Guest Writer

Corona – An Opportunity to Discover the Self :: Dr. Dinesh Prasad Swain

We all need to lead a healthy, prosperous and disease-free life.
But now, in this modern scenario, we suffer, due to faulty life-style, defective body posture and heavy use of modern appliances, as well as lack of strong determination for continuous efforts to be fit and fine.
Since the last month, we, almost all the people (apart from doctors, healthcare workers, cops and social workers) are spending 24×7 hours at home.
And the students have been enclosed indoors for over forty-five days, due to this epidemic.
Now, it is high time to know our strengths, weaknesses, ambitions and needs.

Everyone is trying to find the solution by rushing to the doctors facing a slight disorder at the physio-psychological problem.
In the following day, we are taking interest in workouts, physical activities or exercise.
It may be gym, yoga, walking etc.
At present, the habits and diseases of people are such, for which doctors are advising frequent physical activities and a bit of medication.
In the beginning, we buy new sports shoes, tracksuits, search a park nearby, and search for a companion, or group of companions.
But eventually, the interest depletes.
After 2-3 days, we start developing this underhanded, sly attitude. We start cheating ourselves, to get relief after swallowing a pill.
We try to convince ourselves by making excuses, for instance- ‘I didn’t get enough sleep last night’, or ‘I came home late last night’, or ‘I am feeling feverish’, or ‘I feel a migraine crashing in my head’, and others.

In this pandemic it’s big time to acknowledge ourselves, our resolution, our conceptions and our outlook.
If the lockdown will be concluded, it won’t be safe for us to resume our lifestyle like before.
This situation is not that of a flood or cyclone, so that it will end just after 2/3 hours or days.
This is a global health crisis, and it will definitely take time to normalize.
Let us commence the day with certain resolutions to correct the life-style, maintain a healthy body, attain the well-being of mind and harmonize the emotions by adopting yogic life style.

Regular practice of Surya Namaskar revitalizes the whole body by loosening all the joints and muscles, massages the internal organs, helps to tone all the systems of the body.
Being an excellent antidote it also removes all the emotional disorders.
It is a complete practice with physical posture, breathing awareness, mantra, meditation and relaxation.
One full round of Surya Namaskar consists of twenty-four positions, which influences the health of the whole body.
Exercising the entire body, it bends the body forwards and backwards, strengthens the arms and legs, stretches as well as compresses the abdominal muscles, etc.
It increases the perspiration and encourages the elimination of toxins from the body.
Therefore, one should supplement the daily practice of Surya Namaskar by drinking plenty of fresh water.
Every day minimum six rounds of its practice should be done followed by relaxation in Savasana.
Savasana is a scientific method which induces optimum relaxation of the body and mind.
Then few rounds of Bhramari Pranayama relieve stress and cerebral tension. Increasing the healing capacity of the body it helps in alleviating anger, anxiety and insomnia.
During this practice the vibration of the humming sound withdraws the awareness inwards by harmonizing the mind and induces a meditative state.
Finally, to end the session one needs to sit down in silence for five minutes, which stabilizes the nervous system by increasing the Alfa waves in the brain with relaxed awareness, positive thinking, non-anxious and tension free state. Because, a healthy outside, starts from inside.



Dr. Dinesh Prasad Swain
Assistant Professor
Department of Yogic Science, Sri Sri University, Odisha
Contact Number- 7894424506

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