AKTU Holistic Human Health (MNHV601) Syllabus PDF – B.Tech Minor Degree in Universal Human Values

Course Objectives

1.To introduce students to the universal health principles 2.To initiate / strengthen the process and practices to keep the Body in harmony 3.To generate interest, commitment and to make effort for realising holistic human health and staying healthy Course Methodology 1.The methodology of this course is explorational and practically verifiable thus universally adaptable. 2.The students are facilitated and encouraged to verify the content on their own right, based on their Natural Acceptance and subsequent Experiential Validation. 3.This process of self-exploration takes the form of a dialogue between the teacher and the students to begin with, and then to continue within the student leading to continuous self-evolution. 4.This self-exploration also enables them to critically evaluate pre-conditionings and beliefs prevailing in the society at the individual as well as collective level (this helps them to see how to evolve these to higher states so that it results into full development of human potential and provides the basis for a just and equitable society).

In this course we will focus our study on efforts at staying healthy on the basis of an understanding of health holistically and in its totality. To ensure this, we will need to make an effort to understand the harmony at all the levels of living – as an individual human being, at the level of the family, society and nature.

In this process we will also learn of values that are inherent in all of us and that can guide our desires (feelings), thoughts and actions and ultimately are interconnected with our health at a most fundamental level. The course thus provides the student with a well-rounded and holistic perspective on health. It fulfils the core aspiration of the present healthcare system.

However, it may appear to be in sharp contrast to the present healthcare system that seems largely focused on business for managing disease.

The holistic health course articulates universal health principles which are based on an understanding of the reality. The principles are universal; they are invariant, logical, rational and leading to harmony universally, for all. The course further presents guidelines for health which emerge from the basic principles. While the principles are universal, their implementation in practice vary, taking into account the various differences among human beings on the basis of body type, age, gender etc. and variations in the body resulting from diurnal and seasonal changes in the environment.

Implementation of the principles and guidelines in the form of a complete program on how to stay healthy empowers each and every individual human being to take personal responsibility for his/her own health and be of service to family, society and nature.

This of course has wide and far-reaching implications for the healthcare system in society.

Not only does it provide a means of affordable health for all, but it also helps incorporate values in the individual such that the values then guide the medical skills that students learn in their respective institutions.

The expected outcome from this course is for the student to get a broad and holistic perspective on health based on the human being’s interconnectedness with the environment as is visible and evident in the reality/nature. It also expects for students to be able to understand values and live by them; to take responsibility for their own health and to be able to see their participation in the larger whole- i.e., service to family and society.

Course Content

Unit 1: Introduction and Understanding the Human Being

This Unit discusses the current perspective on health, its lack of a holistic outlook and shortcomings as a result of this. It puts forth the necessity for a change in perspective which can be brought about with better understanding of the reality. It also talks about the entire process of the course. The course learnings are put forward as proposals that students can verify for themselves in a logical way with reasoning and self-exploration rather than in the form of dos and don’ts.

In the process of understanding, the course focuses first and foremost on a complete understanding of the human being and not merely on the physical body of the human being.

The expected outcome from this Unit is a thorough understanding of the two realities that constitute the human being (the Self and the body), the differences in their needs and fulfilment of these needs, the differences in their activities and responses, the way to maintain harmony and the importance of this background in understanding health (harmony) in the Self and the body.

I. Current health perspective, need for change and process of understanding

1. Perspective about health – need for change
2. Process of the Course –process of Self–exploration (on the basis of Natural Acceptance) II. Understanding the Human being, its Aspirations and fulfilment of these aspirations
3. Human being as a co-existence of Self and body
4. Basic aspiration of every human being- happiness and prosperity in continuity
5. Exploring the meaning of happiness and prosperity
6. Harmony within the Self – desires (feelings) in line with the Natural Acceptance Practice/activity session for Unit 1:
7. Observing the Self by the Self (seeing the desires, thoughts and expectations within the Self)
8. Observing the body by the Self

Unit 2: Universal health Principles and Guidelines

This Unit explains, very clearly and in depth, the universal health principles that are derived from an understanding of the reality as it is. It elaborates separately on the principles relating to the body and those relating to the Self and its interaction with the body.

The Unit further charts out the guidelines for health which are drawn from the basic universal health principles. These guidelines take into account the differences in human beings at the level of their physical body and personality and the impact of the changes constantly occurring in one’s environment.

The expected outcome of this Unit is for students to see the universality of the health principles, the logic and rationality behind them and to understand the guidelines for health drawn from the understanding of the health principles as the foundation.

Universal health principles for all

1. Universal Health principles (in accordance with the reality) – Principles relating to the body
2. Universal Health Principles (contd.) - Principles relating to interaction of the Self with the body Guidelines for health based on the principles Guidelines for health in detail Practice/Activity session for Unit 2:
3. Observing the interaction between the Self and the body by the Self
4. Observing (by the Self) who is the decision maker in the interaction between the Self and the body

Unit 3: Implementation (part 1 of 2)

Unit 3 and 4 describe the practical details of implementing the health guidelines on a day-to-

day basis. Unit 3 deals with our intake and describes the importance of having our daily routine (lifestyle) in synchronization with the diurnal and seasonal rhythms in nature.

Implementation of Health in the Individual

1. Program for staying healthy – practices and processes
2. Intake
3. Intake (contd.)
4. Intake (contd.)
5. Daily routine
6. Daily routine (contd.)
7. Daily routine (contd.) Practice session for Unit 3:
8. Maintaining an intake that is nurturing for the body
9. Maintaining a daily routine that is in synchronization with natural cycles

Unit 4: Implementation (part 2 of 2)

The fourth Unit is a continuation of the topic that was started in the third Unit regarding the practical aspects of implementing the health guidelines on a daily basis. This particular Unit deals with the practical benefits of physically working with nature, physical exercises and postures to regulate the internal and external organs of the body (e.g. yoga) and breath regulation (e.g. pranayam) and incorporating these practices in the daily routine of the student’s life.

The Unit also provides an understanding of common herbs and spices that can be found in the kitchens of most households (particularly in India) and how these can be used to bring the body back to harmony and health if and when it does go into disharmony (ill-health).It also throws light on when an individual can treat minor ailments at home and when one needs to resort to the use of medication and treatment (a dependence on external machines etc. if the body has gone into chronic or permanent disharmony).

Implementation of Health in the Individual (Contd.)

1. Labor
2. Exercise
3. The practice of postures for regulating the internal and external body organs (Yoga) and its impact on the health of the body
4. The practice of regulation of breath (pranayam) and its impact on the health of the body
5. Use of household remedies to keep body in harmony/bring it back from disharmony to harmony
6. When to resort to medication (when body is in temporary disharmony) and treatment (when the body I in permanent disharmony) Practice/Activity session for Unit 4:
7. Incorporating the practice of yoga and pranayam in the daily routine
8. Practically identifying household remedies and using them for minor ailments

Unit 5: The Healthy Environment

The fifth Unit emphasizes the importance of seeing the human being as an integral part of the larger whole. This larger framework includes all that the human being is interconnected with and interdependent on i.e. the environment of the human being. This includes relationships within the family, the society and all of nature/ existence. The Unit helps the student to understand the harmony at all these levels, the importance of living in harmony at all these levels and the impact of the environment (family, society and nature) on the health of the human being.

Understanding the role of the environment in the health of an individual

1. Impact of environment (family, society and nature) on health of body
2. Understanding harmony in family (trust in relationships)
3. Understanding harmony in family (contd.) (respect in relationships)
4. Understanding harmony in family (contd.) (other feelings in relationship)
5. Understanding harmony in Society (trust/relationships, system in society)
6. Understanding harmony in Nature (innate order and harmony versus struggle for survival)
7. Understanding existence as co-existence (units submerged in space) Practice sessions for Unit 5:
8. Practically contributing to the health within the family, working out the possibility of contributing to health at the level of society
9. Working with nature and making effort to maintain the harmony in nature using cyclic processes

Unit 6: Holistic Health

This last Unit is dedicated to a final look at the health of the human being in totality – in a holistic manner. It also briefly touches on implementation of health guidelines at levels beyond those of the individual i.e. implementation at the level of family and society.

The Unit ends with providing an understanding about the purpose or goal of the human being and looks at health in the body as a means of attaining this higher purpose rather than assuming health in the body as being the goal in itself.

A final sum-up of the entire course is also provided in this unit.

Holistic Human health

1. Holistic Human Health (Health of Self + Health of body + Health of Environment (i.e. family, society, nature)
2. Implementation of health at level of family – designated family member to take responsibility
3. Implementation of health at level of society – health systems
4. Purpose of a healthy body and Sum up Practice/Activity sessions for Unit 6:
5. Observing what contributes to harmony within the Self (feeling of relationship, harmony and co-existence)
6. Designing a health system for society that contributes to harmony at every level. The student also needs to work out how he/she can contribute in this system and process.

Reference Books

Class Notes and Handouts provided for this course, as well as

1. A Foundation Course in Human Values and Professional Ethics, R R Gaur, R Asthana, G P Bagaria, 2nd Revised Edition, Excel Books, New Delhi, 2019. ISBN 978-93-87034- 47-1
2. Charaka Samhita
3. The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies, Vasant D. Lad
4. Quantum Healing-Exploring the frontiers of Mind-Body Medicine, Deepak Chopra
5. Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Deepak Chopra
6. Jeevan VidyaEkParichay, ANagraj
7. A Practical Guide to Holistic Health, Swami Rama
8. Ayurveda: The Science of Self-healing: A Practical Guide, Vasant D. Lad
9. PranayamRahasya, Swami Ramdev
10. Yog – Its Philosophy and Practice
11. The China Study, Thomas Campbell, T. Colin Campbell, 2006 (A Comprehensive Study of Nutrition, Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health) Documentaries and Videos
12. Forks over Knives
13. Plant Pure Nation
14. The Earthing Movie Mode of Evaluation: Based on participation of student in classroom discussions/Self-assessment/Peer assessment/Assignments/ Seminar/Continuous Assessment Test/Semester End Exam Socially relevant project/Group Activities/Assignments may be given importance in this course

Course Outcomes

On the completion of the course, the student will be

1. Develop the feeling of self-regulation or responsibility for the nurturing and protection of the Body.
2. Formulate the program to take personal responsibility for his/her own health.
3. Develop the vision for holistic human health
4. Model healthy habits in personal and professional life
5. Formulate the strategy to contribute in maintaining the health of his/her family, society and nature. *********