A Randomized Control Trial of the influence of the Yoga Prana Vidya (YPV) online Healing technique on the well-being of IT professionals

 

Venkata Satyanarayana Nanduri ¹ , Vikram Jain ²

 

¹ Consultant, Research & Publications, Yoga Prana Vidya Ashram, Sri Ramana Trust, Thally, Tamil Nadu -635118, India

² Arhat Yoga Practitioner, Director – GWL Technologies Indore, India

 

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Health and Wellbeing

The WHO (World Health Organization) constitution states: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" WHO (n.d.). The overall health situation of IT employees can vary depending on various factors, including the organization, work culture, regional factors, and individual habits such as a sedentary lifestyle, eye strain, stress, anxiety, worry, irregular working hours, unhealthy eating habits, lack of physical activity, work-life imbalance, repetitive strain Injuries, tech neck, lack of social interaction and remote work challenges.

To address these challenges and promote the well-being of IT employees, companies often sponsor wellness programs such as offering ergonomic work setups, encouraging breaks and physical activity, providing mental health support, and promoting work-life balance.

It is a well-known fact that the biggest asset of any IT organization is always its human resources. A lot of organizations are focusing on keeping their employees healthy and happy. Having healthy employees offers a wide range of benefits for the employees and the organizations they work for. Apart from all these issues and challenges, it is also evident that health and well-being are good only when these are holistic. Having a good relationship and having a proper private/personal life have a positive impact on professional life. Healthy employees benefit both the individuals and the organizations they work for by fostering a more productive, positive, and efficient work environment. This, in turn, contributes to long-term success and growth for the company. 

 

1.2.  The state of wellbeing

The World Health Organization defines positive mental health as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to his or her community” WHO (2001).

The term subjective well-being is synonymous with positive mental health. Well-being has been defined as the combination of feeling good and functioning well; the experience of positive emotions such as happiness and contentment as well as the development of one’s potential, having some control over one’s life, having a sense of purpose, and experiencing positive relationships Huppert (2009).

It is a sustainable condition that allows the individual or population to develop and thrive. This conceptualization of well-being goes beyond the absence of mental ill health, encompassing the perception that life is going well. The individual or population can thrive in a sustainable condition of well-being. As conceptualized here, it extends beyond the absence of mental ill health and includes the belief that life is going well Ruggeri et al. (2020).

 

1.3.  Intervention in this study

This study is designed with the YPV Group Energy Healing (EH) Therapy, an online Zoom session of 22 minutes duration. The participants must join the session, listen to the audio, and internalize the energy flow as guided by the audio.

 

1.4.  The YPV System

Yoga Prana Vidya (YPV) system combines Yoga with Prana Vidya. Yoga means Union with Atma and Prana Vidya is the knowledge and science of using Prana (life energy force) for daily life activities. YPV equips people with wellness practices using holistic techniques such as physical exercises, Yogic breathing exercises, meditation and pranic healing that accelerate the self-healing capability of the body and upgrade a person at all levels – Physical, Etheric, Emotional, Mental, Intuitional, and spiritual. These practices are built on foundation that integrates ancient knowledge of yoga, prana, purification, and meditation with the modern approach of learning to uplift overall well-being of every individual  Vidya. (n.d.)

Numerous books have been written on Yoga from the era of Vedas and Upanishads to the present time. The form of Yoga YPV follows is mainly based on Hatha Yoga principles Ramacharaka (1904) to take care of the physical body keeping it fit, and of Maharshi Patanjali’s Sutra which states: - “Yoga chittavritti nirodhah।“ - That is, Yoga is stilling the fluctuations of the mind ” NIOS (n.d.)

According to Yogi Ramacharaka Ramacharaka (1909), Prana is the name by which we designate a universal principle, which is the essence of all motion, force or energy. The Prana so transferred acts as a bracing tonic to the patient, and invigorates and strengthens him wonderfully, besides tending to produce the local improvement Ramacharaka (1909).

The Concept of Pranic healing, also known as Energy Healing, states that the human body has 5 sheaths or Pancha Kosha as shown in Figure 1. The Taittiriya Upanishad Sharvananda (1921) describes human being to be having a five sheaths personality (Pancha Kosha) comprising of the material or gross body (Anamaya Kosha), the vital or instinctual component (Pranamaya Kosha), the mental or psychological component (Manomaya Kosha), the intellectual component (Vigyanmaya Kosha), and the fifth aspect of pure bliss and happiness (Anandmaya Kosha) Sharvananda (1921)

Figure 1

Figure 1 Panch Koshas of the Human Existence

 

The Pranamaya Kosha (Energy body) consists of Energy Centres (called Chakras) and distribution channels (called Nadis). The chakras dealt with in the YPV system are shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2