culture of Tomorrow. It is experienced that Yoga Programme positively affects mental and physical health. A number of researches all over the world scientifically proved the advantages of Yoga. 8. A plan for daily practic of Yoga for school children- Yoga should be made compulsory to all the school children, Daily one & a half hour should be devoted to yoga practice. The details of the Yoga Programme that should be practiced in the class- Prarthana (Omkar chanting, Gayatri manyra, Mritunjay mantra, shantipath) Suryanamskar-12 Shavasana Different asanas Pranayama(Nadishudhi,Kapalbhati,Agnisar,Bahya pranayama,anulom Vilom, Udgeet, Ujjayee) Meditation Sinha mudra, Hasyasana Shantipath Vol-III, Special Issue of SNT college Bhor- Feb-2014 Page - 7

8 Table 1. The Six days asana programme for practice in the class Day Asana Monday Sookshma Vyayam,Eyes moving activity,neck moving activity etc. Tuesday Kati saundaryasana, Paschimotanasana etc.(asana in seating position) Wednesday Asana laying on the back Thursday Asana like Bhujangasana, Shashankasan (Asana laying on the stomach) Friday Asana like parvatasana- (Asana in standing pose) Saturday jogging Table2 The package of pranayama- Type Omkar chanting Gayatri mantra Mritunjay mantra Bhasrika Nadishudhi Kapalbhati Legs moving activity Butterfly Agnisar Bahya pranayama Anulom Vilom Udggeet pranayama Ujjayee Karna Peedantak Legs moving activity, Butterfly Time 5times 3times once 2 minutes 5 minutes 15 minutes 3 times 3 times 12 minutes 5 times 3 times 2 times 9. Summary ---Thus Yoga definitely will improve school health. Yoga is the execise not only for the external muscles but for entire internal system.it improves mental activities, Vol-III, Special Issue of SNT college Bhor- Feb-2014 Page - 8

9 respiratory activities, circulatory system activites & digestive system activities It establishes co-ordination between body, soul & spirit.above all it gives peace of mind & connects soul with the divine spirit.only condition is it should be practiced under proper guidance & with consistancy. References Best,J.W.and Kahn,J.V.(2006) Research in Education.(9 th Edition). New Delhi:Prentice Hall of India Pvt Ltd. Bonsel,R.(2011).The art of stress-free living.sonpat:hay House. Eswaran,R.V.(2004)Drive away your stress.pune:the Source. Gay.L.R.(1992). Educational Research. New Jersy: Prentice Hall of India Garrett, H.H., Woodworth, R.S. (1973) Statistics in Psychology and Education. Delhi: Valcils,Feffler & Simons Pvt. Ltd. Iyengar,B.K.S.(2012)Light on Yoga.London: Harper Collins. Iyengar,B.K.S.(2005). The Art of yoga London: Harper Collins. Unkule,N.(2010).Cancer care & Mysteries& Yoga. Pune: Mehta Publishing House. Vinod,S.(2004). 9Secrets of Successful Meditation.London: New Age Books. Vyawahare,S.V.(2000).Anandyog. (3 rd edn)thane: Ghantali Mitra mandal. Vol-III, Special Issue of SNT college Bhor- Feb-2014 Page - 9