Concept of Health

Indian View Point-cum-Introduction

          In Sanskrit health means ‘Swastha’ which means “established in oneself” (Dalal, 2006). India’s most famous poets’ states that the body should be viewed as the primary instrument for attaining moksha. Yoga is the most efficient means to attain this goal which has been substantiated by exclusive branch of knowledge known as ‘Ayur-Veda’ or the "science" of longevity (Sharma, A). The ancient Indian Health system revolves around tridosas (humors) Vatt, Pitta and Kapha. The health is the subset of balance among these tridosa. The Indian viewpoint regarding health was patient as well as disease oriented.

          Good health is the natural condition of human body. Health is part of our evolutionary process towards Divinity (Bhavanani, B. A.). Yogi Svatmarama suggests that “Slimness of body, lustre on face, clarity of voice, brightness of eyes, freedom from disease, stimulation of gastric heat and purification of subtle energy channels are marks of success in Hathayoga” (Hathayoga Pradipika II-78). For thousands of years, long before Western scientists discovered the laws of quantum physics, Asians have honored energy as the principal factor contributing to health and wellbeing

 

          Health is a comprehensive concept and subset of various ingredients such as food, mental state and environment. Thiruvalluvar (Saint-         poet) on eating, “He who eats after the previous meal has been digested, needs not any medicine” (Thirukkural 942).

          As per WHO, “health a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

 

Psychological Concept of Health  

          Mental health may include an individual’s ability to enjoy life, and to create a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience (Snyder, 2014) WHO defines mental health as subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, inter-generational dependence, and self-actualization of one’s intellectual potential, among others.

Environmental Concept of Health

          It is a dynamic equilibrium between man & his environment. This model defines that disease occur due to failure in adaptation and adjustment to the environment (drive.uqu.edu.sa). The model is based on the assumption that to be healthy human being must have harmonious relationship   with physical environment.

 

Holistic Concept of Health

          It considers the person as a whole and how he or she interacts with his or her environment. It emphasizes the connection of mind, body, and spirit. The goal is to achieve maximum well-being, where everything is functioning the very best that is possible. This model is based on the law of nature that a whole is made up of interdependent parts (AHHA).

 

Dimensions of Health

1.      Mental – Cognitive functional fitness i.e., ability to do cognitive functions appropriately.

2.      Physical – Functional and structural fitness of body i.e., ability to do physical functions optimally.

3.      Social – The ability to maintain quality interpersonal relations within social set up.

4.      Emotional – The ability to control emotions, resilience in troubling situations and ability to build strong, lasting relationships (positivepsychologyprogram.com). In other words, it is the ability to accept and cope with our own and others feelings.

5.      Spiritual – It refers to our personal beliefs that helps in defining Self and the purpose of life. Indian emphasize that the purpose of human life is to attain moksha or nirvana. It is balancing of drives, motives and needs.

 

Latest Developments in Health

          Health is more our responsibility than just being a victim of our genes. It is combined efforts of mental, physical, emotional and spiritual causes. The energy fields of human body are influential in controlling our physiology and our health. The flow of energy through the nervous system is critical to health.

Latest findings: -

- Proper use of consciousness can bring health to an ailing body, inappropriate unconscious control of emotions can easily make a healthy body diseased.

- Our positive and negative beliefs not only impact our health but also every aspect of our life. Healthy environment, awareness about health and conscious parenting are some of the areas that needs immediate attention to gain and maintain health.

 

References:

1.       https://moayush.wordpress.com/2016/06/20/health-and-well-being-a-yogic-perspective/.

2.       https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/emotional-health-definition-mike-oppland/

3.       Snyder, R. C. (2014). Positive psychology: the scientific and practical explorations of human strengths. Lopez, Shane J., Pedrotti, Jennifer Teramoto (Third ed.). Thousand Oaks. ISBN 9781452276434. OCLC 875675118.

4.       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_health.

5.       https://ahha.org/selfhelp-articles/holistic-health

6.       Lipton, B. H. (2016). The biology of beliefs. Hay House.

 

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