Harmony of I With The Body
Harmony of I With The Body
The harmony of ‘I’ with the Body is in the form of Sanyama on the part of ‘I’ and Svãsthya on the part of the Body.
Sanyama (Self-regulation): The feeling of responsibility in the Self (‘I’) for nurturing, protection and right utilization of the
Body.
When I live with Sanyama, there is harmony among the different parts of the Body and the Body acts according to
me as a useful instrument. Thus, we define Svãsthya as having two elements:
Svãsthya (Health) =
1. The Body acts according to the needs of ‘I’,
2. There is harmony among the parts of the Body.
Thus, Svãsthya is the condition of the Body where every part of the Body is performing its expected function.
There is harmony within the Body and it is fit for use by the Self.
While selecting food for the body, we need to make out the elements which make a complete food so that it gives required
nutrients and energy to the body. The process of taking food, digesting it and throwing out the unnecessary part are all
important. Thus the following also become a part of our program:
• Ingestion
• Digestion
• Excretion
(b) Protection of the Body (Sanrakshana)
To ensure the heath of the Body, we need to take care of the following-
(i) Ãhãra- Vihãra
(ii) Shrama- Vyãyãma
(iii) Asana-Pranãyãma
(iv) Ausadhi-Chikitsã
Right utilization of the Body as an instrument necessitates understanding the purpose for which this instrument is to
be used. This is an important issue. I need to ensure that I use my Body for right behaviour and work. When I do so,
there is harmony in the Self and it has favourable effects on the Body. On the other hand, if I use it for acting in
opposition with other human beings or nature, like quarrelling, fighting, stealing etc., there is disharmony in the Self
which has adverse effects on the Body.