"Excellence in action is Yoga " declares the Song Celestial ( Geetha ), an authentic treatise on Yoga & the quintessence of the Upanishads. Yoga, as the science of Holistic living, is a way of life. Yoga does not mean physical exercises even though such exercises have been prescribed for improving the skill of our body. Yoga comprises techniques that transform our intellect, mind and emotions & provides a comprehensive philosophy for Integral Life.

In order to live an integral life, we must develop skill in life. Aurobindo defined Yoga as the Art of Conscious Self Finding. The first & fundamental thing we should do if we are to expand the limits of our Consciousness, is to gain mastery of the mind. This is not easy.

The incidence of most of the physical diseases that have plagued humanity for centuries have been reduced by glorious advances in medical sciences. The eradication of most infectious diseases and the control of many metabolic disorders have been effectuated by better drugs and surgical techniques. Soon, even routine genetic minterventions may be possible. But new and ever more common causes of illhealth haunt us today. They are psychosomatic ailments & chronic stress. Allopathy is less than effective when dealing with these complaints.

The cause of these are found to be attitudes & lifestyle and not physiological anomalies. Allopathy by concentrating on a physical and mechanistic approach to healing, can do little to relieve conditions such as these. The frenetic pace of modern life exposes many people to continous high mental tension & unrelieved stress. And if we are largely sedentary in our habits & overindulge in health damaging substances & foods, as we are fond of doing, our well- being & fitness will be furthur compromised. Eventually stress may manifest itself in the form of physical disease or mental breakdown. Allopathy is symptomatic, and has countered with symptom- suppressing treatments, instead of tackling the root cause of the problem. Lack of disease has been regarded as health, rather than as a dynamic growth process in which we feel truly well on physical, mental level and spiritual levels.

The Evolution of Medicine & the Three Eras of Medicine

Allopathic Medicine or " Physical Medicine" belongs to the first era. It is Cartesian and creates a dichotomy between mind & body. Treating a disease is like fixing a part of the machine.

The second era of medicine refers to 'Mind-Body medicine." It became popular in the 1960s with the advent of Meditation, imagery, hypnosis & bio-feedback. Mind and body are interconnected by messenger molecules and these molecules are invoked to accomplish the healing process.

The third era of Medicine refers to " Transpersonal Medicine ". It became popular in 1990s with the advent of group support and spirituality to heal.