Yoga: A Golden Treasure of India’s Valuable Assets

 New Delhi:  Diabetes is a serious medical lifestyle disorder that affecting millions of people around the world. As per an article in lancet diabetes and endocrinology, diabetes prevalence in the Indian population is 11.4%. It is caused by an imbalance in the body’s ability to process blood glucose, resulting in high blood sugar levels. Several etiological factors were identified including Lifestyle disorders and disbyosis of gut microbiota. Most of the treatments available are bringing down or manage blood sugar levels and most of these chronic diabetic subjects are ending in various vascular complications. Muscular relaxation and improved blood supply to muscles may be the key factors in reducing blood sugar levels. By increasing the expression of insulin receptors on muscles, glucose uptake by muscles can be increased and thus reduce blood sugar levels. Additionally, research has shown that regular exercise including yogic exercises which maintain healthy blood pressure can play a vital role in the development, prevention, and management of diabetes. In ancient times, diabetes was usually a death sentence as it was not possible to diagnose or treat the disease. However, in the 6th century BCE, an Indian healer named Sushruta identified diabetes and classified it as “Madhumeha”. This was one of the earliest attempts to identify diabetes and its symptoms.

Yoga: India’s heritage and Marvelous gift to the world: Every year we are celebrating international yoga day on 21 June aims to create awareness and encourage people to incorporate it into their daily lives for enhanced well-being. The theme of International Yoga Day 2023 is “Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.” Yoga is not only about Asanas. It is much more. It is a blend of Gynan (Knowledge) Karma (work), and Bhakti (devotion) said by our honorable Prime minister Shri Narendra Modiji. India has been a leader in the world stage when it comes to yoga and its priceless gift and valuable asset from ancient Indian culture. Prime Minister Modi has set an example for other countries by leading the International Yoga Day celebrations. He has also been a strong advocate for the practice of yoga and its benefits, and his efforts have helped popularize it worldwide.

Yoga therapy is a holistic approach to health and wellness that originated in India more than 5,000 years ago. It is based on the belief that the mind and body are not separate entities Instead, they are closely intertwined, and interconnected i.e., that treating one can have a positive effect on the other. It utilizes various yoga postures, breathing techniques, and meditation to bring all the abnormalities and irregularities of body and physiology of mind back to normal and restore positive health. Regular practice can lead to improved physical fitness, mental clarity, emotional balance, and overall well-being. It is an effective way to reduce stress levels, improve sleep quality, boost immunity, reduce chronic pain, increase flexibility & mobility of joints & muscles etc. Recent studies have also shown that yoga practice can help with Psycho-neuro-endocrine and immune system functioning. Yoga therapy is not symptomatic in nature as it believes in treating the person as a whole rather than just merely concentrating on specific individual symptoms or disorders. By taking into account all aspects of an individual’s life – physical, mental, emotional – yoga therapy helps to restore balance in their life so they can achieve optimal health.

Its various postures and breathing exercises help in calming the mind and body, which in turn helps in reducing the secretion of glucagons. Glucagon is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that increases the sugar levels in the bloodstream. Stress has been found to enhance the secretion of glucagon, which can result in higher blood sugar levels. However, practicing yoga can effectively reduce stress levels, leading to a reduction in glucagon secretion. This, in turn, helps maintain a healthy balance of sugar levels in the body. Furthermore, studies suggest that the reduction of glucagon levels through the practice of yoga can potentially improve insulin action. Insulin is a main hormone that helps the body to regulate blood sugar levels by removing excess glucose from the bloodstream. When insulin action is compromised, it can lead to glucose buildup in the blood, which can cause long-term damage to the cardiovascular system, nervous system, and other organs. So, practicing yoga can have positive effects on both stress management and blood sugar regulation by reducing glucagon secretion and potentially improving insulin action.

Role of Catecholamines: Yoga is a great way to reduce stress hormones in the body, such as adrenalin, nor-adrenaline, and cortisol. These hormones are responsible for triggering the body’s fight-or-flight response, which can lead to a range of physical and mental health issues. Recent studies have shown that yoga can help to reduce these hormones in the blood, thereby reducing stress levels. Moreover, yoga can also improve insulin action in the body. This is due to its ability to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system which helps to regulate glucose metabolism and insulin secretion. This is a lively mechanism of improvement in insulin action and helps keep diabetes under control.

Specific practices recommended for diabetes: Practicing Yoga has been used for centuries to enhance physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Many yogic postures do stretch on the pancreas, which is likely to stimulate pancreatic function. This can be beneficial for people suffering from diabetes as it can help regulate their blood sugar levels. There are specific practices recommended for diabetes that focus on stretching the pancreas and other organs associated with digestion. Some of these include Suriyanamaskar, Todasana, Ardhachakrasana, Supta pavanamuktasana and Shalabha. These postures help to increase flexibility in the body and improve digestion which can lead to better control of blood sugar levels.

In recent years, the benefits of yoga are well-known. However, it is important to understand that yoga should be learned under the guidance of a qualified yoga professional. Different styles of yoga have different levels of intensity and complexity, and it is very much essential to ensure that you are learning the correct form for your body type and fitness level. Fast-paced practices and strenuous exercises in extreme weather conditions, such as hot or Bikram yoga, are not recommended for beginners. It is essential to start with gentle poses and work your way up gradually in order to avoid injury or aggravating existing medical issues such as diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. It is recommended that Safe and appropriate yoga style should be practiced.

Conclusion: Many studies have proven that practicing yoga postures can have multiple health benefits starting with improvement of sleep, weight reduction due to energy consumption, helps in cognitive function, concentration, improvement of blood circulation thereby improvement of both physical and mental health, improves energy regulation, posture balance, spine health and in addition rejuvenating effect on insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, making it an effective way to control the causes of diabetes. The benefits of yoga extend to people of all ages and can be done in any season or location, making it an extremely practical and cost-effective co-therapy. It can be especially useful for individuals who travel frequently, as it can be done anywhere, anytime. Overall, yoga offers a simple yet highly effective way to manage diabetes and provides many crucial benefits for the overall health and well-being of its practitioners. Indian Sanathana dharma teaches a way of healthy living in harmony, both mental and physical well-being of an individual.

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*Dr N.K. Prasanna (prasanna@niscair.res.in) is a Sr. Scientist at CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR), New Delhi. Dr SK. Varshney (skvdst@nic.in) is Chief Scientist & Head, International Cooperation, Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi.