Research in the field of Yoga
During my childhood, my father a staunch believer of Yoga, Ayurveda and Homeopathy,
imparted yoga training to me. Therefore, I grew practicing yoga and meditation at
home. During my teenage, I went through the publications from Santacruze Yoga
institute by Shri Yogendra. This literature, Swami Vivakenanda literature and
publications of Geeta Press Gorakhpur (celebrated periodical Kalyan and other books)
dominated my thought development and conceptual growth during that time. The
repeated readings of the Geeta shaped my life. During my medical undergraduate days,
I learned proper Yoga from Shree Ganguli (father of Dr Ganguli, my senior at Gandhi
Medical College Bhopal). That time I did experience the capacity to relax during
shavasana. During this time while studying Physiology, I proposed a yoga based
intervention plan for tuberculosis. I discussed it with Prof SV Rao, my teacher in
Respiratory Physiology. The ideas was based on unequal distribution of blood in lungs
because of gravity. Since the apical portion of lungs do not receive enough blood, the
aerobic tubercular bacilli attack the apex portion of lungs first and settle there. Thus, I
suggested that doing Shirshasana (Head-stand posture) will increase blood circulation in
apical portion of lungs and will serve as antidote for settling of tubercular bacilli in the
apical portion of lungs. As usual, in our country such ideas at under graduate level (at
that point of time) were difficult to pursue, the idea could not be taken to final
conclusion.
In 1981 I got selected for pursuing MD (Doctor of Medicine) in Physiology at AIIMS.
Considering the reputation of AIIMS in Yoga research and my bent to pursue basic
physiology, I thought of joining AIIMS for doing Yoga research. This was against all odds.
During MD thesis topics were allotted and not chosen by students (the trend has
changed now). So I worked on the effect of hypothalamic stimulation on ureteric
motility. Soon after finishing my MD, I registered for PhD (an unusual trend at that time)
along with the position of Senior Demonstrator. I told the then HoD, Prof GS Chhina that
I wished to pursue the field of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Since he too
was celebrated researcher in the field of Yoga, he soon agreed for this. So, I formally
registered for PhD. The proposed topic was “Factors influencing auto- and selfregulation
of body functions in some altered states of consciousness” This, in practical
terms meant to study of Yoga, biofeedback and Hypnosis on physiological parameters
in diabetes and some other psychosomatic disorders. Such complex topic was the
reflection of my over-enthusiastic desire to do a lot in the field. Meanwhile, Prof SK
Manchanda returned from Malaysia and joined as HoD. He suggested that the topic was
too vast for Ph D thesis and not feasible. He also suggested that I must change it in
order to complete the thesis. Thus, my thesis title was reshaped as “Meditation as
intervention strategy in the management of epilepsy” under the collaboration with Prof.
M C. Maheshwari (HoD, Neurology). Fortunately, the work was a huge success with lots
of media coverage and citations and invitations. The research work was labelled as
“breakthrough Research” by the bulletin (Brain and mind Bulletin of Breakthroughs,
California). Prof O Devinsky of New York invited me to author a chapter in his book.
The limitation of my research on meditation research was lack of recording the
autonomic parameters. It gave me additional reason to do autonomic research in depth.
I introduced Autonomic Function Testing Lab (AFT Lab) where comprehensive
autonomic responses for Yoga and meditation could be studied. With consultation of
the then HoD Dr RL Bijlani, I completed several projects with CCRYN and other funding
organizations. In 2000 Dr RL Bijlani with our suggestion established the Integral Health
Clinic (IHC) in the dept of Physiology. In the meantime I got an opportunity to BPKIHIS
Nepal and established the Yoga Clinic at BPKIHS, Nepal in June 1999 which was
inaugurated by the then Health Minister of Nepal. It was another memorable event in
the field of Yoga in my academic endeavour.
I always try to explore new avenues in the field of Yoga. Recently I have started to
explore the role of Yoga in Space Physiology for Vyomnauts (an Indian equivalent of
Astronaut). I have filed a patent for a body gear that will help the Vyomnouts to
perform Yoga and Surya Namaskar in microgravity environment in Space.
I was honored by the degree of DSC by Swami Vivekananda University, Bengaluru.
— Photo by Mikita Karasiou on Unsplash