The University of California, Los Angles, sponsors a pediatric pain clinic where a multidisciplinary team meets weekly to address their patients’ problems. Children with chronic pain become marginalized as they slip academically, have problems socially, and experience depression, anxiety, and insomnia. The clinic treats children reporting abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, and rheumatoid arthritis, among other symptoms. Current research will pursue irritable bowel syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis.
and which parts of the body were targeted. Because this was a double-blind study, instructors did not know their students’ histories. Those completing the study had fewer symptoms, a healthier outlook on life, and beneficial physiological changes. Statistically, the remission rate for those with depression who are participating in yoga is 65% higher than for any other complimentary or alternative medical therapy, 45% higher than for those using other forms of exercise, and 31% higher than the effect of using a placebo. The attrition rate is also lower than in other forms of exercise. Yoga promises to be a cost-effective complementary treatment to manage psychological disorders. INDIA: Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system. The Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Society, along with Rajvi Mehta and the Bombay Hospital, conducted a study that greatly benefited participants.
“Beyond the armament of drugs, we have nothing. Yoga can help.”
Serious depression affects more than 10% of the American population older than 18 years, and it is estimated that by 2020, it will be the second leading cause of death worldwide. Dr. David Shapiro has conducted several studies on anxiety and mood disorders and on subjects with major clinical depression who have limited relief from antidepressant medication. He examined individual psychological and physiological characteristics related to the effects of yoga to see what practice would work best for particular personality types and conditions.
Patients were instructed daily for ten days, with a weekly follow-up class over two months. All patients practiced regularly and kept a journal of their progress. Their mental state and social and motor skills improved significantly when compared with those of the control group, and the nature of the study encouraged patients to integrate yoga into their daily lives. Each of the studies noted above incorporated basic asanas familiar to every yoga student. Whether the ailment is physical, emotional, or physiological, the basic tenets to generate life energy, to placate a restless mind, and to cultivate a calm, sober, and generous attitude in life apply. Rajvi noted, “When the structural body loses its alignment, the organic body loses its vitality, and even the cellular body is impacted.” Through the judicious and practical application of the yoga asanas, one’s breath and life energy is encouraged to flow freely, promoting an internal stability that leads to dynamic health and a rich, fulfilling life.
Participants took three weekly classes for two months. In a therapeutics session, the condition dictated the sequence, as well as what was emphasized in the asana
Lisa Walford has been teaching in the Los Angeles area for more than 25 years and holds a Senior Intermediate I certificate. She is on the advisory council for the International Association of Yoga Therapists.
IYNAUS ArChIVeS: preSerVINg The pAST FOr geNerATIONS TO COMe by Kim Kolibri The IYNAUS archives play an essential role in our mission of disseminating the teachings of the Iyengars. Ongoing preservation efforts, including the rescue of print, audio, and video materials that would be lost to decay or would become unusable because of obsolete technologies, was given new impetus last year with a $10,000 grant from IYNAUS. The archives also bring the Iyengar Yoga community exciting new material, including, most recently, DVDs of the teachings of Geetaji last year at Yasodhara in Canada, which are now available for purchase at the IYNAUS Store (www. iynaus.org/store). Yoga Samachar Fall 2009 / Winter 2010
The purpose of this article is to inform the IYNAUS membership about the IYNAUS archive and the work being done by the Archive Committee. In companionship with this article, a video interview with the Archive Director, Eddy Marks, can be seen by visiting the Yoga Samachar page via the IYNAUS website. The IYNAUS archive was officially formed shortly after the formation of IYNAUS, in 1990. Initially, the archive consisted of materials that were owned by Eddy Marks, an Intermediate Senior I teacher practicing in San Diego, California. As a devoted student and teacher of Iyengar Yoga, Eddy started collecting materials related to the teachings of Guruji, Geetaji, and Prashantji, as well as of Iyengar Yoga in general. After the formation of the archive, many others began donating similarly significant items. Over time, the archive has became a safe repository for multimedia items such as film, videos, written materials, audio tapes, photographs, and slides. Many of these items are one of a kind and therefore add another level of importance to the mission of the IYNAUS archive. 20
