Integrating Yoga Cikitsâ in the West: Challenges and Future Directions

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Sevika Douglass ◽  
Subhas Tiwari
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Traditional Practices ◽  
Health And Wellness ◽  
Yoga Practice ◽  
The West ◽  
Cultural Perceptions ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Health And Healing ◽  
Yoga Practitioners

With acceptance of Yoga in the West come challenges to Western understanding of what healing is, and how healing happens. The principles of spirituality and holistic living, which form the basis of Yoga, are largely being edited out of Yoga practice in America in an attempt to hold on to cultural perceptions about the nature of healing. This deletion has been a concern for many contemporary Yoga practitioners. This article explores Western cultural values as a backdrop for understanding the tendency to edit "practices" from other "traditions." Suggestions are made for how contemporary Yoga therapists can actively promote the traditional practices of Yoga through the language used to discuss Yoga, scientific studies, and reflection on Western preconceptions about health and healing. Yoga need not be divested of its spiritual heritage to live alongside biomedical approaches to health. By holding multiple theories of health and wellness as correct and useful within their own specific contexts, we will have more to offer those who are suffering with physical or mental illness.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between Yoga and Spirituality: A Systematic Review of Empirical Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Csala ◽  
Constanze Maria Springinsfeld ◽  
Ferenc Köteles
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Yoga Practice ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Registration Number ◽  
Hungarian Language ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Present Systematic Review ◽  
Yoga Practitioners

ObjectiveBoth yoga practice and spirituality are associated with beneficial mental health outcomes. Within yoga research, however, spirituality is still a widely neglected area. The present systematic review aims to explore empirical studies, which do, in fact, investigate the relationship between yoga and spirituality in order to provide an overview and future directions for research on this topic. The review examines whether available empirical research supports an association between yoga practice and spirituality and, if so, which specific aspects of spirituality are associated with yoga practice.MethodsThe systematic review followed the PRISMA guideline (Prospero registration number: CRD42020155043). Empirical studies written in English, German, or Hungarian language were selected from a database search in Google Scholar, PsycINFO, and Science Direct. A total of 30 studies met the final inclusion criteria.ResultsAccording to the quantitative and qualitative studies reviewed, yoga practice seems to be positively associated with spirituality. This association concerns various aspects of spirituality, such as spiritual aspirations, a search for insight/wisdom, an integrative worldview, a sense of meaning and peace, faith, hope, compassion, and happiness within. To harness the potential spiritual benefits of yoga, regular practice appears to be essential. Yoga practitioners seem to have both physical and spiritual motives for practicing. At least in Western societies, however, physical intentions are more prevalent than spiritual ones. The meaning of spirituality for yoga practitioners is also discussed. Due to risk of bias of the majority of the reviewed studies, however, outcomes must be taken with caution.ConclusionYoga practice may be positively associated with several aspects of spirituality. For more evidence, further investigation of the topic is suggested. Particularly, we propose the inclusion of holistic forms of yoga practice and a comparison of Eastern and Western approaches to yoga.

The Neoliberal Yogi and the Politics of Yoga

2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 772-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farah Godrej
Keyword(s):  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Western World ◽  
Yoga Practice ◽  
The West ◽  
Modern Yoga ◽  
Political Norms

Can the theory and practice of the yogic tradition serve as a challenge to dominant cultural and political norms in the Western world? In this essay I demonstrate that modern yoga is a creature of fabrication, while arguing that yogic norms can simultaneously reinforce and challenge the norms of contemporary Western neoliberal societies. In its current and most common iteration in the West, yoga practice does stand in danger of reinforcing neoliberal constructions of selfhood. However, yoga does contain ample resources for challenging neoliberal subjectivity, but this requires reading the yogic tradition in a particular way, to emphasize certain philosophical elements over others, while directing its practice toward an inward-oriented detachment from material outcomes and desires. Contemporary claims about yoga’s counterhegemonic status often rely on exaggerated notions of its former “purity” and “authenticity,” which belie its invented and retrospectively reconstructed nature. Rather than engaging in these debates about authenticity, scholars and practitioners may productively turn their energies toward enacting a resistant, anti-neoliberal practice of yoga, while remaining self-conscious about the particularity and partiality of the interpretive position on which such a practice is founded.

An Ethos of Deconstruction in Multi-Cultural and Multi-Religious Contexts

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 368-385
Author(s):  
Johann-Albrecht Meylahn
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Traditional Practices ◽  
Ethical Norm ◽  
Ethical Conflicts ◽  
Textual Space ◽  
Alternative Practices ◽  
Dominant Narratives

The essay will focus on the role of Derrida’s différance in opening a space for an alternative ethos in religious or cultural plural contexts. In postcolonial contexts individual human rights, as the universal norm, is challenged by religious and cultural traditional practices. Some of the traditional practices are incompatible with individual rights and this is aggravated in a postmodern context as there is no universal meta-narrative to arbitrate between the conflicting practices. The result of this conflict is often a stalemate between the universal rights of individuals, often marginal individuals (children, homosexuals and women), over against religious and cultural values and traditions of the particular local context or religious or cultural group. The question this article focuses on is how deconstruction can help to move beyond such ethical conflicts. The article proposes that deconstruction can offer a way of reading, interpreting and understanding these cultural practices within their contexts, by taking the various practices (texts) within their contexts seriously as there is no beyond the text. This reading creates an inter-textual space between the various dominant narratives for the emergence of an alternative ethos. This emerging ethos is not presented as the ethical norm, but rather as an open, expectant attitude towards all the texts involved. This attitude can maybe open the space for alternative practices beyond the stalemate in multi-religious and multi-cultural contexts.

scholarly journals Chandra Anuloma Viloma Pranayama modifies Cardiorespiratory Functions

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-51
Author(s):  
S Prakash ◽  
K Upadhyay-Dhungel
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Respiratory Rate ◽  
Left Nostril ◽  
Medical Sciences ◽  
The West ◽  
Significant Drop ◽  
Medical College ◽  
Breathing Exercises ◽  
Yoga Practitioners

Background and Objectives: In recent years, there has been considerable interest in scientific research on yoga, especially on Pranayama. Nostril breathing exercises including Alternate nostril breathing, Left nostril breathing and right nostril breathing exercises is getting attention in the east and in the west. Left nostril breathing exercises is also called Chandra Nadisuddhi Pranayama or Chandra anulomaa vilomaa Pranayama (CAV). Very few have carried out research on Chandra Anuloma Viloma Pranayama (CAV). This study was carried out to see the effects of CAV on experienced yoga practitioners and naïves.Material and Methods: The study consisted of 36 subjects divided into two groups, first group consist of 26 medical students who were naïve and the next group consist of 10 yoga practitioners. All the subjects performed 12 rounds of Chandra Nadisuddhi Pranayama in each session for 24 days. Variables were entered into SPSS Program and were analyzed.Results: This study depicts fall in Pulse rate, respiratory rate, systolic blood pressure and Diastolic blood pressure after CAV Pranayama in both Naïves and Yoga practitioners. But the significant drop was observed in SBP only (at p < 0.05) among Naives and in all parameters except respiratory rate among Yoga Practitioners.Conclusion: The effect of the Chandra Anuloma Viloma (CAV) in this study was more eminent in the yoga practitioners than in the naïve group.Janaki Medical College Journal of Medical Sciences (2015) Vol. 3 (1):45-51

scholarly journals Changes in the perception of values of cultural areas in the world

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 54-61
Author(s):  
Them Ngoc Tran
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Northeast Asia ◽  
The West ◽  
The World ◽  
Western Values ◽  
Subjective Aspect ◽  
And Behavior

The paper presents the changes of values in three cultural areas the West, Northeast Asia, and Southeast Asia through two aspects: (i) behavior’s aspect and (ii) subjective aspect. From behavior’s aspect, the paper presents the changes in ways of cognition, organization and behavior. From subjective aspect, the paper presents the changes in countries in the West, Northeast Asia, and Southeast Asia. Due to the main domination of Western values in the process of globalization and integration, the more different from the West in terms of cultural values are, the stronger and more difficult the changes in values become. For this reason,Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia are more interested in building their own values.

scholarly journals Comparative Study of Cultural Value Orientation between China and America

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 97
Author(s):  
Jie Yan ◽  
Yuying Li
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Economic Integration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Value Orientation ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Cultural Value ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Cultural Communication ◽  
The West ◽  
Cultural Exchanges

In today's world, cultural exchanges have become more and more frequent because of the economic integration and technological globalization, but people from different countries may have different culture values. China and the United States, as representatives of the East and the West, also have great differences in value orientation. Therefore, understanding the differences between each culture has both theoretical and practical significance for their inter-cultural communication. This paper analyzes the differences between Chinese and American cultural values from five aspects: nature, humanity, time, relationship, and human actions. It will have an important guiding role in eliminating cultural barriers and promoting the development of Chinese and American culture in inter-cultural communication.

Vietnamese-American family caregivers of persons with mental illness: Exploring caregiving experience in cultural context

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 846-865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quynh Nhu (Natasha) Bui ◽  
Meekyung Han ◽  
Sadhna Diwan ◽  
Tran Dao
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
American Family ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Vietnamese American

While involvement of family caregivers can play an important role in the recovery process of persons with serious mental illness (SMI), family caregivers often endure poor health and mental health issues due to caregiving-related distress. These challenges may be exacerbated for Vietnamese American families due to cultural values (e.g., familism and stigma). This qualitative exploratory study examined how Vietnamese American family caregivers of persons with SMI describe their caregiving experience. Using convenience and snowball sampling, the study recruited 21 participants who took part in two Vietnamese-language focus groups. Key findings of the study addressed three themes: (1) the influence of cultural and religious values on caregiving and mental health; (2) the negative impact of caregiving on caregivers’ wellbeing; and (3) the stigma attached to mental illness. The study offers useful insights to assist mental health practitioners in tailoring culturally appropriate and effective services for Vietnamese caregivers.

Indigenous Knowledge Systems

2019 ◽  
pp. 344-355
Author(s):  
Osarumwense Iguisi ◽  
Osaro Rawlings Igbinomwanhia
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
The West ◽  
Management Philosophy ◽  
Building Models ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Management Theories

This chapter draws attention to the relevance of cultures to management philosophy with the purpose of contributing to a culturally viable practice of management in Africa. It has been shown that the different management theories in the form that they have been developed in the West may not fit culturally in Africa. However, in developing theories and building models of management theories in Africa, it is unlikely to pay Africans to throw away all that the West has to offer. Rather, the process of appropriate management theorizing should be to reflect on the assumptions of Western management theories, compare Western assumptions about social and cultural values with African cultural values, and rebuild the theories or models through experimentation. The use of anthropological and philosophical concepts in this context will help in development of appropriate management practice.

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