International Yoga Day: Different ways to heal your mind and body

International Yoga Day is celebrated on June 21 throughout the world. Yoga has been recognised as an ancient practice that helps to improve the state of relaxation, improves the blood flow, enhances immunity, and aids with mindfulness. Regulated rhythmic breathing strengthens the core diaphragmatic muscles, increasing the pain threshold, improves cognitive functions and mood-related problems.

What makes yoga so powerful and effective is the fact that it works on the holistic principles of harmony and unification. Yoga has succeeded as an alternative therapy in conditions like obesity, asthma, diabetes, blood pressure, arthritis, digestive disorders, and other ailments of a chronic and constitutional nature. 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.

Healing body, mind and soul

Lifestyle diseases are primarily rooted in the mind that affects one’s energy and manifests in the body as symptoms of illness. Therefore, the healing process needs to start from the mind. Here, yoga comes with a perfect solution as it works not only on your mind but also on energy and physical planes.

Yogic breathing: It is a technique where 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.

Yogic asanas: Yoga asanas are postures that involve stretching and maintaining it for a while. It gives movement to muscles in our body thereby providing nutrition even to the minor set of muscles. It is always better to include a variety of asanas, rather than practicing the same set 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.

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

Pranayama: It is the systemic breathing methodology in yoga to change the arrhythmic inhalations and exhalations into rhythmic, slow, and steady. Pranayama purifies energy channels and brings harmony to the physiological functions in the body. ‘Pranas’ are yogic concepts for the vital energy in the body and its rhythmic and harmonious flow is crucial in keeping our body healthy and disease free.

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

Understanding illness in a yogic way

Diseases of mankind originate from within the layers of the mind and affects the energy layer to manifest in the physical layer as a disease or symptoms of one. In the mind, the imbalance starts as likes and dislikes which leads to emotional reactions. Emotions in turn lead to wrong actions which end up as wrong outcomes, that create mental stress. Mental stress is called ‘adhis’ (the primary disease but no symptom seen at the physical level). This agitates the body and mind. When the body and mind is agitated, it affects the entire physiological functions of the body, especially the digestive tract. This impairment in the digestive system causes the settling of improperly digested food (toxins) in the body which finally manifest as vyadhi-psychosomatic ailments.

Integrated yoga therapy

In the treatment of psychosomatic ailments it is mandatory to work on the body and mind. In integrated yoga therapy, various modalities are used to treat the psychosomatic diseases.

For physical body: Kriyas (Neti, Dhouthi, Nouli), sithilikarana vyayama, cultural and relaxative asanas

For the mind:Breathing exercises, pranayama, kriyas, Bendhas and Mudras, Dharana, Dhanya, Yoga nidra

Points to remember while practising 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, therapeutic 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.

• Don’t fight with your body – always know your limits.

• Keep your awareness in the body and breath during the practice.

• Loosening practices can be done dynamically but ensure to relax completely before the next practice.

• Avoid yoga if you are suffering from a fever, after surgeries, in case spinal cord issues and hernia - seek expert guidance.

• 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 mints

• 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 hearthbeat return to normal.

(Dr Cijith Sreedhar of CGH Wellness Naturopathy Centre)