About Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education and Research in MGMC&RI, Bahour

Modern medical advancements provide the rationale for integration of various traditional healing techniques like Yoga, Naturopathy, Ayurveda and Siddha to promote health, healing and longevity. Govt of India is currently promoting indigenous systems of health in a strong manner through Ministry of AYUSH.

The limitations of modern medicine in managing stress induced psychosomatic, chronic illnesses is the strength of these traditional healing systems and hence a holistic integration of both systems enables best quality of patient care. It is imperative that advances in medicine include the holistic approach of Yoga to face the current challenges in health care. The antiquity of Yoga must be united with the innovations of modern medicine to improve quality of life throughout the world.

For probably the first time anywhere in the world, all medical, dental and nursing students of a medical university are receiving regular training in Yoga. This is happening at Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth where all students of SBV’s constituent colleges are getting exposed to the integrative potential of Yoga with the modern healthcare system.

This is done through CYTER, the Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education and Research functioning at MGMC&RI since 1 November 2010. CYTER conducts a scientifically sound Yoga therapy programme through its Yoga Therapy OPD. Consultations are offered by Consultant Yoga Therapists and qualified Yoga instructors impart the schedules daily from 9 am to 4.30 pm. Individualised and group Yoga therapy sessions are conducted for various medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, musculoskeletal and psychiatric disorders with excellent feedback from participants. Yoga therapy and lifestyle consultations are offered as part of Basic, Superior, Complete Cardiac and Deluxe Health Check packages of Master Heath Check-up in the Corporate Services Wing. Non-therapeutic general sessions are offered for faculty, staff and students of SBVU from 6 to 7am and 4.30 to 5.30pm on all working days. More than 27,000 participants have benefited in the past 6 years.

CYTER has an integrated set up where we are educating future Yoga therapists while simultaneously helping patients recover from illnesses and at the same time developing an understanding through scientific research. It is notable that CYTER is an IAYT Member School of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, USA; the first university based Yoga therapy centre in India to receive this honur.

A dozen research projects have been completed and many underway at CYTER and 53 papers have been published in high impact journals. CYTER conducts Certificate Courses in in Yoga Therapy as well as a PG Diploma that further facilitates attainment of M. Phil and PhD in Yoga therapy. Three batches of students have graduated from these programs and we are very proud that they are the first set of Yoga Therapists graduating from a modern medical university. A major highlight is adoption of Credit Based Choice System (CBCS) recommended by NAAC and UGC as a major reform in higher education.

We can proudly state that it is only in the supportive and innovative milieu of Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth that the holistic art and science of Yoga, our cultural heritage, has been able to reach both the classes and the masses of our society optimally, effectively and holistically.

For more details: www.sbvu.ac.in/ahs/yoga

Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani
Deputy Director, CYTER, SBV, Pondicherry