Heal Your Body and Mind With Yoga

Yoga has gained widespread popularity. International Yoga Day has been observed worldwide on June 21st, acknowledging yoga as an ancient discipline that fosters mindfulness, boosts blood circulation, and strengthens the immune system. Yoga's regulated rhythmic breathing strengthens the core diaphragmatic muscles, improves the cognitive functions, increasing the pain threshold, improves mood related problems am overall well proven that yoga can provide a healthy and fruitful life in all aspects.

Physical and mental therapy are one of yoga's most important achievements. What makes it so powerful and effective is the fact that it works on the holistic principles of harmony and unification. Yoga has succeeded as an alternative form of therapy in conditions like obesity, asthma, Diabetes, blood pressure, arthritis, digestive disorders, and other ailments of a chronic and constitutional nature, where modern science has not. Yoga therapy has been successful because of the balance created in the nervous and endocrine system which directly influences all the other systems and organs of the body (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life

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How To Heal The Body and Mind Through Yoga

According to Yoga literature, which has been well validated by science too, all lifestyle diseases are primarily rooted in the mind which in turn affects one's energy and manifests in the body as symptoms of illness. Therefore, the healing process also needs to start from the mind itself and here yoga comes with a perfect solution for your heath issues as it works not only on your mind but also on your energy and physical planes.

Yogic Breathing

Yogic breathing is a technique wherein we use our abdomen, chest and shoulders systematically. Expand your abdomen, chest and shoulder systematically while you inhale and relax your shoulders, chest and the abdomen while you exhale. This helps to make your breath slow, deep, calm and controlled while rhythmic.

Surya Namaskar

This is a combination of 12 steps with alternative forward and backward stretching. When practiced slowly with awareness, it helps to maintain balance in the hormonal and nervous system and brings harmony in the body.

Yogic Asanas

Yoga 'Asanas' are postures which involve stretching and maintaining it for a while. It helps to give movement to the muscles in our body; thereby aiding in providing nutrition even to the minor set of muscles in the body. It is always better including a variety of asanas, rather than practicing the same set of asanas daily. Asanas were never intended to be practiced rapidly or to be in conflict with the body. As traditional texts explain Yoga Asanas are about being in a state of stability and comfort.

Pranayama

'Pranayama' is the systemic breathing methodology in Yoga to change the arrhythmic inhalations and exhalations into rhythmic, slow and steady. It helps to purify energy channels and to bring harmony to the physiological functions in the body. 'Pranas' are the Yogic concepts for the vital energy in the body and its rhythmic and harmonious flow is very crucial in keeping our body healthy and disease free.

Yoga Nidra

There are scientific evidence shows that Yoga nidras and other meditation techniques have an impact in your health by neutralizing our emotional behaviours and stress. Regular practice of Yogic meditative techniques helps to calm down your mind and helps to make intellectual choices in deciding your lifestyle.

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How to Understand Illnesses in a Yogic Way

Diseases of mankind originate from within the layers of the Mind and affects / disturbs the Energy Layer to manifest in the Physical layer as a disease or symptoms of one. In the Mind the imbalance starts as Likes & Dislikes which leads to emotional reactions. Emotions in turn lead to wrong actions which end up as wrong outcomes, that create Mental stress. This Mental stress is named as 'Adhis' (the primary disease but no symptom seen at the physical level).

This causes an agitated body and mind. When the body and mind is agitated, it affects all the normal physiological functions of the body, especially the digestive system which leads to faulty digestion, non-digestion & over digestion of food eaten. This impairment in the digestive system causes the settling of improperly digested food (toxins) in the body which finally manifest as Vyadhi or Psychosomatic ailments.

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Integrated Yoga Therapy

In the treatment of psychosomatic ailments, it is mandatory to work on the body and mind to bring about a complete cure. In integrated Yoga therapy, various Yoga modalities are used to treat the psychosomatic diseases.

For the Physical Body

Kriyas (Neti, Dhouthi, Nouli) ,sithilikarana vyayama, cultural and relaxative asanas.

For the Mind

Breathing exercises, Pranayama, Kriyas, Bendhas and Mudras, Dharana, Dhanya, Yoganidra.

General Instructions to Practice Therapeutic Yoga

Always Practice Under the Guidance of a Qualified Trainer

Don't copy practices prescribed for others. Even though the disease condition might be same, therpeautic Yoga prescriptions are prescribed taking into account various factors like age, gender, general health, and co-morbidities.

If you feel any kind of unusual pain or discomfort during practice, stop the practice immediately and bring it to the notice of the doctor.

Always Know Your Limits

Be aware of your limits and breath during the practice. Loosening practices can be done dynamically but ensure to relax completely before the next practice.

Other Instruction to Practice Yoga:

• Avoid yoga if you are suffering from a fever, after surgeries, in case spinal cord issues and hernia.
• Practice on an empty stomach or alternately 3 hours after your last meal.
• Wear loose and comfortable attire.
• Use a comfortable yoga mat, which has a good grip.
• Do your practice in a place which has good air circulation.
• Don't take bath immediately after your Yoga practice. Keep a minimum gap of 30 mintues.
• If you feel any kind of unusual pain or discomfort during practice, stop the practice immediately and contact your trainer.
• Always take adequate relaxation between each practice.
• By default always breathe through your nose, unless instructed otherwise.
• Don't practice general yoga during your menstrual cycle and pregnancy.
• End the practice by relaxing in the Shavasana pose for 5 to 10 mins and let your breath , body temperature, muscles and heart beat return to normal.

Reference:

1. Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3193654/)

Source-IANS