1

YOGA FOR WELLNESSYOUNGER GENERATION

S SRIDHARANKRISHNAMACHARYA YOGA MANDIRAM

CHENNAI

2

YOGA FOR WELLNESS – YOUNGER GENERATION

‘YOUNGISTHAN’(YOUNG-INDIA)

INDIA IS ONE OF THE YOUNGEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD WITH 60% OF ITS POPULATION LESS THAN 24 YEARS OF AGE AND IS CHARTED AS THE MOST PROPSECTIVE DESTINATION OF RETAIL INVESTMENT IN THE A.T. KEARNEY’S GLOBAL RETAIL OPPORTUNITY REPORT 2007

(SOURCE: WWW.INGENE.BLOGSPOT.COM)

3

YOGA FOR WELLNESS – YOUNGER GENERATION

• Indian youth have very unique advantages such as the combination of mobility, diverse language, education, a thirst for knowledge, hard work, better grasp of subjects such as science and technology

• These qualities are helping India to develop as a booming economy and emerging as a world leader

• On the flip side, currently, India’s younger generation is also facing many issues which can cause depletion of quality

• The main concerns are in the areas of youngsters’ physical, mental, social and emotional health, life style, social values, behavioral pattern and attitudes

4

YOGA FOR WELLNESS – YOUNGER GENERATION

• More than 1.8 million young people aged 15 to 24 die each year, mostly due to preventable causes.

• About 16 million girls aged 15 to 19 give birth every year.• Young people, 15 to 24 years old, accounted for 40% of

all new HIV infections among adults in 2008.• In any given year, about 20% of adolescents will

experience a mental health problem, most commonly depression or anxiety.

• An estimated 150 million young people use tobacco.• Approximately 565 young people aged 10 to 29 die every

day through interpersonal violence.• Road traffic injuries cause an estimated 1 000 young

people to die every day.• (SOURCE: indiacurrentaffairs.org)

5

YOGA FOR WELLNESS – YOUNGER GENERATIONProblems associated with lifestyle of youth in India

• Sedentary lifestyle.• Academic pressure.• Running out of time for

everything• Influence of media• Unhealthy sleeping

patterns• Economic and political

changes

• Changes in family structures

• Single parenting system• Living away from family• Broken family • Replacement of joint

family system to nuclear family setup.

• Lack of family support• Social support

6

YOGA FOR WELLNESS – YOUNGER GENERATION

• KYM Research Department undertook a study to identify the lifestyle practices and health related problems of youth in Chennai city. (December 2010-January 2011).

• The sample size was (N=60) within the age group of 15 to 28 belonging to adolescent and young adult category (Mean age=23.07 years, SD=3.20).

• 85% of the respondents are unmarried and 68% are student and 23% are working youngsters and 95% of the respondents are educated (upto U.G., P.G. and M.Phil).

7

Area Response %

General energy level Poor and Moderate 26.66%

Body flexibility Moderate 30%

Breathing comfort Mild discomfort 8.33%

Change in weight Increased or reduced 26.66%

Onset of Sleep Never, Rarely and Sometimes 71.66%

Sleep continuity Disturbed and Not continuous 58.33%

Freshness in the morning Not fresh 20%

Any health problem Yes 16.66%

Under medication Yes 10%

Satisfaction of physical health Not at all and Occasionally 23%

Disturbed by health issues Sometimes and Occasionally 39.99%

Mean score of the respondents’ Physical Wellbeing is M=13 and SD=2.80.

Physical Wellbeing

8

Area Response %

Relaxation level Not at all relaxed, Sometime

relaxed

34.96%

Confidence level Sometimes confident 16.66%

Emotional stability Not at all stable and Sometime

stable

26.66%

Mental energy level Poor 6.66%

Ability to concentrate Not at all focused and Sometimes

focused

23.32%

Self-esteem Poor 3.33%

Academic / work life Poor 8.33%

Physical appearance Poor 6.66%

Body image Poor 10%

Religious / spiritual

inclination

Very poor and Poor 29.99%

Feeling lonely Always and Sometimes 45%

Feel academically stressed Always and Sometimes 39.99%

Feel like dependent on

someone else

Always and Sometimes 33.3%

Mean score of the respondents’ Psychological Wellbeing is M=25.66 and SD=4.15.

Psychological Wellbeing

9

YOGA FOR WELLNESS-YOUNGER GENERATION

• This study reveals the risky lifestyle among young population.

• Many of the Life style practices have long term impact on the physical and psychological health status

10

YOGA FOR WELLNESS-YOUNGER GENERATION

A person’s life is generally decided by:

• What is inherited in the gene

• What is dictated by the society and civilization

• The conditioning that sets in over the years

11

YOGA FOR WELLNESS-YOUNGER GENERATION

• YUGA DHARMA

• (WHAT IS DICTATED BY THE SOCIETY)

• KALOU KALMASHA CHITTANAM

• PAPA DRVYOPAJIVINAM

• VIDHIKRIYA VIHINANAM

• GATIR GOVINDA KEERTANAM

12

YOGA FOR WELLNESS-YOUNGER GENERATION

KRIYA YOGA OF PATANJALI BEST SOLUTION

• It gives a three pronged attack to remove the impurities that cover the body, mind and soul.

• First ‘Tapas.’ This is best followed by taking to right food and living habits and practice of ‘Asana’ and ‘Pranayama’.

• The next is ‘Svadhyaya’ which is best done by ‘chanting’ and ‘meditation’.

• The third and most important part is ‘Isvara Pranidhana’ the ‘attitude of submission’.

13

YOGA FOR WELLNESS-YOUNGER GENERATION

• YOGA PRACTICE FOR YOUTH SHOULD AIM AT CULTIVATING THE ATMA GUNAS AS GIVEN IN THE DHARMA SUTRAS OF RISHI GAUTAMA

14

YOGA FOR WELLNESS-YOUNGER GENERATION

• "Daya" implies love for all creatures, such love being the very fulfillment of life. There is indeed no greater happiness than that derived by loving others. Daya is the basis of all qualities. 

•Kshama" is patience. One kind of kshama is patiently suffering disease, poverty, misfortune and so on. The second is forgiveness and it implies loving a person even if he causes us pain and trouble. 

15

YOGA FOR WELLNESS-YOUNGER GENERATION

• "Anasuya" is ‘being free from jealousy’. We ought to have love and compassion for all and ought to be patient and forgiving even towards those who do us wrong. We must not envy people their higher status even if they be less deserving of it than we are and, at the same time, must be mature enough to regard their better position as the reward they earned by doing good in their previous life. 

• "Sauca" is derived from "suci", meaning cleanliness. Purity is to be maintained in all matters such as bathing, dress, food. 

16

YOGA FOR WELLNESS-YOUNGER GENERATION

• "Anayasa". It is the opposite of "ayasa" which denotes effort, exertion, etc. Anayasa means to have a feeling of lightness, to take things easy. One must not keep a long face, scowl or keep lamenting one's hardships. If you lose your cool you will be a burden to yourself as well as to others. Anayasa is a great virtue. In many of our rituals there is much bodily exertion. Here Anayasa means not to feel any mental strain. Obstacles, inevitable to any work or enterprise, must not cause you any mental strain. You must not feel any duty to be a burden and must develop the attitude that everything happens according to the will of the Lord. 

• "Mangala", is auspiciousness. There is mangala or an auspicious air about happiness that is characterised by dignity and purity. One must be cheerful all the time and not keep growling at people on the slightest pretext. This itself is extremely helpful, to radiate happiness wherever we go and exude auspiciousness. It is better than making lavish gifts and throwing money about. 

17

YOGA FOR WELLBEING-YOUNGER GENERATION

• "Akarpanya" Miserliness is the quality of a krpana or miser. "Akarpanya" is the opposite of miserliness. We must give generously and whole-heartedly. Akarpanya is the quality of a courageous and zestful person who can face problems determinedly. 

"Aspriha" is the last of the eight qualities. "Spriha" means desire; a grasping nature. "Aspriha" is the opposite, being without desire. Desire is at the root of all trouble, all suffering and, all through the ages, it has been the cause of misfortunes. But to eradicate it from the mind seems an almost impossible task. By performing rites again and again and by constantly endeavouring to acquire the Atmic qualities one will eventually become desireless.

18

YOGA FOR WELLNESS-YOUNGER GENERATION

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA• SOCIETY DOES NOT GO DOWN

BECAUSE OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CRIMINALS, BUT BECAUSE OF THE INACTIVITIES OF THE GOOD PEOPLE

• A FEW WHOLE HEARTED, SINCERE AND ENERGETIC MEN AND WOMEN CAN DO MORE IN A YEAR THAN A MOB IN A CENTURY