CONCEPT OF HEALTH:

‘Health’ is a concept which is defined as the state of complete physical, mental and social well
being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. It consists of physical, mental, social,
vocational, moral, emotional and spiritual dimensions.

It is evident that health is a dynamic and multi-dimensional state. So, to achieve optimum health
one must use the holistic approach which caters to each dimension.

The WHO constitution states: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-
being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." An important implication of this
definition is that mental health is more than just the absence of mental disorders or disabilities.

● Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity.
● The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental
rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief,
economic or social condition.
● The health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security and is
dependent on the fullest co-operation of individuals and States.

Definitions of Health

Health is elusive to define and ways of thinking about it have evolved over the years. Three
leading approaches include the "medical model", the "holistic model", and the "wellness model".
This evolution has been reflected in changing ways to measure health.

(1) The medical model was dominant in North America throughout the 20th century.

● In its most extreme form, the "medical model" views the body as a machine, to be
fixed when broken.
● It emphasizes treating specific physical diseases, does not accommodate mental or
social problems well and, being concerned with resolving health problems, de-
emphasizes prevention.
● This led logically to measuring health negatively, in terms of disease or death
rates. Therefore health is defined as the absence of disease and the presence of
high levels of function.
● Applied to population health, the medical model might define a healthy
population as one in which its members were all healthy (so life expectancy is
high). Alternatively, the mechanical metaphor could be applied to the society
itself: a healthy society is one in which the various systems (economic, legal,
governmental, etc.) function smoothly.
● The advantage of the medical model is that disease represents a crucial issue facing
society, and disease states are readily diagnosed and counted. But this approach is
narrow, and in extreme form implies that people with disabilities are "unhealthy," and
that health is only about physical disease and mortality.
(2) The holistic model of health was exemplified by the 1947 WHO definition, "a state of
complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity".

● This model broadened the medical model perspective, and also introduced the
idea of positive health (although the WHO did not originally use that term).
● The WHO definition was long considered unmeasurable as terms like well-being
were seen as too vague. This was less because no-one could invent ways to
measure them (indeed, psychologists had done so) but more because doing so
required subjective assessments that contrasted sharply with the objective
indicators favored by the medical model. The debates over what role patients
should play in judging their own health reflected traditional (paternalistic) versus
more recent (patient-centered) models of medicine.
● Applied to a population, the holistic model would again either sum appropriate
individual indicators, or would record measures of the well-being of the
population as a whole.

(3) The wellness model was championed by the WHO health promotion initiative.

● In 1984, a WHO discussion document proposed moving away from viewing

health as a state, toward a dynamic model that presented it as a process or a force.
● This was amplified in the 1986 Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. The
definition held that health is "The extent to which an individual or group is able to
realize aspirations and satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment.
Health is a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living; it is a positive
concept, emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical
capacities." (Health promotion: a discussion document. Copenhagen, WHO,
1984.)
● Related definitions include some that view health in terms of resiliency (e.g., "the
capability of individuals, families, groups and communities to cope successfully
in the face of significant adversity or risk." (Vingilis & Sarkella, Social
Indicators Research 1997;40:159)
● Applied to population health, the definition might include elements such as the
success with which the population adapts to change, such as shifting economic
realities or natural disasters.
● An ecological definition is: "A state in which humans and other living creatures
with which they interact can coexist indefinitely." (Last JM. Dictionary of
epidemiology. IEA, 1995:73)

● The holistic and wellness models have the advantage of allowing for discrimination of
people at the higher end of functioning; they focus on mental as well as physical health,
and on broader issues of active participation in life.
● They also allow for more subtle discrimination of people who succeed in living
productive lives despite a physical impairment: blind people or amputees may still

Related Definitions
Impairment: "any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or
anatomical structure or function" (WHO International classification of
impairments, disabilities and handicaps. Geneva, 1980)

Disability: "any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to

perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a
human being" (Idem)

Handicap: "a disadvantage for a given individual, resulting from an impairment

or a disability, that limits or prevents the fulfillment of a role that is normal
(depending on age, sex, and social and cultural factors) for that individual" (Idem)

Frailty: "a grouping of problems and losses of capability which make the
individual more vulnerable to environmental challenge"

DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH

Health consists of physical, mental, social, vocational emotional and spiritual dimensions.
Physical Dimension

Physical wellness encompasses a variety of healthy behaviors including adequate exercise,

proper nutrition and abstaining from harmful habits such as drug use and alcohol abuse. It means
learning about and identifying symptoms of disease, getting regular medical checkups, and
protecting yourself from injuries and harm. Developing such healthy habits today will not only
add years to your life but will enhance the enjoyment and quality of those years.

Social Dimension

Social wellness refers to our ability to interact successfully in our global community and to live
up to the expectations and demands of our personal roles. This means learning good
communication skills, developing intimacy with others, and creating a support network of friends
and family members.

Social wellness includes showing respect for others and yourself. Contributing to your
community and to the world builds a sense of belonging.

Emotional Dimension

Emotional wellness is a dynamic state that fluctuates frequently with your other six dimensions
of wellness. Being emotionally well is typically defined as possessing the ability to feel and
express human emotions such as happiness, sadness and anger. It means having the ability to
love and be loved and achieving a sense of fulfillment in life. Emotional wellness encompasses
optimism, self-esteem, self-acceptance and the ability to share feelings.

Spiritual Dimension
Spiritual wellness involves possessing a set of guiding beliefs, principles, or values that help give
direction to one's life. It encompasses a high level of faith, hope and commitment to your
individual beliefs that provide a sense of meaning and purpose. It is willingness to seek meaning
and purpose in human existence, to question everything and to appreciate the things which
cannot be readily explained or understood.

A spiritually well person seeks harmony between what lies within as well as the forces outside.

Occupational Dimension

Occupational/Vocational wellness involves preparing and making use of your gifts, skills, and
talents in order to gain purpose, happiness, and enrichment in your life. The development of
occupational satisfaction and wellness is related to your attitude about your work. Achieving
optimal occupational wellness allows you to maintain a positive attitude and experience
satisfaction/pleasure in your employment. Occupational wellness means successfully integrating
a commitment to your occupation into a total lifestyle that is satisfying and rewarding.

YOGIC PERSPECTIVE OF DISEASE

Man today is sick because he thinks he is sick. We stand hypnotized by the belief that disease
and illness is our fate and destiny, rather than health and bliss, which are truly our birthright and
heritage...

Swami Satyananda: All schools of yoga view disease as the physical manifestation of an
imbalance between material and spiritual life. They differ on the specific nature of the imbalance
and therefore the approach to curing it.

HATHA VIEW
According to the Hatha yoga perspective disease is caused by an imbalance of ida (mind) &
pingala (body) nadis. Yoga considers health in terms of prana (life force). The moment prana is
not present, death ensues. Just the absence of disease does not mean that there is good health.
Positive health means balanced prana; negative health happens whenever there is an imbalance
in prana. The objective of the yoga journey is to master prana. Prana flows through the nadis,
when these are blocked this leads to ill health. When the blockage is resolved/cleared, prana
flows freely and positive health is restored.

There can be an imbalance of prana without the manifestation of disease. In modern life this
often has to do with stress and lifestyle. A disciplined lifestyle brings efficiency in terms of prana
taken in versus prana needed to support the body in its functioning. Stress means that there is
overuse of various energies or body systems. Food is a major component here and a good
example - easy to digest food gives far more good quality prana without using up that much,
whilst heavy food requires more prana for its digestion. Genes also play their part in how
balanced somebody is by nature, it can be said that this is where karma plays a role.

Balance of body - mind is achieved through the yogic practices (principally asanas, pranayama,
cleansing).
 Asanas restore the lost balance of various body systems due to mental problems. Static asanas
are more helpful as maintaining a pose for longer is training the brain to deal with anxiety and st
ress whilst relaxing at the same time. This leads to tolerance of the nervous system, better
neuromuscular coordination, and secretion of endorphins. Asanas also bring healthier breathing
pattern which in turn controls mind.

Pranayama helps expand the lungs, changes unhealthy breathing habits and helps with
controlling the mind as well. Controlling breathing uses the cerebral cortex which trains it to help
control of cognitive and mental functions.

Cleansing techniques involve controlling involuntary re sponses and cleaning the accumulated
toxins and waste products to help in balancing mental functions. Accumulated toxins in the body
affect mental functions negatively, removing toxins and waste products brings mental harmony.

ASHTANGA VIEW
Ashtanga Yoga sees disease as uncontrolled Vrittis (fluctuations) of mind which cause
distortions in true perception of reality. Vrittis are conditionings that arise because the mind
identifies itself with desires and thoughts. The true nature of the mind is something beyond these
physical conditionings – a state that is blissful and peaceful. Patanjali’s sutras state that
everything we experience originates in the mind, including the physical manifestation of disease.

Patanjali actually describes the five fluctuations (functions) of the mind (or five vrittis) to help us
better understand the workings of the mind. He says these five vrittis can be painful or non-
painful. They are:

1. Valid Cognition (Pramana)

2. Misconception (Viparyaya)
3. Imagination (Vikalpa)
4. Sleep (Nidra)
5. Memory (Smriti)

In Ashtanga positive health means being in control of every activity in the mind, even at the
deepest level, and all of the mind’s functionings – thoughts, attitudes, memories, emotions all
need to be balanced. By silencing the vrittis all that is left is pure mind (consciousness).
Achieving this is extremely difficult! Working towards self - evolution / realization, the yogi
replaces unhelpful old thinking patterns with the attitudes of ‘Maitri - Sukha, Karuna - Dukhaha,
Mudita – Punya & Upeksha – Papa’ towards life events and develops opposite positive emotions
to deal with negative emotions. These attitudes are: when there is stress, pain or suffering
develop compassion / forgiveness for yourself and others, acceptance with all faults, limitations,
guilt, sufferings. Cravings, desires – become friend with the thoughts; good karma – feel happy
and joyful; bad karma – try to ignore and forget.

YOGIC CONCEPT OF HEALTH AND DISASE

THE CONCEPT OF DISEASE

Impairment of health, a condition of the body in which its optimal functioning is disrupted or
deranged is called as disease.

THE PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS

In Samadhi pada of the yoga sutras, a total of 13 obstacles in the path of Samadhi (antarayas) are
described. Vyadhi or disease is one of them. This is in reference to physical illness.
Five kleshas or afflictions are are described in the sadhanapada. They are said to be the root of
mental illnesses. They include ignorance (avidya), ego (asmita), desire (raga), aversion (dvesha)
and fear of death (abhinivesha). Among these, ignorance (avidya) is said to be the root of all
other afflictions.
The developmental description of diseases.

These diseases have been explained in following stages:

∙ Psychic phase or adhi: This is the phase of mental trauma or excessive mental & emotional
disturbance. As per the ancient view, any mishappening, whether physical or mental, is the result
of past mental activities. The excessive mental disturbance further leads to residual anxiety,
stress, depression etc. that are the bad emotions (as per emotional guidance system). All this
occurs in the manomaya kasha. Mild persistent psychological and behavioral symptoms. Eg:
irritability, disturbed sleep
∙ Psycho-somatic phase or Adhijavyadhi: stress-borne psychosomatic illness: The
disturbance in mental and emotional system due to bad experiences in life affects the internal
functioning of body. The outcomes include hypertension, tachycardia, increased respiratory rate
etc. This stage of disease is related to pranamaya kosha. Appearance of generalized physiological
symptoms. Eg: hypertension, tremors.
∙ Somatic phase or Anadhijavyadhi: somatic ailments like injury, infection, toxin etc… They
are not stress-borne. The causes are external: The affected internal functioning puts extra work
on body’s systems that disturbs the organ efficiency adversely. This effect on system also affects
the pranic flow in the body which is the annamaya kosha. Disturbed function of organs,
especially the weaker organs. Eg: pre-diabetes, overweight.

∙ Organic phase or vyadhi: The residual effect of disturbance in the target organ soon starts
manifesting its symptoms on physical body or annamaya kosha which is the indicator of
developed disease. Examples of diseases include coronary heart problem, asthma, thyroidism etc.

POTENTIAL CAUSES OF ILL HEALTH

Avidya (ignorance) is considered to be the root cause of all diseases. In fact, yogic philosophy
says, this is the cause of all the problems in our life. Avidya causes the disease firstly in the
causal body and then it gives rise to the disease in the mind and the body. The disease of the
mind is called adhi whereas, the disease of the body is called vyadhi. Avidya causes psychic or
mental diseases in the form of conflicts, frustrations, greed, egotism and other impurities. This
causes reactions at physiological level which are manifested in the form of physical diseases.
Avidya leads to kleshas, which affects the mind. This disturbance leads to various mental
diseases (adhi). This affects smooth flow of prana in the nadis. The blockage in the pranic flow
causes imbalances in the body and all physiological systems get affected. The malfunctioning of
these bodily systems gets reflected in the form of physical diseases (vyadhi). Therefore,
according to Yogic philosophy, adhi and vyadhi can be treated by the methods which can help in
removing ignorance (avidya) and cure causal and astral bodies. The ashtang yoga (Patanjali’s
yoga sutra) represents the system of lifestyle that consists of eight limb or steps which are
successive in order. Practice of this system right from the beginning of life keeps us healthy and
disease free. Indeed, the ashtang yoga is the method to achieve success in control of mental
modifications which when not controlled leads to unhealthy life.