Ahead of the International Yoga Day celebrations on June 21, 2023, the CCRYN-Collaborative Centre for Mind-Body Intervention through Yoga at PGIMER (Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh) has come up with a series of initiatives and programmes to promote the scientific benefits of yoga for patient caretakers and the public. Dr Akshay Anand, professor in charge, the CCRYN Yoga Centre PGI, speaks to Organiser Weekly about the importance of this novel initiative. Known for his contributions to yoga research, and its integration into modern medicine, Dr Anand is Editor in Chief, Journal of Integrative Medicine Case Reports and Annals of Neuroscience, Scientific Advisor, Centre for Consciousness, Harvard Medical School and Distinguished Visiting Prof, SVYASA, Bengaluru. Excerpts:
What is your area of interest and its implications in health and disease?
I am currently engaged in the field of brain disorders, specifically focusing on developing affordable diagnosis and treatment methods.
Why did you shift your area of focus from neuroscience to yoga?
While my focus remains on brain disorders, I have shifted only my perspective to the neuroscience of yoga due to the numerous unsuccessful clinical trials in this field and patent regime .
What is the role of PGI’s yoga centre compared to other yoga schools in India?
Unlike other yoga schools in India, the yoga administered at PGI is generic, evidence-based, protocolised and promotes wellness. It is also provided as an adjunct therapy to ongoing treatments by doctors.
What can the general public do to incorporate yoga as a therapeutic intervention for lifestyle-related diseases?
Instead of relying solely on traditional yoga schools only, the general public can approach or demand local governments for yoga support centres. Additionally, integrative medicine therapeutics can be propagated via colleges and universities that can contribute by offering training programs for the adoption of a
yogic lifestyle.
How can yoga gain acceptance within the medical community for its therapeutic advantages?
The integration of yoga into the medical community can be achieved through various proactive measures. This includes appointing professors of yoga in each department, establishing yoga ethical committees for clearance of pharma comparative yoga trials, and promoting yoga academics in medical education. Recruitment and promotion criteria for faculty can include this field. The representatives of the yoga academia can be included in the National Medical Commission of India to facilitate the establishment of yoga departments in medical colleges and institutes. The National Academy of Medical Sciences can also recognise and reward yoga academics by conferring fellowships to distinguished yoga professors hitherto never attempted despite excellence in the field. Furthermore, the Ministry of AYUSH might want to focus on providing postdoctoral fellowships for PhDs in yoga, as a bridge to advance the field.
What evidence exists to demonstrate the effectiveness of yoga in dealing with major lifestyle-related diseases?
Extensive research has shown the effectiveness of yoga in controlling diabetes (as demonstrated in the Niyantrita Madhumeha Bharat trials), managing palliative care, hypertension, stress and anxiety. Studies conducted in Mansarovar and Leh have also revealed the usefulness of yoga in acclimatising individuals to low-oxygen regions, paving the way to combat the enemy swiftly and decisively.
How can the perceived gap between yoga and Ayurveda be bridged?
Integrating yoga into the Ayurvedic department and promoting yoga academia in Ayurvedic education can help bridge the gap between yoga and Ayurveda, being developed by vested interests.
What steps can the government take to enhance the knowledge economy based on yoga?
By developing disease-specific protocols and establishing a unique offline and package-based integrative medicine programme (not open to one and all), the government can attract international patients and revenue for India. This would contribute to the country’s tourism and knowledge economy.
“Studies conducted with Chandigarh prisoners, COVID-positive patients, and pregnant women have shown earth-shaking data which can revolutionise preventive healthcare”
Is the AYUSH ministry taking sufficient measures to utilise yoga knowledge in the aforementioned direction?
Reviving redundant inter-university centres for yogic sciences, rotating the administration of the AYUSH ministry with the Ministry of Health, and earmarking funds for yogic research by collaborating with research funding agencies are potential steps to be taken by the Ministry. Only the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) can form an inter-ministerial group to ensure effective coordination between the Ministry of AYUSH and the Ministry of Health, without which vested interests shall continue to sway the field. The PMO can also coordinate efforts to make the current CCRYN yoga centres in medical institutes permanent, ensuring speedy translation.
How can the pharmaceutical approach align with yoga-based research?
Both fields can be complementary to each other. Conducting head-to-head clinical trials comparing drug-based approaches with yoga protocols can be initiated for both lifestyle and untreatable diseases. Scientific research on yoga’s mechanism of action can lead to the development of novel drug therapeutics, which can be useful for new drug discovery.
As a member of the SATYAM task force, how successful has it been in funding yoga research?
While SATYAM has been a valuable platform for funding yogic research, it requires special attention from the new DST secretary. Currently, there is a lack of research protocol execution and scant focus on educational aspects of research. Therefore, yogic research needs to transit from the ‘proposed research’ phase to a ‘commissioned research’ paradigm.
What role does the Journal of Integrated Medicine Case Report play in yoga research?
The Journal of Integrated Medicine Case Report (JIMCR) is instrumental in scientific communication of the case-to-case benefits of yoga interventions in participants or patients. Since yoga is central to the practise of Integrative medicine, developing this field depends on communicating such findings in a peer-reviewed fashion. To achieve the goals mentioned earlier, India should consider acquiring journal indexing engines or buying out large publishers and, may be, PubMed (Google of scientists). China has already pursued a similar strategy by acquiring the ISI Web of Science, which ranks scientific journals, effectively integrating traditional Chinese medication with modern medicine and saving significant healthcare costs.
Could you share your experience in providing the world’s first evidence of the effectiveness of the Common Yoga Protocol practised on International Yoga Day?
The visit of the Prime Minister to Chandigarh in 2016 generated significant interest among people to practice the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) with the Prime Minister himself. Capitalising on this enthusiasm, we collected blood samples with the help of the Jishi Foundation and then DC Mr Joshi, from the first-time yoga practitioners, to analyse biochemical changes one month after practising CYP. The results demonstrated significant health benefits, which were further analysed by PhD students, revealing underlying changes in angiogenesis pathways. Subsequent studies conducted with Chandigarh prisoners, COVID-positive patients, and pregnant women have shown equally earth-shaking data which can revolutionise preventive healthcare.
The nation has recognised the contribution of the JIMCR-led COVID lockdown series. Please elaborate on this and the Facebook Yoga Scholars PGIMER program.
The COVID lockdown series initiated by JIMCR and the Facebook “Yoga Scholars PGIMER” program were both significant endeavours during a period of uncertainty. The continuous series of 225 days of online lectures covered various aspects of yoga, including art, quality, ethics, science, and research. Distinguished scientists, physicians, Nobel laureates, yoga gurus, ethicists, philosophers, administrators, ministers and sportsmen participated, deliberating on the field of integrative medicine. The dedicated volunteers successfully organised this extensive program, which played a crucial role during a time when most other offices and hospitals were closed.
Are there any other socio-academic activities your group has been involved in?
Our research team has actively participated in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Campaign) for five full consecutive years earning recognition from the Ministry of Science and Technology. We have dedicated two hours per week without skipping a week for five years, as called out by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on October 2. This brought research scholars closer to the reality outside the confines of the lab .
Have you been practising yoga, and if so, for how long?
I initially learned yoga from my father, who was serving in the military and ITBP, around forty years ago. However, I became a regular practitioner in the last decade after obtaining level 1 yoga certification and completing a 6-month certificate course. Motivated by the inherent benefits, which helped me cope with multitasking, competitiveness, and the anxiety arising from the urge to surpass my American counterparts from where I returned to serve India. Through yoga and meditation, my wife and I have developed compassion, tolerance, patience, gratitude, creativity, and fearlessness. Additionally, my association with the SYASA and Arogya Bharti, coupled with engagement in the famous NMB study, brought me closer to Chancellor Dr H.R. Nagendra, who was a big influence on me. I was later conferred an honorary D.Sc. in yoga by SVYASA for my contributions to yoga research, and its integration into modern medicine.
(Views expressed are personal)
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