ALCOHOLICS Vs YOGAHOLICS

Addiction can be good or bad – depends on what you are addicted to. That is something, which drives one to pursue their chosen interests  with all the intensity, continuity and consistency. Here no conscious effort on the part of those addicted are needed – it has just become second nature.

Alcoholics and Yogaholics have something more in common, besides addiction.

One of the major social evils, seen all over the world is addiction to alcohol.   The success rate of the de addiction Programs of  Modern Medi care is far from satisfactory, which only goes to show that it has to cover a huge distance in ascertaining as to why people get addicted and how to de addict them.

In fact, some of the reasons for addiction, highlighted by the Modern Medical Science may not only be true – it may be exactly the opposite, at least in the context of India. I will mention just one of those. It is being reasoned out that addiction is in Genes and that children whose parents were alcoholics are 4 times more likely to be addicted than those of non alcoholic parents.

Most of  those, I know, who are fully against alcohol and never tried it even once  are so, because their fathers were alcoholics and unleashed violence at home in inebriated state. The children of  non alcoholic parents are not so vehement in opposing liquor and even don’t mind  filling up the Glasses, once in a while.

Getting introduced to alcohol is no big deal, because of its easy accessibility. The question to be asked is, why people are getting addicted to the fatal Alcohol, tasting awful and terrible, neglecting  fruit juices and hot beverages. It is in the after effect – a sense of relaxation and peace of mind, commonly referred to as “high”.  Alcohol goes inside the body and triggers the brain in a particular way, leading to “highs” for a few hours besides many fatal physical as well as psychic disorders, which will accompany till the end of a hugely truncated life, if excessively and regularly consumed.

A sense of relaxation and peace of mind – who will not want it? Everyone wants it. When the mind is at peace, it is always accompanied by a relaxed body.

When the mind is occupied by too many anxious, fearful thoughts, it loses its focus and balance. I would like to quote Sri Sri Ravi Shankar – If there is no focus, there will be no peace. A focused mind can guarantee peace and relaxation.  

Alcohol does that for a few hours at the cost of  one’s health and lifespan.  What, if we can make the mind, remain quiet and focused, without drinking Alcohol? Yoga seems to do the same, albeit with a difference- physical and psychic health will IMPROVE. Of course, Yoga, can’t do that in real time as alcohol does, but considering the host of  long term benefits on offer, its daily practice is really worthy. No wonder, more and more De addiction Programs had included Yoga in their schedules, in the recent times.

  

Though I was never addicted to alcohol, I used to enjoy a drink or two, in a month in my twenties and thirties. There was this excitement and enjoyment during and after drinking. As I moved into forties, I could feel the spontaneous aversion of the mind towards alcohol – I don’t have to enforce it, wilfully.  All,  I  have been doing over the years are a few Asanas and Meditation besides practicing observing the thoughts or breath, when the mind is agitated.

If it is ensured that children at schools are taught Yoga and Meditation, they will get addicted to a better choice.

             

Why Yoga?

One very rarely comes across a fair and unbiased review of Yoga, at least in India. By Yoga, I mean  Asanas, Pranayams, meditation and some basic knowledge. Don’t worry- I will not bother you with enlightenment and mystical stuff. I am not going to write about something, I haven’t experienced.  

We see modern Gurus and their followers proclaiming Yoga, if practiced, will offer  health, piece of mind etc. Certainly, Yoga has a lot to offer for the mind and the body, more so in the fast paced modern world, if an individual can choose the right kind of  practices, suitable for him and do it.   Everybody is unique and what is good for one may not be so good for another. One should be aware that Yoga will backfire, if not done correctly.

By and large, the Indian masses are fairly ignorant and misinformed about Yoga. Things get worse, when yet another Godman’s  ventures are exposed. When the very same people,  seeming to represent and propagate Yoga don’t live up to what they preach, common man develops distrust towards not only them, but Yoga too.

Then, we have these self styled intellectuals who have to fight anything and everything Indian to confirm to their prejudiced definition of  rational thinking. It won’t be out of place to mention about the notion amongst many of us that Yoga is only for those who want to renounce everything. So, Yoga doesn’t get the acceptability, it very much deserves in the very land of its origin. Despite of all these odds, one must agree that Yoga is finding more and more followers with every passing day, thanks to the acknowledgement of the Western world of its efficacy and usefulness.

My date with Yoga was facilitated by Insomnia and anxiety in 1993.

I was in the middle of  twenties with big dreams of that age about life and career. My dear and near ones were going through difficult times, about which I wanted to do something, but couldn’t. Quality of sleep steadily suffered and soon I couldn’t sleep at all.

 There were many nights, when I wouldn’t have slept at all. My job demanded me to walk continuously around the workplace for 10 hours, which means I had been walking  at least 25 kms a day. That was not good enough to let my body sleep.

Head was exploding with too many disturbing thoughts about the worst consequences, we will have to endure, if  things don’t get better.

I had to wake up at 5.00 AM in order to catch the Bus an hour later to go to the Company, I worked for. Getting up from the bed was almost impossible. Only the fear of losing the job made me wake up. Stressed up and fatigued mind residing in a body, crying for rest  ensured that waking up and getting started for the day were always excruciatingly painful.

I met a leading Doctor and explained. He diagnosed that I am suffering from Anxit Neurosis and prescribed Anxit(pill). One of my friends was a Medical Representative. He cautioned me against consuming that pill at such a young age. I took the medication for just one day.

On the next evening, walking by the roadside, I saw a hoarding, about meditation being the medication for insomnia. I met the organizers of the meditation program  and got enrolled for the very next course, scheduled a week later.

We were taught some simple Asanas and  Pranayams (breathing exercises) on the first 3 days of the Program. On the third day, Mr.Guruva Reddy, a senior teacher initiated us into Transcendental Meditation. During meditation, I didn’t get any superhuman experiences. After a month or two of extreme sleep disorders,  I really slept well for the first time, that night and woke up with renewed energy, the next morning. That is when it dawned on me that in my case the reasons for the problem originated in the mind. So the solution must also be in the mind.

I regularly did my Asanas and Meditation. My problems vanished in thin air. Twenty years down the line, I believe that it was one of those few right decisions, I made in life.

P.S.  A situation may arise, wherein you will like Meditation, but not the Institution and the people over there. In that case, keep your distance with the Institutions and the guys over there. Keep meditating, if you find it useful.