Archive for the ‘Yoga for Physical Health’ Category

By Dr. Rita Khanna

Cervical Spondylosis means, loss of forward curvature (Lordosis) of the spine. The natural shape of the human neck is a backward curve. We rarely have the habit of working with keeping the head, neck, chest, and spinal column in one line. We habitually tend to keep our neck in a forward curve when we work, chat, watch television, or sleep. The fallout of this habit is Cervical Spondylosis. It is also related to wear and tear – due to one’s profession, faulty postures, using a thick pillow, the habit of reading or watching TV in a lying position, mental tension, a sedentary lifestyle, or lack of exercise.

The spine becomes straight, due to repeated pressure exerted on the spine. As a result of this, the internal structure of the disk gets deranged, resulting in the loss of the substance that cushions the disc. The movement of the neck shoulders and back becomes very difficult and painful. To cure this problem, one needs to keep in mind the curvature of the neck, and give it extension as often as possible. For that, Matsyasana is very much beneficial.

DESCRIPTION

The word, Matsya, means fish. This posture is dedicated to Matsya, the Fish and the incarnation of the Hindu God Vishnu, the source of maintainer of the Universe and of all things. It is related that once upon a time, the whole earth had become corrupt and was about to be overwhelmed by a Universal Flood. Lord Vishnu assumed the form of a fish to save the world from the Flood.

FULL STORY

There once lived a wise king named, Manu. One day, when Manu was bathing in the river, a little fish sought shelter in his cupped palms. “Save me, it said, “and some day I shall help you.” Amazed – Manu placed the fish in a pot of water. Overnight, the fish outgrew the pot. So, Manu placed it in a well. Very shortly, it grew too large to live in the well. Astonished, Manu placed this magic fish in a large lake, where it again became too large. Then, Manu led it the river Ganga. The fish continued to grow. Manu now realized that this fish could be none other than the great Lord Vishnu. Reverentially, he took it to the ocean. Pleased with Manu’s dedication and devotion, the fish confirmed that it was, indeed, a form of Lord Vishnu. It warned Manu of an approaching flood, which would drown the whole earth. It instructed him to build a ship and to load it with the eggs and the young of plants, insects, birds, mammals, and all other living creatures. Manu wisely followed the divine counsel and the world was saved.

DEFINITION

Matsyasana is a lying (supine) pose, and gives a backward stretch to the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions of the spine, and expands the chest fully. It is a counter posture of Sarvangasana. Those who are forbidden to perform Sarvangasana (the Shoulder stand), can perform this particular posture, especially those who are suffering from Cervical Spondylosis. For them, Matsyasana is boon. It can be performed by sitting in Padmasana, Vajrasana, or with the legs straight position. In all the three alternate poses of Matsyasana, the crown of the head will touch the ground. This posture fills the lungs with air and increases lung capacity, just as a fish fills its gills with air.

TECHNIQUE 1

• Sit in Padmasana pose.

• Slowly take the help of your elbows; lie down on your back completely.

• Place the hands down beside the head, fingers pointing towards the shoulders.

• Taking the help of your hands, inhale, lift the chest slightly, tilt the head backward, and place the top of the head on the ground.

• Deepen the arch, by lifting the chest and neck up.

• Catch hold of your big toes, with the index and middle fingers, making a ring with the thumb.

• Place the elbows on the floor; knees must be on the floor.

• Hold the position as long as it is comfortable and continue normal breathing.

• When done, release the toes; taking the help of your hands, straighten your head.

• With the support of your elbows, sit up in Padmasana. Then, lie down and relax in Shavasana.

TECHNIQUE 2

This variation is in Vajrasana position and follows the same technique as described above. Keep the knees touching each other in Vajrasana posture; the hands should be placed on the thighs.

TECHNIQUE 3

This simple variation of Matsyasana can be done by the young, as well as the elderly people, without any worry, and will give all the advantages of traditional Matsyasana.

• Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent; feet on the floor.

• Inhale, lift your hips slightly off the floor, and put your hands under your tailbone, with your palms facing the floor – your thumbs touching each other.

• Then, rest your buttocks on the backs of your hands (don’t lift them off your hands as you perform this pose). Try to adjust your forearms, and elbows, under the spine properly.

• While pressing your forearms and elbows firmly against the floor, inhale, draw your head backward, and place the top of the head on the floor.

• Deepen the arch by lifting the chest up.

• Your weight should rest on your elbows. There should be a minimal amount of weight on your head.

• Breathe normally all the while, keeping your legs and lower torso relaxed.

• To come out of the pose, exhale, lift your head, and place it gently back down – then release the arms.

BEGINNERS TIP

• Sometimes, beginners strain their neck in this pose. If you feel any discomfort in your neck or throat, either lower your chest slightly toward the floor, or put a thickly folded blanket under the back of your head.

• People suffering from heart disease, hernia, any spinal problems, or pregnant women, should practice this Asana under the guidance of an expert.

BENEFITS

According to a traditional text, Matsyasana is considered as the destroyer of all diseases.

• Blood circulation is increased as your cervical, thoracic, and lumber regions are stretched. Your back muscles are also strengthened. It is beneficial to those suffering from cervical spondylosis, neck pain, and stiffness.

• The Asana does wonders for your respiratory system; when you assume this position, your chest is stretched open and your bronchial tubes are widened to promote easier breathing. In time, your rib cage will expand, and this will also encourage you to breathe more deeply. It is good for asthma and bronchitis.

• The name of the posture derives from the fact that – if you adopt the position in water, you will float quite easily.

• This is helpful for swimmers who can then hold their breath under water for longer periods.

• Pressure on the neck also works on the thyroid gland and the parathyroid gland (which regulates the level of calcium in the body). Metabolism balances and immune system is boosted.

• Most of abdominal and stomach problems are also corrected as your intestines and abdominal muscles are stretched and toned. It is good in constipation and for bleeding piles.

• The pressure on your neck stimulates the energy centre that regulates the voice – thus improving voice quality.

• It tones the nervous system, the pelvic organs, and the nerves connected with sexual functions. It also helps prevent and remove disorders of the reproductive system.

Om Shanti

If you feel inspired by this article, feel free to publish it in your Newsletter or on your Website. Our humble request is to please include the Resource as follows: Courtesy: Dr. Rita Khanna’s Yogashaastra Studio. A popular studio that helps you find natural solutions for complete health.

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Dr. Rita Khanna

Dr. Rita Khanna is a well-known name in the field of Yoga and Naturopathy. She was initiated into this discipline over 25 years ago by world famous Swami Adyatmananda of Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh (India).

She believes firmly that Yoga is a scientific process, which helps us to lead a healthy and disease-free life. She is also actively involved in practicing alternative medicines like Naturopathy. Over the years, she has been successfully practicing these therapies and providing succour to several chronic and terminally ill patients through Yoga, Diet and Naturopathy. She is also imparting Yoga Teachers Training.

At present, Dr. Rita Khanna is running a Yoga Studio in Secunderabad (Hyderabad, India).

Prepared by: Dora Szabo

“The body becomes strong and healthy. Too much fat is reduced. There is luster in the face. Eyes sparkle like diamonds. The practitioner becomes very handsome. Voice becomes sweet and melodious”  /Swami Sivananda/

1. Introduction

Practicing yoga is the path towards the wholeness of our lives. An individual is a complex unit, where all the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual layers are in interaction.

While western medical science focuses on the symptoms of disease and various health disorders, yoga takes an effect on the deeper lying causes. The physical body and its health or illness reflects the subtle body of a human being. It shows their mental state and emotions, how they use their mind, approach the world and themselves.

Regular yoga practice starting from the more subtle layers can gradually shape the physical body too towards a more healthy, harmonious and energetic existence. It helps us understand that happiness is the basis of a healthy and harmonious body and soul. It also helps us find it inside ourselves as yoga practice can lead to a physical, mental and spiritual equilibrium that is the source of all happiness. In this condition our vitality is inexhaustible, we stay clear of the negative impacts of aging and reduce the risk of getting sick. Then we live in direct connection with the infinite energy of the universe and can master our own existence.

Naturally all of the above is a simplified explanation of what exactly happens when the different layers of a human being interact. Yoga provides a scientific, precise and logical approach to healing physical disorders. Besides its effect on the subtle body, each yoga exercise has a specific physical impact on the body too. Each exercise is a unique way to help us understand and harmonize a specific area of existence – be it a touch of flu, insomnia or a more serious disease like diabetes.

2. What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disorder that affects the way the body uses food for energy. Normally, the sugar taken in is digested and broken down to a simple sugar, known as glucose. The glucose then circulates in the blood where it waits to enter cells to be used as fuel. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, helps move the glucose into cells. A healthy pancreas adjusts the amount of insulin based on the level of glucose. But, in case of diabetes, this process breaks down, and blood sugar levels become too high.

There are two main types of full-blown diabetes. People with Type I diabetes are completely unable to produce insulin. People with Type II diabetes can produce insulin, but their cells don’t respond to it. In either case, the glucose can’t move into the cells and blood glucose levels can become high. Over time, these high glucose levels can cause serious complications.

There is also a condition referred to as Pre-Diabetes. Pre-diabetes means that the cells of the body are becoming resistant to insulin or the pancreas is not producing as much insulin as required. The blood glucose levels are higher than normal and it is a warning sign that diabetes may develop later.

3. Can Yoga help control diabetes?

There have been numerous studies over the years on the health benefits of Yoga, including its effect on controlling diabetes. There has been some dialogue over whether the benefits achieved with Yoga practice are short-term or long term. However, there is no doubt that Yoga can control diabetes at significantly reduced insulin levels for Type I diabetics and can also control diabetes without any external medication for Type II diabetics. Naturally, Type I diabetes (no production of insulin) is more difficult to treat with Yoga but Type II diabetes can be treated very effectively. Regular Yoga practice can also prevent and heal the ravages of the complications caused by diabetes with the body’s own medicine.

As we know, diabetes affects the pancreas, and endocrine gland due to a sympathetic-parasympathetic imbalance in the body. Yoga recognizes this and helps to restore the balance through a set of practices, including Yoga poses, breathing exercises, diet, meditation and relaxation practices. Let us now look at the five key elements of Yoga practice to see how each one of them contributes to a healthier organism from the point of view of diabetes.

3.1. Proper Breathing

The average person uses only 10% of their lung capacity. This shallow breathing pattern is associated with the “fight or flight’ syndrome which drives blood glucose levels high and also inhibits the body from producing insulin. Pranayama teaches us to maximize the use of the lung capacity as much as possible. It also helps us neutralize the stress that contributes to high blood sugars associated with diabetes. Some of the breathing exercises found particularly beneficial in curing diabetes are:

1) Bhastrika Pranayama

2) Kapalabhati Pranayama

3) AgniSar Kriya

4) Bahya Pranayama

5) Anuloma – Viloma Pranayama

6) Bhramari Pranayama

7) Udgit Pranayama

It is important to note that at-least half an hour per day needs to be invested in the Pranayama practice for its benefits to manifest. While performing the breathing exercises to control diabetes it is recommendable to focus on the pancreas, imagining the normal secretion of insulin. For beginners, it is best to practice Pranayama in the presence an expert Guru at first.

Pranayama has calming effect on nervous system, which reduces stress levels, helping in diabetes treatment. The abdominal muscles and diaphragm are used intensely which puts pressure on the internal organs. Some Yoga schools also claim that diabetes is caused to a large extent by breathing mainly through the right nostril and breathing techniques like Anuloma – Viloma Pranayama can help balance the flow of air through both nostrils.

3.2. Proper Exercise

Asanas are beneficial in treatment of diabetes because they act like insulin, reducing blood glucose levels. During continued moderate exercise glucose is more effectively used in the muscles and they can take in more glucose than they normally do. Due to various twists and stretches in the body, these postures cause the internal viscera to stretch, bringing stimulation to the pancreas and other glands and organs that otherwise receive no stimulation. This increases the blood and oxygen supply to the organs increasing the efficiency and functioning of the organ. Improved blood flow also helps prevent complications of diabetes linked with impaired blood flow. Stretching various glands result in increased efficiency of the endocrine system, have a positive effect on the pancreas and also insulin functioning. Exercise helps remove fatty acids from the blood and builds more muscle mass, so it generates a positive spiral as more muscles can take in more glucose and there is less fat to block the process. Some of the Yoga postures found particularly beneficial in curing diabetes are:

 1) Shavasana

2) Sukhasana

3) Padmasana

4) Vajrasana

5) Surya Namaskar

6) Matsyasana

7) Pashimottanasana

Janushirasana

9) Sasangasana

10) Ardha Kurmasana

11) Ardhmatsyendrasana

12) Pawanmuktasana

13) Ustrasana

14) Bhujangasana

15) Salabhasana

16) Dhanurasana

17) Tadasana

18) Trikonasana

It is important to maintain the Asana for longer duration after attaining the position while relaxing the muscles. Diabetics taking insulin or oral medication must monitor their blood sugar levels before during and after exercise because it can drop radically.

However, if applied correctly, the above postures can help reverse diabetes. The positive spiral induced by Yoga is not yet understood completely, but it has been linked with the increased muscular relaxation, lower blood pressure and weight loss. It is also related to stretch on the pancreas, which stimulates the pancreatic function.

3.3. Proper Relaxation

It has been shown that stress alters blood glucose levels as it blocks the body from producing insulin. Therefore proper relaxation and the resulting reduction in stress levels is key to managing diabetes, especially in type II diabetics.

The reduced stress levels and level of ‘stress hormones’ (adrenaline, noradrenalin and cortisol) in the blood are believed to improve the insulin action. However, for relaxation to be efficient, the brain waves have to be slowed down. This means that the common western ways of ‘relaxing’ (watching movies, dancing, etc) does not actually release stress from the body. It could also happen during sleep but people who are constantly stressed often have trouble entering deeper states of relaxation during sleep. Therefore the conscious relaxation promoted by Yoga (i.e. physical, mental and spiritual relaxation) can be highly beneficial in reducing stress levels and in lowering blood glucose levels.

3.4. Proper Diet

Yoga promotes a simple diet of natural fresh foods as this ensures maximum vital energy intake. Processed, refined and overcooked foods are avoided as these processes destroy much food value. There are many possible explanations for maintaining a vegetarian diet, physical, mental and spiritual. On the physical level, recent research shows a link between the amounts of processed and red meat eaten and the development of type II diabetes. One study published in Diabetologia showed that the high intake of total meat increased the risk of diabetes by 17 per cent, red meat increased the risk by 21 per cent and processed meat by 41 per cent. Meat consumed never completely breaks down but ferments and rots in the gut, releasing uric and nitric acid. In the long run, this leads to the destruction of intestinal villi in the small intestine, therefore maintaining a light vegetarian diet can be very beneficial in preventing or controlling diabetes too.

3.5. Positive Thinking and Meditation

As described earlier, stress is considered a leading cause of diabetes. Research studies suggest that practicing meditation regularly helps reduce the body’s responses to stress by lowering blood pressure, slowing heart rate, reducing oxygen intake, and changing the brain waves to a more relaxed state. Moderating the stress response is also likely to lower blood glucose levels.

On the other hand, constant negative thought vibrations emitted obstruct the organism’s healing process. As David Spero puts it: „When you have a chronic condition such as diabetes, MS, or one of hundreds of others, negative thoughts like those can be crippling.”

It is therefore essential for diabetics to control the thoughts emitted, as thoughts soon become emotions and emotions become our actions. Meditation has been found to be the most efficient method to enhance both our attitude and control for greater self-awareness, better relationships, less stress, depression and anxiety.

4. Summary

As we have seen there are various ways in which diabetes is preventable and even reversible through proper diet, exercise and lifestyle change promoted by Yoga. It will help balance the endocrine system, tone the abdominal organs, stimulate both the nervous and circulatory system, and reduce stress. However, it is important to remember also that none of the above can be considered the primary aim of Yoga. The final goal of all Yogic teaching is to achieve a state of union with the Supreme Soul, where there is no duality. Therefore the real challenge is not to see yoga as a treatment for disease, but as an opportunity to see something deeper in the self. As Elliott S. Dacher puts it: “While many doctors and patients demand proof that yoga really can help certain medical conditions, they risk overlooking yoga’s far-reaching benefits.”

Studies on how Diabetes can be benefited by Yoga published by Timothy McCall, MD :

Shembekar, AG and Kate, SK. Yoga exercises in the management of diabetes mellitus.
Journal of the Diabetes Association of India, 1980 (20) 167-171.

Jain SC, Uppal A, Bhatnagar SO, Talukdar B. A study of response pattern of non insulin dependent diabetics to yoga therapy.
Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 1993 Jan;19(1):69-74.

Monro R E, Power J, Coumar A, Nagarathna R, Dandona P 1992 Yoga Therapy for NIDDM.
Complementary Medical Research 6: 66–88.

Singh S, Malhotra V, Singh KP, Madhu SV, Tandon OP. Role of yoga in modifying certain cardiovascular functions in type 2 diabetic patients.
Assoc Physicians India. 2004 Mar;52:203-6.

Malhotra V, Singh S, Singh KP, Gupta P, Sharma SB, Madhu SV, Tandon OP. Study of yoga asanas in assessment of pulmonary function in NIDDM patients.
Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2002 Jul;46(3):313-20.

Singh S; Malhotra V; Singh KP; Sharma SB; Madhu SV; Tandon OP. A preliminary report on the role of Yoga Asanas on oxidative stress in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.
Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry. 2001 Jul; 16(2): 216-20

Malhotra V, Singh S, Tandon OP, Sharma SB. The beneficial effect of yoga in diabetes.
Nepal Med Coll J. 2005 Dec;7(2):145-7.

Malhotra V, Singh S, Tandon OP, Madhu SV, Prasad A, Sharma SB. Effect of Yoga asanas on nerve conduction in type 2 diabetes.
Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2002 Jul;46(3):298-306.

 
List of References:

1. Internet Resources:

Diabetes, Yoga and Meditation. 5/25/09

http://diabetes.ygoy.com/2009/26/diabetes-yoga-and-meditation/

Joseph B. Nelson, MA, LP: Meditation and the Art of Diabetes Management. 6/24/06 http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/articles/alternative-medicine-complementary-therapies/meditation_and_the_art_of_diabetes_management/all/

David Spero: Changing Killer Thoughts. 6/15/09

http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/blog/david-spero/changing-killer-thoughts/

Meat Causes Diabetes and Cancer. 11/03/09

http://articlesofhealth.blogspot.com/2009/11/meat-causes-diabetes-and-cancer.html

Kathryn Watson: Can Relaxation Techniques Help Me Manage My Diabetes?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Can-Relaxation-Techniques-Help-Me-Manage-My-Diabetes?&id=445804

Julian Goldstein: Is Therapeutic Hatha Yoga A Cure for Diabetes?

http://www.bikramyoga.com/testimonials/Diabetes.htm

Dr Sujit Chandratreya (MD, DM, DNB, Endocrinologist, Diabetologist): Diabetes & Yoga

http://www.yogapoint.com/therapy/diabetes_yoga.htm

Timothy McCall, MD: 50 Health Conditions Benefited by Yoga (as shown in scientific studies)
© 2007 (Updated June, 2009)

http://www.drmccall.com/50updatedwithreferences6-09.pdf.

Dr Sujit Chandratreya (MD, DM, DNB, Endocrinologist, Diabetologist): Yoga & Diabetes
http://www.yogapoint.com/therapy/diabetes_yoga.htm

2. Other Publications

D. Aune, G. Ursin, M.B. Veierod: Meat consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.
Diabetologia, November 2009, Volume 52, Issue 11, Pages 2277-2287
The pH Miracle Revisited, Dr. Robert and Shelley Young, July, 2010.

Singh S, Malhotra V, Singh KP, Madhu SV, Tandon OP: Role of yoga in modifying certain cardiovascular functions in type 2 diabetic patients.
Department of Physiology, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Shahdara, Delhi 110 095.

Malhotra V, Singh S, Tandon OP, Sharma SB: The beneficial effect of yoga in diabetes.
Nepal Med Coll J. 2005 Dec;7(2):145-7.

Malhotra V, Singh S, Tandon OP, Madhu SV, Prasad A, Sharma SB: Effect of Yoga asanas on nerve conduction in type 2 diabetes.
Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2002 Jul;46(3):298-306.
Madhu Kosuri, Gumpeny R. Sridhar: Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders.
2009 December,7(6): 515-518.
Online Ahead of Print: November 9, 2009

A preliminary report on the role of yoga asanas on oxidative stress in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
2001 July, 16 (2): 216-220
Journal Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry
Publisher Springer India

Badr Aljasir, Maggie Bryson and Bandar Al-shehri: Yoga Practice for the Management of Type II Diabetes Mellitus in Adults: A systematic review
University of Ottawa, Ottawa and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Elliott S. Dacher, M.D:Whole Healing: A Step-by-Step Program to Reclaim Your Power to Heal
Pub. Date:  8/1/1997
Publisher(s): Penguin Group USA

By Sandra McGuire

I was introduced to Yoga at the age of twelve, and though I have not had a consistent practice all of the years since then, Yoga has been a healing thread that has wound its way through my life. Yoga has always been a place I come home to, a safe, secure place where healing, peace and connection with my body, mind and soul can occur. Recently I went through a very difficult couple of years, where though I needed it the most, I became disconnected from Yoga. In the course of just a few years I went through the breakdown of my marriage, the death of my mother, my own diagnosis with thyroid cancer, major surgery to remove my thyroid, and a car accident, I was a real mess. Again, Yoga was silently and gently waiting in the wings for when I was ready to return to its wonderful healing.

I had a foundation in Yoga, having had the great good fortune to discover it at the age of twelve. I embraced it wholeheartedly, coming home from school and practicing for two hours a day. I fasted once a week and became vegetarian. Although I went through the typical trials of puberty, Yoga gave me a great deal of strength and insight to help me through. I wavered from this path at 14 and became an embittered teenager. Circumstances in my life, including a move affected me enormously, and combined with puberty, I became angry and deeply insecure.

I believe my foundation in Yoga helped me, as I had that memory within of a place of comfort and gentleness. By age 16 I had returned passionately to my Yoga practice, and went through a wonderful transformation. My tough, angry teen image faded away with no conscious effort, just a regular Yoga practice. My insecurity lessened considerably. Instead of feeling anxious about my weight, bad skin and not feeling attractive enough, I found my body naturally balanced out. My weight toned down, my bulges shifted and became taut, my skin cleared up and developed a healthy glow, my hair grew thick and lustrous, and I began to feel beautiful inside, which of course made me feel more attractive outwardly.

In my angry time I had formed friendships with people of a similar temperament, and was very much in the wrong crowd. As my Yoga practice deepened, I just naturally drifted away from them, and established more meaningful friendships with more appropriate people. I made other changes in my life that broke some self destructive habits, and helped me establish myself on a more true path for me.

Due to youth, busyness and various factors, I drifted away from Yoga somewhat. I found though, that whenever I was troubled or stressed, I instinctively returned to it.  Many years later after the birth of my first child, I felt exhausted, stressed, and very body worn. Wonderfully, a friend steered me back to Yoga. Again, I found my body healing, my mind finding peace and I was once more equipped with the techniques I needed to regain balance and a sense of peace in my life.

My practice continued and deepened, and I found things shifting inside again. I realized that I was not as happy as I had thought with my life as it was. Very disturbingly, I realized that I was not married to the right person for me. Ironically, as Yoga helped me find my own inner peace, it highlighted the discord in my life that I was trying to ignore. Healing can be powerful and not always easy.

My marriage dissolved not too much longer after that, and I entered into the struggles of a single parent now with two young children. I returned home to my parents house, where my always strong bond with my mother deepened. We grew very close and for a short time we all lived very happily together. I was just settling back into a Yoga routine, when chaos struck with such force that our lives were completely turned upside down.

We were in the middle of a major move across the country when my beloved mother was diagnosed with metastatic thyroid cancer so advanced she was given just two months to live. This was shocking enough as it was, but was made more so by the fact that this woman was famous for her healthy lifestyle and fantastic degree of physical fitness. It seemed impossible that this could be the case. It was terribly disillusioning to those of us who had truly believed that living a healthy life would somehow protect us. Yet she was deteriorating rapidly. We were in the middle of this enormous move, and there was nothing to do but carry on. I think I lived on nothing but adrenalin, and was in a constant state of extreme stress.

Somehow, we got through the move, and Mum re-joined us after a series of radiation treatments. We settled into our new house in rural Cape Breton, and I as a single mother began to be a full time caregiver for my mother as well. We prepared for her death as best we could, and cared for her with love and support. She ended up living seven months instead of two, but as she died there was an enormous sadness that descended on our house, and the sense of loss I felt seemed insurmountable. Numbly, I carried on.

I put my energy into the new place, establishing gardens and trying to regain peace. I tried to practice my Yoga a few times, but I was so deeply stressed, I just couldn’t do it. I was worried I would hurt myself, as I found it so hard to relax and slow down. I couldn’t breathe properly, although I was aware of this, and knew what I should do, I just couldn’t get there.

Just five months after my mother died, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer myself. This blow was almost too much, yet I was still so numb that I went through the motions of life. I prepared for surgery facing it with enormous fear and trying to comfort my children who were equally shattered and afraid. This was the same cancer my mother had just died from.

Everything felt wrong. As I prepared for the hospital, I was hastily tidying up. I injured my shoulder which went into extremely painful spasms. In this completely messed up state I entered the hospital. After my surgery I awoke groggy from anaesthetic, and finding that I could neither talk at all or swallow. Outside was a terrible thunder storm crashing and raging and dropping enormous hailstones. The power went out and the hospital ran on back up. A nurse appeared with an enormous pill I was somehow to swallow, and morphine for my pain.

Never in my whole life have I felt farther away from the peace, comfort and solace of Yoga. I felt fractured physically and spiritually. My hospital stay was very difficult. No one could give me anything that really helped the pain. The medication they gave me made me feel sick and hallucinate, yet didn’t really help. I spluttered and gagged whenever I tried to swallow anything, even water. I had a drainage tube coming out of my chest, a huge bandage across my throat, an IV tube in my arm and a heart monitor on. The atmosphere of the hospital was noisy, disruptive, intrusive and unpleasant. The hospital food also did nothing to promote healing. I was stunned, miserable and desperate to heal. I was acutely aware that I was in a downward spiral. The pain, stress, emotional strain and frustration I was feeling, were all pulling me further into what felt like a very unhealthy place. My reserves of strength were gone and each drug and strain seemed to compound the problem, rather than help it.

After two weeks in hospital I returned home. It took almost two months before I could talk again, and almost as long for my shoulder pain to ease. The pain from that had not been helped by being stuck in a hospital bed with tubes in me that prevented mobility. This had led to the pain spreading into my back and up my neck. As a result of this, plus the surgery, I was breathing very shallowly and with difficulty, sometimes really struggling. Although I was still unable to properly swallow, I made myself herbal tea and quietly tried to drink it and return to a healing path.

It didn’t take long till I had my Yoga mat out. However, my body was such a mess, and felt so different and fragile, that I did little more than sit on it and try to breathe. Gradually, I tried some gentle movements of my shoulders. Day by day, bit by bit, I gently stretched, rolled and breathed my way back into establishing a connection with what felt like a different body.

My pain began to ease, my swallowing slowly improved, and the vice grip of shock I had been in ever so subtly began to lift. I wanted to return to Yoga, but in this remote place, I had no teacher, and my body was so different. I no longer had a Thyroid and I was terrified of working my neck area. I was still on a medication roller coaster too, as the doctors tried to regulate and find the balance of Thyroid replacement medication and calcium that was now essential for me to take.

So I breathed. I breathed and breathed. I felt energy (Prana) gradually filtering through my body. It felt like a wave of life washing through me. It reminded me of balance, healing and vitality, although I still felt very wounded and anything but vital. That breath turned things around though, and returned me to the Yogic path. Before too long I was practicing some gentle leg stretches, reconnecting with my body, becoming acquainted with this new me. Though it was a minimal practice, it opened the door to a familiar path.

Eventually, I was doing something close to a normal practice, though still shying away from anything to do with the throat area. The sense of healing that Yoga offered me was enormous. To me it encompassed such power and vitality that was in sharp contrast to the state I had been in. Prana washed through me, pushing out the pain, the fear, the medication, the poison that I felt was there. Most importantly, Yoga offered the reminder that I could heal. That I could take charge of my body again. I had felt like such a puppet at the mercy of doctors, now I was returning to myself. I was connecting again with my centre that I knew was a place of balance and tranquility. Yoga felt like silk threads returning me to myself. Soft and gentle yet so remarkably strong.

After a few months I felt relatively normal. However, emotional turmoil and all the chaos I had lived through, can’t just disappear. I was on my way back to wholeness, but it was not an easy journey and I was not there yet. Just after this my car crashed. I was shaken, and hurt my other shoulder, but was basically ok. However, my confidence felt shattered. I was living in a place where driving was a necessity, and yet, now driving put me into panic attacks. I was terrified. I had no choice but to do it anyway, which is probably the best. However, several times I nearly caused another accident by panicking and having to suddenly pull over.

It has now been eight months since the car accident. I have resumed a full Yoga practice and that has helped my body heal, strengthen and regain much depleted energy. Pranayama and Meditation have helped me to control the panic attacks and to breathe effectively again. Living with severe long term stress, I had developed very shallow breathing that had made my doctor think I was suffering from Asthma. I feel well again, I feel balance, I feel deeply connected to the spirit within and without and I feel a much deeper peace with the world.

Yoga definitely helped me regain this. Its gentle power has been a phenomenal healing force for me. Yoga is all about connection, balance, vitality, tranquility and inner strength. I can’t imagine anything that is a more magnificent source of healing power.

I am very grateful to the doctors and the medical system that I was involved with, it probably saved my life. That system though, is about intervention, medication, surgery, and operates on such a huge scale, that a holistic, personal healing journey needs to come from another place. Yoga was there for me, once I was again able to open myself to it, and it has provided me with the healing path that I so needed.

The wonder of Yoga to me is that pretty well no matter what stage you are at, or how deep your practice is, it nudges you gently in the direction you need to go. When only able to practice hesitant, tiny little movements, it was enough for my body to say YES.

Ever so slowly, ever so gently, Yoga opened me up and brought me back to a considerably more solid place. Those tiny stretches, those initial painful breaths, have now made way to deep stretches, full, deep breaths and I am now greatly enjoying Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand) again, although I thought I never would.

Just as it did for me when I was an insecure teenager, or an insecure, frazzled new mother, or raw from complete physical and emotional chaos, the gentle thread of Yoga was there to catch me, and pull me up and restore me. It is a truly marvellous healer.

Sandra McGuire teaches Yoga in the Mabou, Nova Scotia, Canada area.

By DeVona Seymour

The benefits of yoga are now being recognized and welcomed in the West, but the benefits are not only physical; people who practice yoga regularly know that their quality of life improves on all levels: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.

We are mostly concerned with the physical aspects of yoga, but those who practice the postures consistently will soon see other changes in their lives. Their sense of physical well-being will improve, along with feelings of stability, clarity, and a greater ability to concentrate. Yoga can lift your capacity to succeed in all other areas of your life: your work; study; sport; and relationships.

When you practice yoga regularly, you will find that it helps relieve depression and anxiety. It increases energy levels, controls weight, helps relieve arthritis, and keeps you flexible and energetic. Yoga also improves osteoporosis, circulation, digestion, and lowers blood pressure. It can replace the so-called buzzes of alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and other stimulants.

Yoga is a great way to tone and strengthen your body. You can practice yoga for the physical benefits alone and be very satisfied with the results; however, it has the potential to replace old, negative patterns with positive, life-affirming choices.

Yoga is an ancient practice that creates a sense of union in the body, mind, and spirit. At the physical level, yoga has proven to be extremely effective in increasing flexibility. Stretching the body in new ways will help it become more flexible. This in turn, brings greater range of motion to muscles and joints. Surprisingly, it has been found that the body, which may have been quite rigid, becomes very flexible, even in those parts that were not consciously worked on. This is because the yoga positions act upon parts of the body in an interrelated manner. When done together, they become harmonious in creating flexibility. Sometimes in yoga practice, someone cannot even touch their toes; however, the benefits of yoga include lengthening the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the body to help you become more flexible. The flexibility attained through yoga also makes one feel good and thus look good.

Many yoga poses require you to support the weight of your own body. These would include balancing on one leg, supporting yourself with your arms, and moving slowly in and out of poses. This increases strength and muscle tone. Some of the yoga poses build upper body strength. This is very important as people age, as are the postures that build strength in the lower back. Almost all the yoga poses build core strength in the abdominal muscles. When you have core strength, you will naturally sit and stand tall. Therefore, another benefit of increased flexibility and strength is better posture and increased body awareness. This awareness tells you when to adjust your posture.

Yoga is a practice that massages all the internal glands and organs of the body. This wholesome stimulation and massage of the organs is beneficial because it helps keep disease away, and forewarns us of an onset of disease or disorder. Since yoga gently stretches the muscles and joints, as well as massages the organs, it ensures the blood supply to various parts of the body. This helps to flush out toxins and provide nourishment to all parts of the body. This leads to benefits such as delayed ageing, energy, and zest for life.

Yoga benefits the mind by teaching you to focus and concentrate. This focus is internal—between your mind and your body. Since your state of mind is reflected in the way you breathe, by controlling the breath, you can learn to control your state of mind. Yoga breathing revitalizes the body, steadies the emotions, and creates clarity of mind. Learning to breathe correctly, using the diaphragm, is one of the most important exercises in yoga.

In yoga, the breath is known as “Prana”, or the universal life force energy within all of us. Yoga breathing techniques are known as “Pranayama” or practices that control the breath in order to create a state of inner peace. One of the greatest health benefits of yoga is stress reduction, and just learning how to breathe deeply can reduce or eliminate many symptoms triggered by stress.

The breath in yoga is seen as a bridge between the body and the mind. For example, during the yoga postures, if there is discomfort in a certain area, you can consciously exhale into that area and experience a release of tension. This makes it possible to relax more into the pose. You should learn to use the breath as a tool to create support for your movements and to release the whole body.

This quote by Gurutej Kauna in Fit Yoga magazine sums up the healthy benefit of yoga breathing. “People think we get energy from food and sleeping, but the breath is our most abundant source of energy. Breathing oxygenates the blood, improves circulation, and gets more oxygen into the muscles which allows them to function better. Even though life can be complicated, the solution could be using your breath, basic movements, and a heightened sense of awareness to balance the physical body and mind with the spirit.”

Another way that yoga calms the mind is through meditation. To meditate is to become aware of what is going on within you. The practice of meditation helps you stay centered regardless of your circumstances. Because meditating helps you to slow your breath, quiet your mind, and find peace, it can be beneficial physically, mentally, and emotionally. Some of the benefits of meditating are: it clears your mind for better sleep; refines your ability to focus on a goal or situation; slows your respiration for longer, deeper breaths; and boosts your immune system. Meditation is also beneficial mentally and emotionally by reducing anxiety and depression, by helping you detach emotionally, which helps you break unhealthy habits, by improving communication with yourself, and by helping you stay in the present moment instead of the past or future.

Remember this quote from Beth Shaw, author of the book Yogafit, “You are not seeking to find anything through the practice of meditation. Rather, it is through meditation that you are found. It’s a mistake to think that through meditation, you are trying to become somebody else. The true intent of yoga and meditation is to become the best possible version of yourself”.

Spiritually, yoga makes you aware of your body, your feelings, the world around you, and the needs of others. It promotes interdependence between mind, body, and spirit. It is beneficial because it helps you live the concept of “oneness”. Yoga becomes part of your spiritual life because it teaches “right” living in dealing with yourselves and others. Just by working on a difficult pose will teach you patience, forgiveness, and the value of gentleness.

In the true spirit of living, yoga plays a major role. It helps in developing and attaining personal values by reducing a variety of mental ills. Yoga enhances personal values by avoiding the element of fear from our lives. By practicing yoga, you gain control of your mind, and this results in the control of the thoughts and actions as well. Yoga controls the emotions of a person with the help of mental exercises. This helps a person achieve contentment.

Another spiritual benefit of yoga is that it makes an individual accept faith in life. It replaces pessimism, cynicism, and suspicion with an appreciation of life. Yoga helps a person to be at peace with himself and the world, and therefore attain poise, serenity, contentment, patience, and assurance.

The physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of yoga are extensive: stress relief, pain relief, better breathing, flexibility, balance, increased strength, weight management, improved circulation, cardiovascular conditioning, focusing on the present, and inner peace. What more could you want? Yoga is the answer for an improved quality of life—physically, mentally, and spiritually.

DeVona Seymour is studying to become a certified Yoga teacher.

By Dr. Rita Khanna

INTRODUCTION

Varisara Dhauti is also known as Shankha Prakshalana. It is a very strong purification technique, as it cleans the complete elementary canal (from the mouth to the anus). Shank means shell, and Prakshalana means cleansing. Shells have a lot of curves, the same way our intestines have. Try to pour water into a shell. To have the water in the last curve, we have to rotate the shell. We use the same technique in the practice of Shankh Prakshalana Kriya, but instead of rotations, it is comprised of drinking lukewarm saline water and then performing the sequence of specially-designed Asanas – until the intestines have been completely washed (clear liquid comes out from the anal opening in the end). After this exercise, you have to rest the whole day. For that day, you should only have a special diet called Khichdi and Ukada (Herbal Liquid). This lubricating food replaces the natural lubrication of your insides, which has been washed out by the saline solution. This technique is practiced in the morning on an empty stomach. It is necessary that the very first process of Shankha-Prakshalana should be carried out only under an adept and experienced Yogacharya.

ANATOMY OF SHANKHA PRAKSHALANA

There are 5 valves in our food passage. They are oesophageal, pyloric, ileocecal, colon, and anus. The complexity of the GIT (Gastrointestinal tract), and its sensitivity to day-to- day tensions, are common causes to restrict the flow in the system. They lose their natural function and become inefficient; gradually, the system starts to pack up. This causes auto-toxemia, a state where the body’s own wastes begin to poison it. Poor food, sedentary lifestyles, late eating hours, habitual snacking, and dehydration, are also common reasons why the digestive system becomes inefficient at assimilating and eliminating, thus causing stomach ailments. Shankha Prakshalana practice reconditions the function of the valves and eliminates all types of toxins out of the bloodstream.

REQUISITES FOR SHANKHA PRAKSHALANA

One Yoga mat, one towel (normal size), soap cake for washing hands, wear loose clothes and have one extra pair of clothes available, one steel glass, one steel Thali (Plate), with a rim (kinnari/sides), one tablespoon for eating khichdi, and a Neti pot.

MENTAL PREPRATION

• The successful completion of the technique strongly depends on preparation. Great care must be taken in choosing a day for the event, which is not too cold and not too hot. Very cloudy, windy, or rainy weather is to be avoided. The best time to practice is at the changeover of seasons.

• The best time to commence is soon after sunrise, when the air is fresh and clean and the mind and body are relaxed.

• The best place to practice Shankha-Prakshalana is in the garden or in an open area, where there is plenty of fresh air. Make sure that adequate toilet facilities are nearby.

• The practice is best undertaken with a group of friendly people. The atmosphere should be relaxed and lighthearted, with no apprehension concerning the practice, as this can create tension and prevent free bowel movement.

• One should take light food the previous day and also, quite early in the evening. Liquids may be taken, if one feels so. Nothing should be taken in the morning of the Kriya. If one does not get automatic natural call without morning tea, then tea may be taken. If required, you can make the treatment significantly easier by having an enema right before the Shankha Prakshalana.

OTHER PREPRATIONS

Boil 3 liters of water, with 3 tablespoon of rock salt, and big cardamom. Stir them. This water is for one person.

Salt is used for Shankha Prakshalana because of its reaction in the stomach when it mixes with acids and enzymes. It creates a more dilute and less potent solution. Salt is a very efficient means to dissolve mucus and clean the intestinal linings. In small quantities, it has a soothing effect on inflamed linings and also has a mild relationship with the liver.

TECHNIQUE FOR SHANKHA PRAKSHALANA

First Round

• Drink two glasses of warm, salty water – as quickly as possible. If it is difficult to drink two glasses in the beginning, start with one glass of water. It may be due to excess gas in the body. When you feel alright, drink 2 glasses of water.

• Perform a series of five specific Asanas dynamically, eight times each, in the correct sequence – i.e., Tadasana, Tiryaka Tadasana, Kati Chakrasana, Tiryaka Bhujangasana, and Udarakarshanasana.

• After completing the round, go to the toilet and empty yourself. If there has been no movement, do not worry – come out – but do not use force to produce a bowel movement. This completes one round. Then start the second round.

Second and Rest of the Rounds

All the rounds are the same as the first. One may have to go to the toilet 7 to 8 times. The speed, at which one completes the practice, should not be compared with that of others.

• Spend as little time in the toilet as possible; a minute or so is enough. The aim is to build up the internal cleansing pressure. At first, solid stool will be evacuated, followed by a mixture of stool and water. As the practice progresses, more water and less solid stool, will be excreted. Eventually, cloudy yellow water and, finally, almost clear water, will be evacuated.

• It takes a few hours for the completion of Shankha Prakshalana Kriya, and the salted water cannot remain warm so long. Therefore, the water should either be warmed at intervals, or hot water added, so that warmth is maintained while drinking.

• In between the Asanas, if you feel like going to the toilet, do not ignore this feeling; but go and sit on the toilet. You should then return and complete the round before finishing off.

Note:

After Shankha Prakshalana, Kunjal and Jal Neti processes are a must. For Kunjal, drink 5-6 glasses of plain water quickly – then throw it up like a fountain from the mouth. Then, do Jal Neti.

FIVE SPECIAL ASANAS

The five Asanas, which form the core of the practice, are related directly to the 5 alimentary valves. They help to stretch, massage, and relax all parts of the alimentary canal and enhance the cleansing process.

TADASANA (THE STRETCH POSE)

• Stand straight, with feet about 10 cms apart, arms by the sides.

• Breathe in deeply, and raise both hands on the sides of the head, in an upward direction.

• Interlock your fingers – palms facing towards the sky.

• Exhale; place the hands on top of the head.

• Inhale – stretch the arms up over the head and slowly rise up on your toes, stretching and lengthening the abdominal area.

• Hold the position for a few seconds.

• Exhale – bring the heels down on the floor and hands on top of the head.

• This is one round.

• Repeat 8 times. All 8 rounds should take no more than about 40 – 60 seconds.

• Tadasana acts mainly on the stomach and stretches the colon.

TIRYAKA TADASANA (SIDE BENDING STRETCH POSE)

• Stand straight with feet about two feet apart.

• Breathe in deeply, and raise both hands on the sides of the head, in upward direction.

• Interlock your fingers – palms are facing towards the sky.

• Inhale, extend the spine.

• While exhaling, bend the body to the right, from the waist.

• Hold the position for a few seconds.

• Inhale – and slowly come back to the upright position.

• Similarly, repeat the process on the left side.

• This is one round.

• Repeat total 8 times (each side 4 times). All 8 rounds should take no more than 60 seconds.

• Tiryaka Tadasana acts on the small intestine and colon.

KATI CHAKRASANA (WAIST ROTATING POSE)

• Stand straight, with feet about two feet apart, and arms by the sides.

• Make a fist with the right hand, thumb inside; place it in the center of the lower back – press it nicely.

• Inhale – bring the left hand on the right shoulder.

• Exhale, as you twist the upper body to the right side and turn your head fully to your right, to look behind towards the left heel.

• Keep the feet firmly on the ground, while twisting.

• Hold the position for a few seconds.

• Inhale and return to the starting position.

• Similarly, repeat the process on the left side.

• Inhale and return to the starting position.

• This is one round.

• Repeat total 8 times (each side 4 times). All 8 rounds should take no more than 30 seconds.

• Kati Chakrasana massages the small intestine.

ASHVA SANCHALANA MUDRA (TIRYAKA BHUJANGASANA)

• Lie with forehead down on the stomach, feet about half a meter apart; heels should be on top, and toes are curled under – hands directly under the chest.

• Now inhale, and raise the head forward.

• Exhale – twist the head and upper portion of the body to the right shoulder, and look over the shoulder at the left heel.

• Try to feel a diagonal stretch of the abdomen.

• Relax the back and keep the navel as close to the floor as possible.

• Stay in the final position for a few seconds.

• Inhale – bring the face forward again.

• Exhale – twist to the other side, without coming back to the floor.

• Inhale and return to the center, and exhale as you lower the body to the floor.

• This is one round.

• Repeat total 8 times (each side 4 times). All 8 rounds should take no more than 60 seconds.

UDARAKARSHAN KRIYA (THE ABDOMINAL MASSAGE POSE)

• Sit in squatting position, with feet apart and hands on the knees.

• Inhale – bring the right knee to the floor near the left foot, pressing the stomach with the left thigh.

• While doing so, push the left knee towards the right.

• Exhale – turn the head towards the left side, and look over the shoulder.

• Stay in the final position for a few seconds.

• Inhale and come back to the starting position.

• Similarly, repeat on the right side.

• Inhale and come back to the starting position.

• This is one round.

• Repeat total 8 times (each side 4 times). All 8 rounds should take no more than 60 seconds.

• Tiryaka Bhujangasana and Udarakarshan Asana squeeze and massage the Caecum, sigmoid colon, and rectum, and also stimulate the Rectosphincteric reflex or the urge to defecate.

BEFORE UNDERTAKING THE KRIYA

• Before undertaking Shankh Prakshalanlearn Kriya, practice five asanas regularly, for at least one week, so that during Prakshalana, the Asanas are exercised conveniently with ease. Each asana should be done with thorough understanding of its importance for Shankha Prakshalana.

• Learn Jal Neti and Kunjal Kriya. Three days before undertaking Shankh Prakshalan, Kunjal and Jala Neti Kriya should be practiced every morning before breakfast. This practice helps in drinking enough water during Prakshalana and there will not be any vomiting sensation.

• Think positive while doing Shankha Prakshalana Kriya. One may do this after the morning bath and with a happy frame of mind.

RELAXATION FOR 50 MINUTES

• Once all these Kriyas have been performed, then complete rest is essential for fifty minutes. One should not move about. Lie down in Shavasana, but do not sleep, as a headache or cold may result. Try to maintain silence. It is very essential to keep warm during this resting period. During this time, the whole digestive system is given a chance to revitalize itself. Passing urine, at this time, is perfectly normal.

AFTER THE RELAXATION

• Exactly fifty minutes after completing the practice of Shankha-Prakshalana, a salt-less liquid mixture of cooked rice, moong dal, ghee (khichdi), and Ukada (Herbal Liquid), must be taken. The rhythm of the body has been temporarily disturbed; however, fifty minutes after completion of the practice, the digestive organs resume their functions.

Ukada (Herbal liquid)

Fig-2pcs, Apricots (Zardalu)-2pcs, Black big grapes-4pcs, Black big grapes-4pcs, Dried Berries-4pcs, Small cardamom-4pcs, Black Pepper- 4pcs, Thick quality Variali (Fennel)- 50gms, Ginger Fresh-30gms, Tulsi leaves-25 no., Lemon-1pc, Honey-2Tb.Spoon.

Method

Boil the first 10 items in 6 glasses of water, until it comes to 1 glass of water. Then sieve the mixture and drink, after adding honey and lemon juice, as per taste.

Khichdi For one person

Moong Dal, without Shell100 Gms, Khichdi Rice 50gm, Pure Ghee 150 gms.

These three components of Khichdi are helpful in the restoration of correct digestive function. The pure ghee, or clarified butter, is necessary to coat the intestinal wall, until the body produces a new lining. The rice provides a simple, easily digestible packing material, in the form of carbohydrate, and creates mucus, which also protects the inner lining of the alimentary canal. The lentils supplement the diet, by giving the body an easily digestible source of protein, and make for an all round nutritious meal.

Method

Boil Moong Dal (Pulses) and rice together, until soft. Make watery Khichdi, without adding salt. When done, then add ghee. Take care, that while making it, it does not burn.

A sufficient quantity of Khichdi must be eaten to reline the intestines and keep the walls of the gut stretched; otherwise, they may cramp, due to the absence of the bulk, to which they are accustomed. This bulk, not only maintains the tone, but also aids the intestines to resume peristalsis. It is also important – in order to prevent indigestion, diarrhea, and constipation. Remember! Do not drink any fluid before having the first meal.

FURTHER RELAXATION

• Having eaten Khichdi, and taken Ukada, further rest should be taken for the remainder of the day, and also the following day. However, it is important not to sleep for at least three to four hours after the initial meal. Sleep, during this period, may lead to physical lethargy and headache.

• In the evening, one should eat only diluted Khichdi, but without ghee or oil. There should be gap within seven hours between these two meals. The stomach must be filled to capacity at both meals, even if there is no feeling of hunger.

• During this period, it is advisable to keep silence and avoid physical or mental work. One should not use a fan, air conditioner, or TV. One should not eat, drink, or have sex. If thirsty, one can take lukewarm water, only, with lemon juice and honey.

BENEFITS OF SHANKHA PRAKSHALANA

• Physically, Shankha Prakshalan Kriya alleviates digestive problems, such as indigestion, gas, acidity, and constipation. It generally tones the liver and other digestive organs and glands. It has been used in the cure of diabetes mellitus, hypoglycemia, obesity, high blood cholesterol, and high lipid levels. It strengthens the immune system, alleviating allergies and immunological problems. It helps relieve the symptoms of arthritis and chronic inflammatory diseases. Excessive mucus is reduced – relieving asthma, chronic colds, and sinusitis. It purifies the blood, and alleviates skin problems, such as pimples, boils, and eczema.

• The practice of Shankha Prakshalan Kriya has been a panacea for Diabetic patients. Normally, one can do this Kriya twice a year, but for diabetic patients, it can be done 4-6 times in a year – under the guidance of an expert Guru. They should do Kunjal Kriya, every day, in the morning.

• Pranically, Shankha-Prakshalana recharges the entire Pranic body, removes blockages from the Nadis and purifies all the Chakras. The harmony of the five Pranas is restored and the energy level is raised. It prepares the way for higher states of consciousness. Any Sadhana performed after this cleansing practice gives manifold results.

THOSE, WHO SHOULD NOT PERFORM -

One, who has high/low B.P., an ulcer, epilepsy, puss in the ear, knee, ankle, calf pain (extreme), or gone through surgery. Ladies, during pregnancy, or periods, should not attempt. Heart patients, persons with kidney or gallbladder stones, or having weak kidneys, hernia, and gastritis ulcers, should also avoid. Not advised for persons with mental disorders, and children under the age of 15.

FOOD RESTRICTIONS

• For at least one week after the practice, all chemically-processed, synthetic, pungent, spicy, acidic, rich, and non-vegetarian foods must be strictly avoided. No pickles, sweets, chocolates, ice cream, or soft drinks should be taken.

• Milk, buttermilk, yogurt, and all fruits; especially acidic fruits, such as lemons, grapefruit, oranges, or pineapples are restricted.

• Cigarettes, tea, coffee; betel nut preparations, such as pan, and any other type of intoxicant, or drug, should also not be taken.

DIET

The diet should be as pure and simple as possible. It includes foods, such as rice, wheat, wheat bread, vegetables with low acidic content, nuts, lentils, soya beans, and other pulses. After Shankha Prakshalana, the digestive system is very vulnerable and extra care should be taken to protect the body. Those, who are unable to follow these restrictions, should not practice Shankha Prakshalana.

This practice should only be attempted in a Yoga Ashram or Yoga center under expert guidance. All guidelines, and restrictions, must be followed strictly to avoid experiencing harmful side effects.

If you feel inspired by this article, feel free to publish it in your Newsletter or on your Website. Our humble request is to please include the Resource as follows: Courtesy: Dr. Rita Khanna’s Yogashaastra Studio. A popular studio that helps you find natural solutions for complete health.

Mobile: + 919849772485 Ph:-91-40-65173344

Email: yogashaastra@gmail.com

Website: www.yogashaastra.in

Dr. Rita Khanna

Dr. Rita Khanna is a well-known name in the field of Yoga and Naturopathy. She was initiated into this discipline over 25 years ago by world famous Swami Adyatmananda of Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh(India).

She believes firmly that Yoga is a scientific process, which helps us to lead a healthy and disease-free life. She is also actively involved in practicing alternative medicines like Naturopathy. Over the years, she has been successfully practicing these therapies and providing succour to several chronic and terminally ill patients through Yoga, Diet and Naturopathy. She is also imparting Yoga Teachers Training.

At present, Dr. Rita Khanna is running a Yoga Studio in Secunderabad (Hyderabad, India).

By Karen Scully

I began my yoga practice about 10 years ago with an incredible teacher, Julie Wright. I was in my early 40’s, and had been a runner for many years. I developed calcium deposits on my left thigh which caused great pain after my runs, to the point of crying while trying to go to sleep. When my doctor informed me that I had to stop running, I spent the next year looking for some form of exercise that I could do the rest of my life and would give me the “highs” of running along with the benefits – mainly weight loss. That was also when my doctor informed me I was in my early 40’s and should find a form of exercise I could do for a lifetime.

So I practiced yoga almost daily for about two years. I took mainly power yoga classes, some Bikram, some meditative. I was amazed at how strong and limber a 43 year old could be. Through different injuries that were a result of my job as a personal trainer, I turned to yoga to cure my aches, pains and depression at no longer being the young thing I thought I was. So my yoga experience grew out of a need to find health through exercise and that is what my focus is on – health for all through yoga, but specifically for the “mature adult.”

The one thing I have run into with active older adults is the need for yoga for therapeutic reasons, be it physical or mental. One of the incredible things about practicing yoga is that yoga strengthens all different areas of the body: heart, lungs, muscles, cardiovascular and nervous system. Yoga can also improve our digestive systems, send oxygen to all our different systems to bring them to a healthier state, and helps our psychological well-being. All of these are a like a jewel found in one place for a person needing to remain healthy for life. Another thing I find with active older adults is stress caused by either injury or physical conditions plaguing them, such as diabetes, etc., and the stress leads to depression. It is like a vicious cycle: injury or poor health leads to stress leads to depression leads to stress leads to poor health and so on.

Studies have shown that people who practice yoga recover from surgery faster, reduce symptoms of diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, just to name a few. Why is that? Is it that yoga helps to reduce stress? Is it because the breathing sends healing energy through the body? Is it because their muscles and bones move more easily because of the asanas? Is it because you become more toxin free because of the twisting poses? Does meditation play a part? It’s because of all of these things, which is why yoga is perfect for anyone but specifically for the active older adult. And since no two people are alike – everyone has different strengths and weaknesses and different degrees of health, we have different types of yoga available for everyone.

Let’s begin with breathing, the most important part of ayoga practice. We are taught different types of breathing in yoga to help us in our asana practice and in our meditation. But anyone knows just from having to go in for, say, a big test and slowing their heart by taking deep, slow breaths that you can indeed rule your heartbeats and in turn, rule your blood pressure by slow, deep breathing. We take oxygen into our lungs that is transmitted into our bloodstream and carried to our muscles to increase our ability to exercise and stretch without muscle fatigue. Proper breathing techniques can relax a person immediately and anywhere and we know that because of studies done regarding shifting the balance of the nervous system to the parasympathetic side causing the relaxing to begin almost immediately. We know that relaxing muscles can help chronic pain, most commonly found in older adults from either physical illness or treatments used to help with their illness. So breathing is an essential part of anyone’s yoga practice, and it will be discussed again.

Yoga is a great stress reducer. Stress can come from lots of different things: daily work, issues with income/health, poor muscle alignment, chronic pain. As a matter of fact, arthritis and back pain are the two most common forms of pain, exacerbated by stress, found in older adults. Stress makes our muscles more likely to go into spasm, causing more pain/more stress. Stress can interfere with our deep sleep, essential for health, and common older adults. Lack of sleep increases pain. It is another vicious cycle. A regular yoga practice can help relax muscles, relieve stress and relieve pain.

Older adults also tend to slump, especially in their upper spines, causing muscle fatigue around their upper back and necks, ultimately causing pain. If continued, either due to sitting for hours watching TV or on their computers, or by the beginnings of arthritis or bone loss, their bones can slowly start to fuse in this manner so they can no longer stand straight. That’s why you see lots of older people stooped over from the middle of the back up. That is what happened to my father. Regular use of different asanas to strengthen our upper backs, using something like locust pose or cobra pose, can help strengthen these muscles and relieve the stress in the upper back, in turn relieving the pain.

Yoga also helps a person differentiate between whether they are feeling pain or are suffering. Pain can cause suffering but it is important for a person to know the difference and the difference is mostly a matter of the mind. This is where meditation comes in. Generally an active older adult cannot avoid pain, but they can control how much the “suffer” from pain. Studies have been done to show that long-term meditation can change the “wiring” of the brain in beneficial ways. Meditation activates the left prefrontal cortex which has been associated with greater levels of happiness. Personal happiness has a great deal to do with a person’s pain and suffering from the pain. Also, studies have shown that meditation can help reduce the pain signals from the thalamus to the higher brain centers where our brain interprets pain. Meditation is a huge part of biofeedback which has been shown to greatly help with a person’s pain. And where does our meditation always begin – proper breathing.

Studies have also shown that the vibrations we use, the Oms or the chanting (here we are back to breathing properly) helps to regulate the inhalations and exhalations we do. Regulating our inhalations/exhalations will regulate our involuntary muscle control, such as our heartbeats and blood pressure. Also, chanting helps us to redirect our thinking away from the pain we feel, giving a release, even for a short time, to our brain interpretation of pain, and we can learn to lengthen these periods of not necessarily removal of pain but ceasing to think out pain, thus teaching our bodies to do/think what we wish instead of the other way around. This has been found to be really helpful in older adults dealing with things such as fibromyalgia or even chemotherapy.

Older adults also seem to become depressed more easily than younger adults. Maybe our kids are grown and gone, we are unable to participate in golf or tennis the way we did due to illness or injury, whatever – depression is a huge problem in older adults. Many doctors want to treat depression with anti-anxiety drugs but yoga really leans toward a loftier goal. Yoga wants to quiet a restless mind, put us in touch with our deeper purpose in life, give us an inner source of calm and joy. Does this mean that older adults should not follow their doctor’s instructions and just do yoga? No. But it does mean we can incorporate the two to help a person to become well again, both in body and in spirit. And as we get older, we are less worried about our bodies than we are about our spirit.

If a person is physically able to do the sun salutations, these truly do bring energy into our bodies. Deep inhalations breathe energy into our bodies, and vigorous poses, such as the sun salutations or balance poses actually keep us from thinking about what may be our problems because we are too busy just trying to do the poses. The most important thing for people we work with who we know are suffering from depression is to not worry too much about their alignment (as long as we know they are not hurting themselves) but to just focus on their movement and breath. This keeps their mind focused. While they are focusing on the various movements and breathing, their body is taking in essential energy, stress relief, relaxation to help them combat depression. It works for everyone, no matter what their age but is particularly useful in older adults. Good poses for them are, along with the sun salutations are back bends because sending blood to their brains helps. It is always better to get quickly into the poses with persons who are depressed instead of focusing too much on relaxation or meditation because sometimes they can sink deeper into their depression and dark thoughts. It is also important to remember when you are doing their relaxation or savasana to keep their eyes open because closing their eyes causes them to focus inward and can lead to dark thoughts which are counterproductive to our practice.

We also understand that chanting and other devotional practices associated with yoga can help because they go directly to our emotions, again stimulating the left prefrontal cortex that is associated with calmness, happiness and emotional resiliency. Learning to bypass our bad thoughts and emotions through these practices can help us better deal with the emotional ups and downs of our lives.

Yoga also stresses a mind/body connection that some people think is elusive but yogis believe is essential. A good example of mind/body connection is does our mouth water when we think of apple pie? Does it elicit a good mood – a mood of contentment? On another level, are we so caught up in thinking of our problems that we cannot sleep? Are we so stressed about the difficulties we face as older adults that we develop an ulcer? Our physical bodies can affect our state of mind. We can’t walk as well as we used to so we become depressed. We take a hot bath to relax and relieve stress. Certain backbend poses can elicit a state of happiness in us. We can use different poses in yoga to make ourselves feel a certain way, and we can direct those poses specific to the older adult.

We need to remember to work on proper alignment, being careful to avoid poses that could cause problems with people with osteoporosis such as twists, lateral flexion and spinal flexion. We move gently through our poses incorporating spinal stabilization poses in every class, we feature poses that are comfortable and steady and encourage rest whenever necessary, we are cognizant of problems associated with older adults such as heart or blood pressure problems, and we urge the use of props, including chairs or walls for balance.

I have talked about asanas but I haven’t really covered the benefits of practicing yoga poses. Let’s take Big Toe pose – just a simple folding over of the body and holding your big toes. It, of course, benefits the low back. It also calms our brain to help relieve stress and anxiety, stimulates our liver and kidneys, stretches our hamstrings and calves, strengthens our thighs, improves digestion and helps relieve symptoms of menopause, headaches and insomnia. Next let’s take a look at a high lunge. It focuses on our ankles, calves, thighs, groin, abdomen, chest, shoulders, armpits and neck. It also helps with sciatica, heart problems and blood pressure problems. Warrior I focuses on the same as a high lunge, but also incorporates the lungs. It also strengthens the shoulders, arms and muscles of the back along with strengthening the thighs, calves and ankles. So even though I glossed over the poses a little, it would be exhaustive and take up the whole essay to discuss the benefits of each pose. Every pose strengthens, stretches and relaxes.

The purification we achieve from our twisting asanas help keep our systems working as God intended. As we wring our out visceral organs and the toxins are released into our bloodstreams, we flush them with water. Any twisting asana helps our bodies purify themselves.

Lastly, yoga also teaches us that the more we think something, the more likely we are to do it again. Our habits become deeper with more repetition. So our negative thinking or our self-flagellating inner dialogue may fuel depression. And the more an active older person sits alone or is inactive, the more they fuel their depression. So if we’re going to have a habit in our old age, let it be yoga. Let it be breathing properly, strength through asanas, meditation and purification through yoga. Let it be health in our mature years through yoga.

Karen Scully teaches Power and Hatha Yoga classes in Dallas, Texas.

By Nighean Hardie

Yoga is one of India’s wonderful gifts to mankind and although its origins are ancient, its methods and purposes are still relevant today, relying not on cultural background, faith or deity, but simply of the individual and the benefits each person receives from practising. Yoga has become important in the lives of many contemporary Westerners, sometimes as a way of improving the health and fitness of the body and Hatha yoga, a limb of yoga that emphasises strenuous and persistent effort, encourages awareness of the body. Coming back to the body draws the mind back to the present. Then, the worries drop away and there are no more “shoulds’ or “musts”. One of the reasons yoga is so refreshing is that, even if only for an instant, there is only the reality of the present moment. Each time you come to the present moment, you drop a certain amount of baggage. You may pick it up again thereafter, but the point is that you have practiced letting it go. Eventually you will be able to reduce the stress more often and for longer periods of time. In this respect, yoga is like life training. Its practice is a fabulous tool for transformation.

Yoga is an extremely powerful way of strengthening the body. One of its many valuable qualities is that it builds up a store of physical health through the practice of asanas, keeping the body cleansed and fit; exercise is essential for the speedy removal of toxins and for keeping blood circulation and all internal processes functioning smoothly. Hatha yoga in particular, is ideally suited to modern Westerners. Its structure is such that it starts with the very basics of how we experience existence – the physical body – and works inward. Increasingly, we fail to use our bodies enough or we have lifestyles that abuse them. Most of us suffer from back or joint pain at some stage, and many aspects of modern life – for example, sitting down for long periods of time to drive, watch television or work at a computer – place strains upon the body for which it is ill-prepared. We use medication to mask pain without bothering to establish its underlying cause. The flexibility and sensitivity that we had as children is lost as we gradually shut down our innate awareness of our bodies.

The physical benefits of yoga include increased strength, suppleness and stamina. Unlike many sports and fitness routines, yoga works on all the body’s muscles – this avoids overtraining specific muscle groups, a practice which can lead to injuries. Yoga enhances your balance, posture, agility and grace. It also cleanses and conditions internal systems and enhances bodily processes, such as digestion. Standing poses increase metabolism and also strengthen and tone the muscles, build endurance and warm the body. The exercises not only boost the body’s metabolism but also normalise the hormonal imbalances in the body to ensure good health and a glowing skin. The malfunctioning of the endocrine glands that regulate your metabolism could lead to stress, premature aging and other diseases and whilst this continues to affect many people throughout the world – especially in western countries – a healthy metabolism keeps the body and mind in perfect balance. The twisting and compressing of the yoga postures massage the endocrine and abdominal organs, regulating their function, improving local circulation and cleansing them of old stagnant toxins.

Yoga can help to alleviate or eliminate specific physical symptoms or ailments, such as PMS, headache, back ache, stress, insomnia, asthma and irritable bowl syndrome. Under the guidance of a specialist teacher, yoga can aid the management of or recovery from more serious conditions, such as cancer, HIV, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and other degenerative diseases.

It must always be remembered it does not matter what kind of shape your body is in when you start your practice: just having a body – being alive – is sufficient qualifications for doing yoga.

The ancient yogic philosophy states that there are physical, mental and spiritual sheaths of existence. The body tends to develop certain illnesses and disorders due to the imbalance in these sheaths. Yoga practice is associated with physical, emotional and ultimately, spiritual benefits. You may notice some benefits, such as increased flexibility and calm, early on in your practice, while others may appear more slowly as you cultivate a new awareness of your body and mind.

Having dealt with the physical side of life, yoga turns to the mental. Here different breathing exercises or techniques quieten the mind and brain, offering inner peace and an ability to face upheavals and deal with problems. An emphasis on breathing techniques helps you to breathe better – deeper and more fully – even when you are not practising yoga. This leads to clarity and stillness of mind, which in turn leads to improved concentration. You may also find that yoga helps to reduce anxiety, emotional tension and mood swings. One of the most profound benefits of yoga is stress management. Studies have shown that anxiety and stress levels can be reduced effectively through meditation, which also has a remarkable healing effect on the physical body. Imagine a stressful day at work or at home. The fast-paced environment requires you to be constantly worrying about the next thing. With yoga, you can benefit from relaxed breathing with a reasonable degree of control. Such activity allows your body and muscles to relax and think about peaceful thoughts, diverting your focus on stress. Even flexing activities could help a stressed person by loosening the tight muscles. Often when someone is stressed, the muscles are as well.

Practicing asana provides a way of physically and mentally unwinding to help focus the mind in preparation for meditation. Some people benefit greatly from this kind of preparation, while others may find that a moving meditation suits them best – some styles such as Astanga Vinyasa incorporate meditation into posture practice. The movement of the body provides a tool for concentrating the mind.

Throughout history and in all cultures, people have sought ways to go beyond the limitations of habitual living and discover more about themselves and the nature of reality. Meditation means “to become familiar with” and is a way of exploring the inner self. In our busy lives where the senses tend to be drawn outward, meditation is a good opportunity to turn inward on a journey of discovery. Meditation can be used to help us relax and cope with stress. It slows down the mind and balances the emotions. People use meditation for healing. It can also assist in problem solving by leading us to insights, which may range from the spiritually significant to the mundane. It can take us to higher states of awareness, peace and clarity. Sometimes people experience visions or feelings of bliss, vitality and an increased sensory awareness. Some have a sense of connecting with a higher aspect of themselves or with the divine. Ultimately, mediation is a personal pursuit and once a regular practice has been established many find the benefits are far beyond those they expected.

In terms of “specialist” yoga; prenatal yoga can help lower a mother’s anxiety, increase oxygen, improve circulation and create a bonding experience with the baby prior to birth. Many prenatal yoga classes incorporate chanting into their sessions: sound is powerful and studies have shown that babies learn to recognize and respond to voices in the womb with many pregnancy experts advising talking to your baby daily to increase early bonding for both mother and child. Studies on prenatal yoga have shown it improves birth weight, decreases preterm labour, and decreases IUGR (isolated intrauterine growth retardation) either in isolation or associated with PIH (pregnancy-induced hypertension).

In India itself, the home of yoga, some children begin yoga from the age of five. The benefits of improved health, fitness and concentration are well documented, and now many forward-thinking schools in the West are beginning to teach yoga to children. This practice has been shown to enhance self-confidence, self-reliance, self-discipline, academic performance and the ability to cope with stressful situations, such as exams. By teaching self awareness, self control, and concentration, yoga can also help to manage children who have been diagnosed with ADHD – attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. It has also been used with some success to help children with Downs Syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism.

Finally, yoga is a personal path of discovery for each of us. Its particular and unique relevance to each person will become apparent as you begin your practice. On the physical level, as in life, being off balance doesn’t feel good. Feeling as though you might topple over at any time is neither safe nor comfortable. One of the reasons yoga has grown dramatically in popularity is that it helps people feel harmonious, integrated and complete. As you learn about your centre in a yoga pose, you practice finding your centre in other areas of your life. In fact, dealing with a posture can train you to better deal with life events. The strengthening, purifying and energizing practices of yoga can lead you back to a more complete awareness of your self and can be practiced by everyone in order to stay healthy, calm and disease free.

Nighean Hardie is a Certified Yoga Teacher. She teaches Yoga classes in Barnet, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.

By Brittany Mott

The phone is ringing; coworkers are waiting at her desk with questions and paperwork; her to-do list is a million items long; no matter what she does she feels as though she will never be able to make a dent or any difference at all; she begins feeling as though she is suffocating in the 4×4 cubical; the phone is still ringing. Before she faces just one more thing that could possibly send her over the edge into a panic attack, she closes her eyes and indulges in a long inhalation…1…2…3…4…exhalation…1…2…3…4. A much calmer office worker suddenly feels as though she can take on the world.

What happened in this scenario? What caused this sudden change of attitude and emotion from the brink of a panic attack to the confidence and strength to take on more? The purpose of this paper is to delve into the following topics that will explain a powerful circle: 1) The effect of the mind on the body 2) The effect of the body on the mind and 3) Yoga: a healthy mind and body.

The first perspective we will look at is the effect of the mind on the body. You might say, “This is obvious. The mind makes our muscles move, which makes our bodies do what we want them to do.” But it goes much deeper than that. The mind has so many tools at its command that most people take for granted. How often does a person consider that each breath taken into the lungs carries oxygen to the bloodstream which in turn circulates the precious oxygen to each necessary part of the body including billions of cells and then expels the unwanted carbon dioxide when they exhale? It is time to realize that our minds have the ability to take control of powerful tools, such as breath for example. Our minds have the ability to ease pain in any part of the body by simply thinking about that part of the body. A simple test to prove this is to place a hand on a table and sit very still. Concentrate fully on the thumb and within a few moments, you will begin to feel it throbbing. Imagine the combination of thinking of a pained body part and sending healing breath to it at the same time?

The human mind has the ability to do this. However, this ability can be crippled by the mind itself. Negativity can invade, blocking impulses from being properly transmitted between the central-nervous system and the brain. When this happens, there are a number of consequences as a result. The brain cannot interpret impulses correctly, and this affects the functioning of the brain and body, leaving a person susceptible to disease and emotional distress. On the other hand, positivity can take over and have the opposite effect, enriching life with an increased life span, freedom from depression, greater resistance to the common cold, better psychological and physical well-being, reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and better coping skills during hardships and times of stress.

Study after study has proven the effects of negative and positive thinking on the body. A prime example is a person who is in a good mood, feeling perfectly healthy and someone comes up to them and gives them devastating news. The immediate reaction after shock could be a number of things: nausea, lightheadedness, weakness, pain, etc. An example of the other side of the coin is a person who is feeling sick or down and out and someone comes up and tells them something happy or funny. It will make the person laugh and that person will without a doubt feel some relief. One can easily see the effect of the mind on the body. One of the healthiest first steps that a person can take is using the mind to decide that he or she will think positively, opening the doors to health.

Yoga offers the opportunity to allow a person to step away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, to sit quietly, to move thoughtfully through a series of asanas, allowing the mind to use the tools it has been given to cleanse and revitalize the body. In twisting, one can literally wring tension from the center of the body, massaging the internal organs and promoting their healthy function of digestion and elimination. In balancing, one can regain confidence, develop strength, increase stamina and unite the mind and body working together to hold the body in place. In backbends, one can warm the system, rebelling against the constant forward activity that the body undergoes day in and day out for hours at a time, opening the chest to allow for better breathing. In inversions, one can defy the usual gravitational force, increasing the blood supply to organs that do not usually partake in the supply that lower extremities enjoy most of the time.

The second perspective to discuss is the effect of the body on the mind. It takes only a few moments to look around at those around us and see for ourselves. Those who take care of their bodies are healthier. And those that are healthier are happier. Virgil, a Roman Poet said, “The greatest wealth is health.” It does not matter how much money and how many possessions a person may have, if that person is not healthy, that person is not truly happy because they cannot fully enjoy the greatest material gift given to a human: life. Disease causes physical pain and as a result, causes emotional pain. Thoughts of “Why me?” and “I will never be able to do what I once could” and “never” and “quit” bombard the mind. One can easily see how the physical health can affect the mental health. But what steps can be taken to move toward a healthy body?

The first step to a healthy body is to start feeding it healthful foods, foods that do not hinder the bodily functions, but rather fuel them. Have you ever eaten a bag of chips, pure grease and salt, and felt like a zombie afterward? You don’t want to do anything, think anything, and everything just annoys you? The Sivananda Companion to Yoga states that “We are what we eat….Food is of course necessary for our physical well-being. But as well as this it also has a subtle effect on our minds, since the essence of food forms the mind.” How can the mind function properly when the body is drowned with tamasic (impure) food? The purest foods that can feed the body are the sattvic foods such as cereals, wholegrain breads, fresh fruits and vegetables, pure fruit juices, milk, butter and cheese, legumes, nuts, seeds, honey and herb teas (listed from the Sivananda Companion to Yoga). This is the diet of a yogi.

The second step to a healthy body, leading to a healthier mind, is to work the muscles and joints. Every part of the anatomy is intricately connected and if they are not worked now and then, connections fail, nerves are damaged, etc. Think of a broken leg. After 6 weeks of being trapped and useless inside a cast. Upon the removal of the cast, the muscles in the leg are almost comical in their diminished size. But after a few short days, the muscles are restored after light use. And then after much time, the muscles are as good, if not stronger, than they were before.

The same concept can be applied to yoga practice. Starting out as a somewhat broken structure, with consistent attention, care and practice, the body can be brought to a healthiness incomparable with what it was before. Yoga is the perfect solution for working each and every portion of the body by its innumerable combinations of postures and series. And in final relaxation, the yogi can feel a balance and peace of body as well as the mind. There is no other exercise in this age that allows more opportunity in one hour or even in fifteen minutes of sun salutations to work and lubricate every particle of the body.

The final perspective to look at is Yoga: a healthy mind and body. Yogis can hurt themselves with imbalance. Yogis that are trying to prove something to everyone but themselves prove nothing and hurt themselves. They want to see who can twist the most or bend the furthest. Their minds are in the wrong place. This will result only in a dissatisfied feeling after practice. The other extreme is when the yogis are not paying attention and let their minds wander, resulting in zero mastery of the body and possibly injury from pushing too far without realizing, or not pushing their edges enough.

There are many different types of yoga. Some of the types focus primarily on the mind, such as Raja, in which meditation is the bulk or all of the practice. Some types focus primarily on the body, such at Hatha, in which the bulk of the practice is in holding postures in order to build strength. No matter what type of yoga a person may choose, it is important that there be a balance between mental and physical work and mastery. Is that not what yoga is all about? The word yoga means “unity”. All of the yogas intertwine in one way or another. For instance, Hatha yoga requires the mastery of the body. But how do we master the body, but by our minds willing us to hold a posture? And how would Raja yoga be possible if the body were not trained to remain still, which is a work of the body itself, just a different fashion?

Returning to the scenario of the office worker, we now see what happened when the deep breath was taken. It was a connection of the mind and body. The mind telling the body, “You need to calm down.” And the body responding with a deep inhalation of oxygen, shooting energy straight to the brain, empowering the worker to take on more. The more a person practices yoga, the more natural it will become to take the yoga “off the the mat” and into the world to face challenges. If practiced correctly, yoga will naturally increase the yogi’s desire to treat the body more healthfully by feeding it with wholesome foods and moving it with purpose.

In conclusion, Healthy Mind=Healthy Body. Healthy Body=Healthy Mind. One cannot be without the other, so both must have care and attention. The perfect solution to giving special care and attention to both is Yoga: Healthy Mind and Body.

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (World Health Organization, 1948).

A nursery rhyme said it well:

The best six doctors anywhere

And no one can deny it

Are sunshine, water, rest, and air

Exercise and diet.

These six will gladly you attend

If only you are willing

Your mind they’ll ease

Your will they’ll mend

And charge you not a shilling.

Wayne Fields, What the River Knows, 1990

Brittany Mott is a certified Yoga teacher. She teaches Yoga classes in the Clinton Township, Michigan area.

The Health Benefits of Vinyasa Yoga

By Dawn Gordon

Balance is defined as a harmonious relationship of parts within a whole or a state of equilibrium. (1) The practice of Vinyasa Yoga, a branch of Hatha Yoga, brings the whole person into balance through the yoking of body and mind with the breath. Vinyasa Yoga has been defined as a flowing sequence of specific asanas coordinated with the movement of the breath.(2) Through the practice of Yoga equanimity is achieved and the whole person’s health is heightened.

Vinyasa Yoga’s postures bring the body into symmetry by showing us the proper alignment of our skeletal system. The performance of Tadasana or Mountain Pose, the foundation of standing poses, teaches our body to find balance from our base, the feet, to the top of our head. Study of this asana shows us the essential relationship of a balanced pelvis with a well aligned spine, as the lower portion of the spine, the sacrum, is joined to the pelvis by strong ligaments and actually forms the bowl of the pelvis. When our spine is in balance, following its natural curves, intrinsic equilibrium is experienced. This translates into added energy, as energy is not wasted by the muscles working to keep us upright. Back pain is diminished and the vertebra and discs’ health are maintained. Think of the health benefits of a balanced spine for a person sitting at a computer. From our pelvis, the stable base is established, aligning the bones down to and including the feet. This same connectedness of alignment can be taken into our everyday activities making our movements safer, taking the strain or torque off of our joints increasing the time of pain free movement and mobility. Running in balance with out compensating for misalignment of the spine, pelvis, hips, knees, ankles and feet, keeps muscles healthy, loose, strong, and working more efficiently as the body’s natural shock absorbers.

When misalignment of bones exists and movements are repeated the work of muscles is not evenly distributed. As a result, the imbalanced muscles stress the relationship of the bones distorting the skeletal structure. Vinyasa Yoga brings the body back to balance by equalizing the tone among muscles groups around a joint. To equalize the muscle tone both strength and flexibility is required as one muscle may need strength for the other to stretch. The increased flexibility of muscles and connective tissues such as fascia and ligaments keep our structure stable while the increase of strength protect us from arthritis and back pain. The joints surrounded by these strong flexible muscles gain an increased range of motion producing optimal movement and improving the vitality of the joint’s cartilage. The cyclist who’s knee flares out due to weakness or chronic tightness runs the risk of wearing down the ligaments, cartilage and tendons, developing non symmetrical muscle groups.

Postures of Vinyasa Yoga are typically categorized as standing, forward bends, back bends, twists, inversions, balancing and relaxation postures. Each category of postures equalizes muscle groups, align bones, and enhance health in many ways. A well balanced Yoga class includes asanas from each category along with pranayama creating a happy healthy harmonious body. As discussed previously, the standing posture Tadasana increases awareness of alignment, avoiding the problems associated with poor posture. Standing poses (Trikonasana/Triangle Virabhadrasana I, II/Warrior 1, 2, and Utthita Parsvakonasana/Extended Side Angle) also invigorate and warm the body; reduce stiffness. Standing poses also develop stamina, discipline, coordination, open the hips and increase strength.

Tight hamstrings, common in athletes and the western population in general flatten the lumbar spine causing lower back pain among other ailments. Forward bends (Uttanasana/Forward Bend, Prasarita Padottanasa/Standing Stradle and Parsvottanasana/Standing Head to Knee) stretch the hamstrings along with hips, back and shoulders. They also lengthen the spine freeing up nerve pathways, and firm the anterior side of the body. They message abdominal organs, increase circulation, tone of the liver, spleen and kidneys, calm the nervous system and are energetically cooling.

Back bends stretch and tone the front of the body, pelvis, abdomen, thighs shoulders and chest. These muscled areas are tightened and weakened by inactivity and constant forward motion caused by sitting in front of a computer, riding a bike and manual labor. Chest and spine opening via extensions (Bhujangasana/Cobra, Dhanurasana/Bow, Ustrasana/Camel and Anjaneyansana/Cresent) also strengthen the arms, legs, buttocks, back and core; release shoulder tension freeing the rib cage encourage even deep breathing; rejuvenate and increase suppleness of the spine, pelvis and sacroiliac joint. They compress the thymus gland stimulating better immune function; activate the solar plexus affecting metabolism and body heat; and most importantly, bring awareness to the importance of leading with our heart.

Twisting postures benefit our health in numerous ways and are essential to returning the full range of motion to a restricted spine. Ardha Matsyendrasana/Half Spinal Twist, Bharadvajansana/Hip Spiral, and Jathara, Parivartanasana/Recline Hip Rolls (a few of the twists), break up deep tension along the spine encouraging natural adjustments of the vertebrae, and muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia are lengthened. These postures rebalance deep spinal muscles and control or correct minor scoliosis. Internal organs are compressed by twists, stimulating circulation, balancing the hormonal system, and stabilizing energy levels by bringing blood flow to the adrenal area. Intercostal muscles are stretched increasing breathing capacity. Done correctly, twists can psychologically center you to your core.

Inversions reverse the flow of the blood from its typical path. The fresh blood brought to the brain, recharges and clears the mind. Overall circulation is improved by inverting, as is digestion and elimination. The immune and endocrine systems are stimulated by Sirasana/headstands, while the arms, shoulders and upper body are strengthened. These transformative postures can cause a change in psychological perspective. The down side of going up side down is fear. Performing the less intense inversions like Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Dog, Sarangasana/Shoulder Stand and Shashasana/rabbit allow the realization of these benefits without fear.

Balancing poses, sometimes unnerving, place ourselves in physical equilibrium with the gravitational field and are important part of a Vinyasa class. They help us focus our minds, encourage us to be centered and grounded; strengthen the muscles of the abdomen and legs (both large and small) and teach us humility, patience, and persistence. Practice of balance postures by the elderly can prevent falls, while athletes can increase body awareness and focus. For the rest of us, postures like Vrksasana/Tree make us feel less wobbly on and off the mat.

Relaxation postures and the relaxation felt by connecting movement with the breath in a Vinyasa class are the very reason why many have gravitated to the practice of yoga. Stress, tension and over stimulation created by daily activities are balanced, potentially reducing high blood pressure which affects one of three Americans. Production of cortisol in response to crisis diminishes, slowing down diseases like depression, osteoporosis, and diabetes. Yoga allows us time away for the crisis of life by stimulating the parasympathetic and turning off the sympathetic (fight or flight response) nervous systems. Equilibrium of these nervous systems helps eliminate digestive problems and mental illness. Savasana/Corpse/Relaxation pose lets us notice where we hold tension and experience the feeling of release. Relaxation also prepares the body for pranayama.

Various breathing techniques or pranayama bring equanimity and numerous health benefits. “Breathe is life.“ (3) Inhales lengthen, extend and increase effort, while exhales move, deepen and encourage surrender in postures. (Achieving the equilibrium between effort and surrender is key to the practice of yoga.) The breath is the direct link of the body and mind, controlling every aspect of our life, bringing mental clarity, calmness and peace. It is the vehicle for release of tension and brings awareness to the postures. Inhalations feed oxygen to cells of the body delivering vitality, while exhalations rid the lungs of toxins and prepare them for blood enriching oxygen. Breathing out promotes regeneration of cells and vital organs. The Complete Breath taught in yoga improves various measures of lung function including the maximum volume of breath and efficiency of the exhalation. Vinyasa yoga sequences use ujjayi breathing, also called Ocean breath. The sound of the breath entering in the nose and through a restricted throat, soothes the mind, draws awareness inward and produces an even steady flow of breath. Victorious breath (ujjayi) is also known to increase vitality, improve thoracic mobility and digestion, remove phlegm from the throat and tone the nervous system.

Vinyasa Yoga is truly a lesson in balance. It teaches us the vital importance of the symmetry of our skeletal structure and the evenness of the stretch and strength of muscles. By harmonizing standing, forward bends, backbends, twists, inversions, balance, relaxation postures with pranyama; our whole being both physical and psychological attains good health. Attending a Vinyasa yoga class balances our rambling mind so we can clearly see the peace that resides within. Samadhi, the eighth and last limb of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra and ultimate goal of the practice of yoga, literally means to bring into harmony, to stand within our true self. (4) *

Bibliography

Direct quotes:

1. Wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

2. “Consciousness in Motion” by Shiva Rea; Yoga Journal

3. The Complete Yoga Book, by James Hewitt, page 54

4. “Definition of Ashtanga” by Richard Rosen; Yoga Journal 9/26/09

Sources:

1. The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga, by Srivatsa Ramaswami

2. The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga by Swami Vishnu-devananda

3. The Complete Yoga Book by James Hewitt

4. The Key Poses of Hatha Yoga, by Ray Long MD FRCSC

5. Yoga Anatomy, by Leslie Kaminoff

6. Shambhava School of Yoga-Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Manual

7. Maintaining Physical Balance with Exercise & Breath by Hamid Bey;

Inner Connection Newsletter June 15, 1999

8. Yoga Has Never Been More Popular, by Shuchi J Gokhale;

Yoga Teacher Training Blog AURA Studio 8/17/2009

9. Count on Yoga: 38 Ways Yoga Keeps You Fit by timothy McCall, MD;

Yoga Journal 5/26/09

10. Yoga for Runners by Baron Baptiste and Kathleen Finn Mendola,;

Yoga Journal 7/24/09

11. Yoga for Cyclists by Baron Baptiste and Kathleen Finn Mendola;

Yoga Journal 6/3/09

Dawn Gordon is a Certified Yoga Teacher. She teaches in the Snowmass Village, Colorado area.