H. R. Nagendra
Vice-chancellor & Director, SVYASA University, Bengaluru.
hrn@vyasa.org

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Abstract

The burden of diabetes all over the globe is increasing day by day. In India we are soon racing to become the Diabetic Capital of the world. With nearly 5 crore people in India are stuck with the pandemics of diabetes, it is high time that medical researchers should find ways and means to reverse the trend. While an increased IR is found in Indians than others, we Indians are more pre-disposed to become diabetics than others. The global changes with economy as the be and end of life instead of eat to live, an associated move from our ancient healthy way of life towards a life style of speed and greed, technologically driven life style of targets inducing highest levels of stress in professions have all made Indians gallop towards driving India towards that ill-fame of DM capital. With all the modern facilities available, the disease has posed such a challenge that the term cure is removed from the dictionary of modern medical super specialists. We are made to believe that it is impossible to cure diabetes.

Is there a way out for us? Yoga Therapy is giving us the direction through its Holistic vision about the genesis of the disease. Mind is implicated as the source of the problem. Adhi generated at Manomaya Kosha (the subtle unseen layer of mind ) are at the root of the problem and all that we do in modern medical treatment is limited to the body level dealing with Vyadhi. Yoga deals with not only the body and the Prana bridging the body to the mind but also the mind directly. Going deeper, Prajnaparadha is implicated in the causation of Adhi and has to be tackled at knowledge level. The integrated approach of Yoga therapy incorporating Jnana Yoga, Bhakti, Raja and Karma Yoga offers total solution to this problem.

Apart from medication, diet control and exercise prescribed by modern medical treatment, Yoga adds the key dimension of stress reduction and adoption of yoga way of life for them. Research conducted over nearly three decades has clear pointers to go the right way to tackle the problem of diabetes at the national level. Armed with publications not only by VYASA research but also by many others all over the globe, we have launched a nation-wide movement called STOP DIABETES. A brief glimpse of this vital SDM will be presented.