Yoga for Well Being
A Talk by Swami Satsangi

Parents, children and staff of Madhuram Narayanan Centre gathered at the Satyananda Yoga Centre, Triplicane, Chennai on October 14th 2011, for a talk on yoga and disability by Swami Satsangi of Swami Sivananda Math. The children’s initial restlessness was soon forgotten as the MNC group sang songs and bhajans. This, and the chanting by the Swami, set the tone for the talk that followed.

Beginning on a positive note, the Swami urged parents to view disability of these children as re-ability. She lauded the mothers as exceptional, as they played a challenging role in caring for these special children, and mothers have to develop a different attitude towards the child.

Highlighting the various disabilities, the Swami said they are

• Physical
• Mental
• Emotional
• Psychic

This cannot be ignored, and one has to go beyond addressing the physical and mental disability, she said. It is the psychic disability of the child that leads to disability of body and mind.

Coping Mechanisms
We deal with psychic disability by saying it could be his karma –how are we going to support that? Medicines are not the answer, as they will not cure this psychic disability. The way is Mantra and Yantra, and in India we use them as a part of religion, but in the West it is considered as part of therapy.

The Mantra and Yantra are to be placed in the room where the child is —play the mantra on the CD, enable the child to hear that the whole day. Use this along with the medicines and therapy, and see the response of the child.

The Swami advocated Soundarya Lahiri as the best mantra, though any other chanting may also be used. Being aware of the challenges parents face, that is to find a way to help the child instead of leaving him, she said choosing the right path is important, and that is yoga. It addresses body, mind and soul. The potential of the child is locked up and yoga unlocks it and helps the child to be normal. Children with disability have settled with down after the use of yantra, mantra and yoga.

The soul is not retarded—it is developed. Developing the soul will awaken the body and mind.

Swami Satsangi concluded that her main aim was to convince the parents and give them hope, and if that has happened, it meant that her meeting with them was a success.