Boago Modiisane:

JUST BREATHE…. WITH WHOLISTIC YOGA

This column seeks to share a broader perspective on the benefits of Yoga to human beings, to raise awareness of how Yoga is a way of life, how practicing it makes life lighter and more meaningful, and n the also last to article bring to I shared the fore a bit the appreciation about my journey that all that with we yoga, do in yoga and is that to lead was us just to a the tip stillness of the iceberg. within, to bring inner peace.

Coming The philosophy from a of background Yoga touches where many I didn’t aspects even of know our what being, yoga i.e. was, our physical, I was very our fortunate mental and to get our exposed emotional, to it just and when is pursued I was reachfrom ing many my angles. prime, if I can call it that; career-wise, Patanjali, socially, who is regarded family-wise as the and Father spiritually. of Yoga, Through explains one regular of the practice themes of of wholistic yoga as: yoga, “yoga the benchitta efits vritti I experienced nirodha”, that cut across is, quieting all the facets of the or thought aspects of waves my life is in yoga, a very or positive subsiding and the profound thought manner, activity and in continue the mind to is do yoga. so.

When In this all introduction, is said and done, the focus we each have our individual or personis on Astanga yoga, in which Paal journey, and what is important in tanjali explains the “eight limbs of my view is that whatever journey yoga”, the first one being the five we’re on, it should work for you, Yamas. it should give good health, peace, happiness, They deal contentment, with one’s spiritual ethical richness, standards all and the sense goodies of with integrity, no limitations…….. focusing on our behavior and how we It always conduct leaves ourselves me in awe in that life, we the have social such disciplines powerful to tools guide in wholisus in our tic relationships yoga, that empower with others. us to deal with any life situation and I mean any, irrespective of our cultural, religious, national, or whatever backgrounds.

Last Thursday I watched a webinar hosted by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to commemorate “World Suicide Day – Nurturing The Gift of Life”. One of the issues raised was that the

IMy name is Boago Modiitsane, I come from Mahalapye and did my primary school and secondary school at St Patrick’s Primary School and Madiba Secondary School respectively. I am married and have three girls. I currently run my own private practice in Mogoditshane, Eye Care Optometrists!

My desire to deal with conditions that affect the human eye started when I was doing my Tirelo Sechaba in Tshane. While there, I used to see eye care personnel coming all the way

Non-violence in thought, speech and action. Usually we think of violence in action, but this ethical standard challenges us to be peaceful in thought and speech as well. It advocates the practices of compassion, love, understanding, patience, etc.

Truthfulness. Patanjali describes spate truthfulness of suicide as especially to be in among harmony the with youth mind, seems word to be and very action. high and Our escalating actions in world-wide. life must bring They further harmony shared in relationships. that as if that’s not enough, we all Non- see stealing that the negative means health not just and refraining economic from impact physically resulting taking from possession Covid-19 of is what testing is not the yours, human but resilience also not in allowing a very big the way. possession of

unpleasant Every country thought, and government speech and is action. already It experiencing speaks against unprecinordinate edented desire economic for wealth decline. or being Downenvious stream of others’ it is the possessions. individual who gets affected, Continence it is the or individual self-control, who or needs celibacy. to take At the the steps different to gain stages inner of strength, our lives, naturally we are build called strong to selfimmune discipline system, and take self-control responsibility in how for we keeping deal not above only in the sexual tide. relations, Our institutions will not do it for us at

but even in our general outlook our personal levels. Institutions

about life. or governments help us with en

Non- covetousness refers to abling environment, systems and procedures, non-accumulation, and ultimately, whether we it be have of to earthly individually possessions, make personal or even commitments the negative towards emotions our that personal we ensustainable counter from health time and to wellness. time which

inevitably Art of Living leads Botswana to ill-health, offers or mindfulness in its extreme programs would every manifest fortin night undesirable that teach behavior. very simple yet highly impactful techniques that empower [In the following us at a personal weeks we level. will For speak the to next the one other you limbs.] can register at tiny. cc/Sep24HP to join the Happiness Program. If you’ve been following Yoga Corner, the proof is in the experience….. enroll now. from Lobatse and Gaborone coming to do outreach in Hukuntsi Primary Hospital and I told myself that one day I will have to be counted as one of eye care professionals in Botswana.

During our times, career guidance was not as developed as it is today, we had to do some research on our own regarding careers. So, after some research I settled for Optometry. Government had offered me scholarship to do dentistry but I chose to stick to my first choice - Optometry. After completing my part one BSc at University of Botswana, I was admitted at the University of Auckland in New Zealand to pursue Optometry. Upon completion, I came back home as the first Motswana to graduate as an Optometrist. I have also done a Masters Degree in Public Health with University of Liverpool in the UK. On my return home in 1996, I joined the private sector and subsequently started my private practice in 2000.

An ophthalmologist is a physician/ surgeon who specialises in the medical and surgical care of the eyes and

Poor posture, sports injuries and stress are just a few factors that can lead to tight muscles. And one method to relieve the tension growing in popularity is to “stick” it to the knotted muscles with dry needling.

Although dry needling seems very much like acupuncture as it uses the same impossibly thin needles and offers pain relief, it is not according to Physiotherapist at Physio Cares, Sujatha Balakrishnan.

“One is an ancient Chinese practice that works to manipulate the body’s flow of energy, to promote healing. The other is a modern treatment aimed at easing muscle pain.

Rather than targeting any of the 4,000 acupuncture points along the body’s energy meridians, the needles are inserted directly into the painful places we call knots or trigger points,”Balakrishnan explains.

She has used dry needling for a little over a year on patients experiencing chronic pain, including neck, back and shoulder pain. Patients, she said, usually notice a decrease in pain and tightness after one session, which can last between 20 to 45 minutes.

“But they do come back because the source of the pain may be in one area, but the pain doesn’t necessarily have to be just there; it can be referred to another part of the body,” Balakrishnan said.

At the same time, she says, needling can also visual system and in the prevention of eye disease and injury. The ophthalmologist is the medically trained specialist who can deliver total eye care: primary, secondary, and tertiary care services (i.e. vision services, contact lenses, eye examinations, medical eye care, and surgical eye care), diagnose general disease of the body and treat ocular manifestations of systemic diseases.

Optometrist is a primary healthcare professional of the eye and visual systems who provide comprehensive eye and vision care, which includes refraction and dispensing, diagnosis and management of diseases of the eye and the rehabilitation of conditions of the visual systems. Primary care optometry is complete eye and vision care that highlights the importance of optometry in prevention, health education, health promotion, health maintenance, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, counseling, and interdisciplinary consultation.

Opticians are primary health care professionals who provide vision care through refraction and dispensing of optical aids such as spectacles.

We have confidentiality that we adhere to board members which us to disclose some we discuss in our also seek permission gatekeepers such before carrying out a particular village.

As the CAB Chairperson, my role is to organise meetings with the executive committee where we On a day-to-day basis, I am takor eye inflammation.

make plans for the year as well ing care of patients. We are just not

as the budget for the board. We providers of eyeglasses or contact

have regular closed meeting seslenses; we prescribe medications

sions with principal investigators that treat certain eye-health and condistudy coordinators to discuss tions. If there’s an eye infection protocol or an and new updates from injury, we are doing minor ongoing surgical studies. procedures, as well as prescribing The purpose of CAB Major is to challenges provide that It is Batswana very important medications to correct eye HIV/AIDS infections life are experiences faced with that are blindness relationship and between will assist in the development and and research scientists implementation of research, build the community is