Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely absence of disease or infirmity1 . Health is not static but a dynamic state that is continually changing as a person adapts himself to the variations in the external and internal environment to maintain a state of physical, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual well being. And to consider in broader perspective health is not merely ‘a state’; it is ‘a process of continuous equilibrium of body-form and function, which results from successful dynamic adjustment to forces tending to disturb it’. The sanskrit word for health is swasthya , which means etymologically, to be established in one’s natural state. Traditionally, health is defined as absence of disease, and disease is deviation from biological norm2 . This approach is holistic and it focuses on integrated well being in all dimensions. Holistic health is a programme for activating the body’s own self renewal processes. It may take months or years for the body to learn new patterns response and renew itself. And the holistic health programme succeeds only when certain conditions are fulfilled3 . Yoga postures (asanas) are excellent means of physical and mental relaxation. Vivekananda and buddhism philosophies are methods of psychotherapy.

Keywords : ayurveda, holistic health, psychotherapy, stress, yoga