the targets for the war. Damage may continue almost to the extent of self extinction.

Hence it is important to work at the level of your psyche, emotions and life style, to cure ulcerative colitis. Any other treatment like steroids to block the inflammation, antibiotics to kill the germs if any, anticancer drugs to kill the killer white blood cells, surgery to remove the damaged part of the colon, are all like fire fighting without removing the source of the fire.

Mrs. Karuna, a middle aged lady, wife of an executive director of a company presented with a history of ten years of repeated episodes of ulcerative colitis established by colonoscopy. She was taking regular dosages of suppressive medications but the time had come when the doctors had suggested surgery to remove the entire colon. When she was seen at this center, she was underweight, weak, easily tired, and feeling low in her spirits. Although she had continued to manage her duties as a housewife, she was finding it difficult to cope up with social demands.

This persistent problem of the bowel, long term medication, side effects of the steroids, the fear of the risk of cancer were making her more and more anxious and depressed. She agreed to go through yoga therapy, although initially she felt that she could not do ‘yoga’ as it would be physically strenuous. But when she understood the holistic approach, she started recognising her own nature. She started improving remarkably. It is now about 10 years since she is practicing her yoga, and she has had no flare up of her bowel problems. She has discontinued all her medication and can manage all her duties with a positive attitude. What she realised was that with regular practice of special techniques and Pranayama she could handle her mind much better. The first step was to understand that “I am responsible for my illness”. Then came a continuous inner journey to go on working with herself under the guidance of our yogic counselors to change her psyche. She realised that expression rather than suppression, acceptance in place of