JK Judicial Academy organises programme on “Stress Management through Yoga”

Jammu: The Jammu & Kashmir State Judicial Academy today organised a special programme for the Trainee Munsiffs (Civil Judges, Junior Division) on the subject “Holistic Health: Science of Stress and its Management through Yoga” at Judicial Academy Complex, Janipur Jammu.
Former Professor & Head Blood Bank, Government Medical College Hospital Jammu Dr T R Raina was the resource person on the occasion. Proceedings were conducted by Director, J&K State Judicial Academy Rajeev Gupta. In his introductory remarks, Director, highlighted the need to have this kind of awareness programmes. He said that in an age of a highly competitive world, man is exposed to all kinds of stress factors that can affect his mental and physical health. Stress is a complex process affecting every system of life, including work performance, social life and the relationship with family members.
Dr Raina, through Power-Point presentation gave detailed account parameters of good health and role of stress in disturbing these parameters. He highlighted that health does not only mean absence of any disease or ailment but it includes balance of physical and mental state of one’s body. He enumerated the external and internal factors that cause stress and the changes that take place in the body on high and constant level of stress. He also told about the lifestyle changes that contribute to stress. He informed the participants that Yoga is rapidly emerging in the Western and the developed world as a discipline for integrating the mind and body into a harmony and that when adopted as a way of life yoga can improve physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual health. Yoga offers an effective method of managing and reducing stress, anxiety and depression, and numerous studies demonstrate the positive effect of yoga on mood-related disorders. Currently, treatment for anxiety and depression involves mostly psychological and pharmacological interventions; however, mind-body interventions are becoming increasingly popular as a means to reduce stress. Yoga, a form of mind-body exercise, has become an increasingly widespread therapy used to maintain wellness, and alleviate a range of health problems and ailments.
Yoga significantly improves the heart-beat function and thereby the systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Studies suggest that yoga reverses the negative impact of stress on the immune system by increasing levels of immunoglobulin. Yogic science includes yogasanas (postures), pranayama (breathing practices), dhyana (meditation) and relaxation techniques which benefit human beings at every level. Dr Raina said that judges perform the functions of adjudication which involves the long sittings and constant thinking process. It causes physical and mental fatigue, leading to enhanced stress levels. It is important for them to manage the stress levels by effective yogic techniques. Stress management results into enhanced job performance and quality dispensation. Various yogic techniques were demonstrated by Dr Raina, specifically suitable for the judges to manage job related stress and to reduce the physical and mental disorders caused by stress. Participants while performing these techniques found them to be quite useful and effective for immediate relief and long term benefit.
The function concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by Director, J&K State Judicial Academy.