NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON PRANAYAMA: TECHNIQUES, PHYSIOLOGIC BASIS AND THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL

[Guest guest]

NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON PRANAYAMA: TECHNIQUES, PHYSIOLOGIC BASIS AND THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL A National Level workshop on, “Pranayama: techniques, physiologic basis and therapeutic potential” was organised by the Department of

Physiology, JIPMER, Pondicherry 11th of December 2005 as part of the 51st Annual Conference of the Association of Physiologists and Pharmacologists of India (APPICON 2005). More than 50 delegates from all over India were selected to participate in this National Level workshop that took on an International flavor with the guest attendance by the 17 international Yoga teacher trainees from ICYER at Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry. The workshop was ably organised by Dr Madanmohan, Director-Professor and Head Department of Physiology, JIPMER and was coordinated by Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, Chairman of the International Center for Yoga Education & Research, (ICYER) Pondicherry. Amma, Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani, Director of the International Center for Yoga Education and Research, Pondicherry was an invited Resource Person along with Dr Kaviraja Udupa of the Dept of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and

Neurosciences, (NIMHANS) Bangalore. Practical training in various Pranayamas was imparted by Dr Madanmohan and Dr Ananda as well as Smt Lalitha Shanmugam of Yoganjali Natyalayam, Pondicherry and Shri Murugesan of the Department of Physical Education of JIPMER; The participants were treated to a wholistic view of Pranayama, the fourth limb of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga through a magnificent presentation by Amma at the inauguration of the workshop. She brought out the intricacies of the art and science of Pranayama in her talk that highlighted the experience of Kevala Kumbhaka as the peak of mastery over the process of breathing. She also gave an excellent presentation on the classification of Pranayama later in the morning based on the Rishiculture

Ashtanga Yoga teachings of Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri and then led the whole group though a practice session of Vibhagha Pranayama the sectional breathing which is the basis of all good Pranayama. Yogacharini Dr Nalini Devi of Gitananda Yogalayam, Spain and Yogacharya Hariharan of Gitananda Yoga, Switzerland assisted Amma in her presentation of Vibhagha Pranayama. Dr Kaviraja Udupa of the Dept of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore explained the physiological effects of Pranayama in depth in his well prepared presentation

that also highlighted the Yoga research done by him and Dr Ananda in the Department of Physiology at JIPMER under the guidance of Dr Madanmohan. In the post lunch session Dr Madanmohan enlightened the participants with a talk on Prana, Pranayama and Pranic healing that was well appreciated for its clarity of thought in presenting Prana and Pranayama from the Vedic perspective. He also presented some physiologically important points on the practice of Pranayama for the benefit of the medical doctors. The invitees were then divided into four groups and were led in a practical session by Dr Madanmohan, Dr Ananda, Smt Lalitha and Shri Murugesan who gave them a hands-on feeling for the important

Pranayamas such as Pranava, Savitri, Nadi Shuddhi, Kapalabhati, Bhastrika, Surya and Chandra Anuloma, Surya and Chandra Bhedana, Sheetali and Sitkari. In the afternoon Dr Ananda extolled the potential therapeutic benefits of Pranayama that would help one to attain a state of health and well being as well as prevent numerous disorders. He emphasized that Pranayama could be used either as monotherapy or in combination with other therapies to provide maximum benefit for the patients. Group discussion was followed by another practice session that gave all participants a chance to clear their doubts and attain to a basic level of proficiency in the nearly dozen Pranayamas that were introduced to them

during the workshop. Dr Madanmohan was ably assisted in his work by his faculty, residents, scholars and staff at JIPMER including Dr P Vijayalakshmi. The residents of the department guided by Dr ES Prakash and Dr Asmita Patil worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the workshop. Mr. Pavitran P, a pre doctoral fellow provided great assistance to Dr Madanmohan in his Karma Yoga Seva as did the entire staff of the department. A grant from the Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy (CCRYN), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India, New Delhi sponsored the workshop. During the APPICON 2005, Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani was invited to be a panelist during the Panel discussion on “Role of Yoga in Contemporary Medicine”. The panel was coordinated by Dr Santhosh Kumar of JIPMER while the other panelists included Dr Madanmohan of JIPMER, Dr Jyoti Dvivedi of the Himalayan Institute Hospital, Dheradun and Dr Chandrashekaran of the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Chennai. Yoganjali Natyalayam also presented a scintillating cultural programme with Yoga and Bharatha Natyam at the inaugural function of the APPICON 2005 that was witnessed by eminent medical doctors from all over India and numerous foreign

dignitaries. Senior students of Yognat presented the Muruga Kowthvam, Govardhana and Shiva Tandava while the juniors presented Adikondar and folk dances. Amma’s excellent explanations for the various dances enabled the audience to enjoy the beauty and meaning of the South Indian dancing to a greater depth than ever. G Dayanidy presented a spectacular Yogasana demonstration while balancing a lighted lamp on his head for the entire duration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani

Chairman : Yoganjali Natyalayam and ICYER

25,2nd Cross,Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry-605 013

Tel: 0413 - 2622902 / 0413 -2241561

Website: www.icyer.com

www.geocities.com/yognat2001/ananda

 

 

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