PANAJI, INDIA, November 13, 2018 (Times of India): While modern medicine is necessary, it has several adverse effects. The cost of medication and hospitalisation is dragging many middle class families to poverty. Therefore, this is the right time to introduce yoga in public health systems as it brings the body, mind and soul in alignment to rid the body of diseases, Union minister for commerce and industry Suresh Prabhu said on Monday. Stating that this was a great opportunity to bring in yoga as an answer to the many problems facing the world, Prabhu said, “You cannot help the body unless you align your soul with the body. There is also the mind. So many of the problems human beings face today are caused by the mind. The science (of yoga) brings all the elements that influence the body together.”
Founder of Art of Living, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, said that the health systems today are not competent to handle all the issues that mankind is facing, because only the physical body is being treated. People have forgotten the panchkroshas or five elements that make up a being, he said. “We are in a fortunate era where science has accepted that healthcare has many dimensions, including a mental and even a spiritual dimension. So, let us bring this to all the institutes. It is just because of lack of awareness that we find ourselves dealing with so many health-related issues. I am very glad that our leadership, the Prime Minister, the Ayush ministry, have decided to combine both yoga and ayurveda,” the spiritual leader said.