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== Yoga and Positive Psychology ==
 
== Yoga and Positive Psychology ==
Studies suggest that meditation and yoga have effects ranging across psychology, physiology and biochemistry and can enhance both psychological and physical health, sometimes to exceptional degrees.<ref>Ashish Pandey (2022), Lecture Presentation on Yoga and Positive Psychology for Managing Career and Life (Session 2).</ref> In the Psychological arena, personality, performance and perception may be enhanced. There are evidences for enhanced empathy, perceptual sensitivity, creativity, lucid dreaming, marital satisfaction and a positive sense of self-control.<ref>Walsh, R. (2001), [https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3bb4f89t Positive psychology: east and west], American Psychologist.</ref>
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Studies suggest that meditation and yoga have effects ranging across psychology, physiology and biochemistry and can enhance both psychological and physical health, sometimes to exceptional degrees.<ref name=":1">Ashish Pandey (2022), Lecture Presentation on Yoga and Positive Psychology for Managing Career and Life (Session 2).</ref> In the Psychological arena, personality, performance and perception may be enhanced. There are evidences for enhanced empathy, perceptual sensitivity, creativity, lucid dreaming, marital satisfaction and a positive sense of self-control.<ref>Walsh, R. (2001), [https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3bb4f89t Positive psychology: east and west], American Psychologist.</ref>
    
The eastern spiritual tradition of Yoga integrates physical, behavioral, mental, emotional and spiritual practices for the attainment of moral life, personal well-being, mental peace and spiritual elevation. Ashtanga Yoga is a “multidisciplinary approach to ultimate self-realization” comprising of three kinds of disciplines viz., ethico-religious, (yama and niyama), physico-vital (asana and pranayama) and psycho-spiritual (prathyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.  
 
The eastern spiritual tradition of Yoga integrates physical, behavioral, mental, emotional and spiritual practices for the attainment of moral life, personal well-being, mental peace and spiritual elevation. Ashtanga Yoga is a “multidisciplinary approach to ultimate self-realization” comprising of three kinds of disciplines viz., ethico-religious, (yama and niyama), physico-vital (asana and pranayama) and psycho-spiritual (prathyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.  
    
Yoga is a mind–body practice aimed at the integration of mind, body, and spirit. Its goals are to cultivate balance, calm, harmony, and awareness, and, in the classic Yoga tradition, to strive for the attainment of transcending the ego-personality (Feuerstein 2011). Sage Patanjali systematized the “eight-limbed” structure of Yoga during the second century AD, and it comprises of “moral practices (Yama; ethics while interacting with others); self-discipline (Niyama; ethics oriented towards self); physical postures and exercises (Asana); breath regulation (Pranayama); sensory withdrawal (Pratyahara; minimizing sensory input); concentration (Dharana; effortful, focused attention); meditation (Dhyana; effortless, perpetual flow of attention), and self-transcendence (Samadhi)”<ref>Dagar C., Pandey A. & Navare A. (2020), [https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-020-04654-7 How Yoga-Based Practices Build Altruistic Behavior? Examining the Role of Subjective Vitality, Self-transcendence, and Psychological Capital], Journal of Business Ethics.</ref>
 
Yoga is a mind–body practice aimed at the integration of mind, body, and spirit. Its goals are to cultivate balance, calm, harmony, and awareness, and, in the classic Yoga tradition, to strive for the attainment of transcending the ego-personality (Feuerstein 2011). Sage Patanjali systematized the “eight-limbed” structure of Yoga during the second century AD, and it comprises of “moral practices (Yama; ethics while interacting with others); self-discipline (Niyama; ethics oriented towards self); physical postures and exercises (Asana); breath regulation (Pranayama); sensory withdrawal (Pratyahara; minimizing sensory input); concentration (Dharana; effortful, focused attention); meditation (Dhyana; effortless, perpetual flow of attention), and self-transcendence (Samadhi)”<ref>Dagar C., Pandey A. & Navare A. (2020), [https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-020-04654-7 How Yoga-Based Practices Build Altruistic Behavior? Examining the Role of Subjective Vitality, Self-transcendence, and Psychological Capital], Journal of Business Ethics.</ref>
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What is Positive Psychology?
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PERMA: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning in life, and Accomplishments
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To Study Flourishing: It is a scientific study that makes our lives flourish and help us to identify measures that take to increase our well-being as well as the well being of others.
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Conditions to Flourish: It is the study of conditions and processes that contribute to flourishing and or optimal functioning of people , groups, and institutions. (Gable and Haidt,2005)
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Different from Treating Illness: It is based on the fundamental insight that treating mental illness is not the same thing as promoting mental health.
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Solution Focused:  It is not merely corrective and limited to offering solution only when things go downhill.<ref name=":1" />
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Seligman, M. E., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). Positive psychology: An introduction. In Flow and the foundations of positive psychology (pp. 279-298). Springer, Dordrecht.
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Before World War II, psychology had three distinct missions: Curing mental illness, making lives of all people more productive and fulfilling and identifying and nurturing high talent. Right after the war, two events - both economic - changed the face of psychology. Though the focus on treating mental illness and research on pathology brought many benefits in the understanding and therapy of mental illness, the two other fundamental missions of psychology ie. making lives of all people better and nurturing genius were forgotten.
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The aim of positive psychology is to begin to catalyze a change in the focus of Psychology from preoccupation only with repairing the worst things in life to also building positive qualities.
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The field of positive psychology works at the subjective, individual and group levels. At the subjective level, it is about valued subjective experiences like well-being, at the individual level its about positive individual traits and at the group level, it is about civic virtues and institutions that move individuals towards better citizenship.<ref>Seligman M. E. & Csikszentmihalyi M. (2014), [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11946304_Positive_Psychology_An_Introduction Positive psychology: An introduction].</ref>
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Role of Positive Psychology and its confluence with Yoga. Aspects of Positivity and Human Potential in Yogic Traditions:
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Holistic Life Goals
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Diverse Pathways
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Positive Behaviour
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Positive Characteristics
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Positive Experience
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Positive Events
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Positive Institutions
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Positive Society
 
== संहृतिः ॥ Synopsis ==
 
== संहृतिः ॥ Synopsis ==
 
Upanishads say that the natural state of humans is the state of silence where the mind stops chattering. That is the state free of all thoughts or a state of peace. Such peace is important especially for all those who   
 
Upanishads say that the natural state of humans is the state of silence where the mind stops chattering. That is the state free of all thoughts or a state of peace. Such peace is important especially for all those who   

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