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A prescription of asanas to help balance the subtle energies of the chakra system. By Barbara Kaplan Herring
Seventh Heaven There are seven chakras, or energy centers, in the body that become blocked by longheld tension and low self-esteem. But practicing poses that correspond to each chakra can release these blocks and clear the path to higher consciousness. The chakra system provides a theoretical base for fine-tuning our yoga practice to suit our uni ue personality and circumstances. Traditionally, !ndians saw the body as containing seven main chakras, arranged vertically from the base of the spine to the top of the head. "hakra is the #anskrit word for wheel, and these $wheels$ were thought of as spinning vorte%es of energy. &ach chakra is associated with particular functions within the body and with specific life issues and the way we handle them, both inside ourselves and in our interactions with the world. As centers of force, chakras can be thought of as sites where we receive, absorb, and distribute life energies. Through e%ternal situations and internal habits, such as long-held physical tension
and limiting self-concepts, a chakra can become either deficient or e%cessive'and therefore imbalanced. These imbalances may develop temporarily with situational challenges, or they may be chronic. A chronic imbalance can come from childhood e%periences, past pain or stress, and internali(ed cultural values. )or instance, a child whose family moves every year to a different state may not learn what it*s like to feel rooted in a location, and she can grow up with a deficient first chakra. A deficient chakra neither receives appropriate energy nor easily manifests that chakra*s energy in the world. There*s a sense of being physically and emotionally closed down in the area of a deficient chakra. Think of the slumped shoulders of someone who is depressed and lonely, their heart chakra receding into their chest. The deficient chakra needs to open. +hen a chakra is e%cessive, it is too overloaded to operate in a healthy way and becomes a dominating force in a person*s life. #omeone with an e%cessive fifth ,throat- chakra, for e%ample, might talk too much and be unable to listen well. !f the chakra were deficient, she might e%perience restraint and difficulty when communicating.
suggest yoga poses and other practices ! was fairly sure would support her in facing each of her challenges. Anne*s symptoms sounded to me like a first chakra deficiency. That was hardly surprising, as the recent changes in her life presented her with classic first chakra challenges. "entered at the perineum and the base of the spine and called Muladhara Chakra ,1oot "hakra-, this energy vorte% is involved in tending to our survival needs, establishing a healthy sense of groundedness, taking good basic care of the body, and purging the body of wastes. The associated body parts include the base of the spine, the legs, feet, and the large intestine. "ircumstances that pull up our roots and cause a first chakra deficiency ,like Anne*s- include traveling, relocation, feeling fearful, and big changes in our body, family, finances, and business. #ome people, often those with busy minds and active imaginations, don*t need special challenges to become deficient in this chakra2 they feel ungrounded most of the time, living more in the head than in the body. +e e%perience deficiencies in this chakra as $survival crises.$ However mild or severe' whether you*ve been evicted, gone bankrupt, or 0ust have the flu-these crises usually demand a lot of immediate attention. 3n the other hand, signs of e%cessiveness in the first chakra include greed, hoarding of possessions or money, or attempting to ground yourself by gaining a lot of e%cess weight. There are many yoga poses that correct first chakra imbalances, bringing us back to our body and the earth and helping us e%perience safety, security, and stillness. .uladhara "hakra is associated with the element earth, representing physical and emotional grounding, and with the color red, which has a slower vibration than the colors that symboli(e the other chakras. To help her ground, Anne and ! began by focusing on her feet, for all poses that stretch and strengthen the legs and feet help the first chakra. #he rolled a tennis ball underneath one foot and then the other, pressing into it to help awaken the soles ,a mini acupressure treatment- and open the $doors$ of the feet. To stimulate the toes and encourage them to spread for standing poses, she sat cross-legged and laced her fingers in between her toes, reaching from the sole to the top of the foot. Then she knelt, curled her toes under, and sat on them for a minute. )ollowing these warm-ups, we did an hour of calf openers, hamstring stretches, and standing poses to help her open and strengthen her lower body and root her attention downward. +hen our hamstrings are tight, the contraction creates a sense that we*re constantly prepared to run away. As Anne slowly stretched the backs of her legs in 4ttanasana ,#tanding )orward Bend- and 5anu #irsasana ,Head-to-Knee 6ose-, she received some of the gifts of the first chakra7 calmness, patience, and a willingness to slow down and stay in one place. As she strengthened her uadriceps and opened her hamstrings, she renewed her confidence and commitment to the ne%t steps on her life*s 0ourney. Her fears eased as she allowed herself to trust the earth and her body. Anne and ! ended our session with peaceful restorative poses, like #upta Baddha Konasana ,1eclining Bound Angle 6ose-, #alamba #avasana ,#upported "orpse 6ose-, and #alamba Balasana ,#upported "hild*s 6ose-, all of which settle an overactive mind and encourage us to surrender to gravity. By the end of our session, she no longer felt so worried. At home in her body, she was more prepared for the challenges she faced.
personality. An e%cessively charged second chakra may reveal itself through overly emotional behavior, se%ual addiction, or poor boundaries. &%cessiveness may also result from a family environment where there*s a constant need for pleasurable stimulation ,entertainment, partyingor fre uent emotional drama. #econd chakra asanas help us with adaptability and receptivity. The leg position in /omukhasana ,"ow )ace 6ose-, forward bending with the legs in the first stage of &ka 6ada 1a0akapotasana ,6igeon 6ose-, Baddha Konasana ,Bound Angle 6ose-, 4pavistha Konasana ,3pen Angle 6ose-, and other hip and groin openers all provide freedome of movement in the pelvis. These hip and groin openers should never be forced, for they re uire the subtle feminine tough of sensitivity and surrender.
#ince the heart chakra is the bridge between the lower, more physical energy centers and the upper, more metaphysical ones, as we ascend through the chakras, the fifth is the first primarily focused on the spiritual plane. The throat chakra, Visuddha, is associated with the color tur uoise blue and with the elements sound and ether, the field of subtle vibrations ancient !ndians believed pervaded the universe. :ocated in the neck, throat, 0aw, and mouth, the >isuddha chakra resonates with our inner truth and helps us find a personal way to convey our voice to the outside world. The rhythm of music, creativity of dance, the vibration of singing, and the communication we make through writing and speaking are all fifth chakra ways to e%press ourselves. >isuddha means $pure$ or $purification.$ 6urification of the body through attention to diet, yoga, meditation, and e%ercise opens us to e%perience the subtler aspects of the upper chakras. #ome yogis notice that drinking more water and letting go of products such as tobacco and dairy helps to loosen up the neck and shoulders and clear the voice. !n addition, sound itself is purifying. !f you think of the way you feel after chanting !ndian kirtans, reading poetry aloud, or simply singing along with your favorite music, you*ll recogni(e how the vibrations and rhythms positively affect your body, right down to the cellular level. ;eficient energy in this chakra leads to neck stiffness, shoulder tension, teeth grinding, 0aw disorders, throat ailments, an underactive thyroid, and a fear of speaking. &%cessive talking, an inability to listen, hearing difficulties, stuttering, and an overactive thyroid are all related to e%cessiveness in this chakra. ;epending on the ailments, different neck stretches and shoulder openers, including 4strasana ,"amel 6ose-, #etu Bandha #arvangasana ,Bridge 6ose-, #arvangasana ,#houlderstand-, and Halasana ,6low 6ose-, can aid the fifth chakra.
As a yoga teacher, ! occasionally like to work with this chakra by having my students wear blindfolds during an entire class. Temporarily deprived of sight, which provides such a huge percentage of our sensory input, students have a very fresh e%perience of yoga. They can*t be distracted by the room, by other students, or by looking critically at their own bodies. !nstead, they e%perience pratyahara, the drawing inward of the senses. After these classes, students have shared with me profound insights about their bodies and lives that came up because their vision was directed more deeply inside themselves. Another yogic approach to supporting the health of the A0na "hakra is to do supported forward bends, adding an e%tra bolster or blanket to press upon and stimulate the third eye area. Also, creating positive images and visuali(ations is a practice that helps create a healthy si%th chakra. #uch affirmative visions act as natural magnets, drawing the imagined situation into your life.
The ancient Hindus associated the chakras with the sleeping serpent goddess, Kundalini. #he coils around the base of the first chakra and, when awakened, spirals up the energy channels ,nadis- and pierces each chakra, bringing successively higher states of awareness that culminate in enlightenment at the crown chakra. )ocused on transcendence, many people seeking higher consciousness have disregarded the importance of the lower chakras. =et we all need strong and solid support of our base chakras in order to open to the spiritual in a healthy and integrated way. The lower chakras focus on details such as our home, familiy, and feelings, while the upper chakras develop synthesi(ing views and wisdom that help us understand the grander order of things. All of our chakras affect one another and ultimately work together. As we learn to use this ancient !ndian system to understand our lives, we can gain insight into personal issues that re uire our attention'and we can use the techni ues of hatha yoga to bring our chakras and lives back into harmony.
!f you*re a passionate yoga practitioner, you*ve probably noticed the ways yoga works'maybe you*re sleeping better or getting fewer colds or 0ust feeling more rela%ed and at ease. But if you*ve ever tried telling a newbie how it works, you might find that e%planations like $!t increases the flow of prana$ or $!t brings energy up your spine$ fall on deaf or skeptical ears. As it happens, +estern science is starting to provide some concrete clues as to how yoga works to improve health, heal aches and pains, and keep sickness at bay. 3nce you understand them, you*ll have even more motivation to step onto your mat, and you probably won*t feel so tongue-tied the ne%t time someone wants +estern proof. ! myself have e%perienced yoga*s healing power in a very real way. +eeks before a trip to !ndia in 8998 to investigate yoga therapy, ! developed numbness and tingling in my right hand. After first considering scary things like a brain tumor and multiple sclerosis, ! figured out that the cause of the symptoms was thoracic outlet syndrome, a nerve blockage in my neck and chest. ;espite the uncomfortable symptoms, ! reali(ed how useful my condition could be during my trip. +hile visiting various yoga therapy centers, ! would submit myself for evaluation and treatment by the various e%perts !*d arranged to observe. ! could try their suggestions and see what worked for me. +hile this wasn*t e%actly a controlled scientific e%periment, ! knew that such hands-on learning could teach me things ! might not otherwise understand.
.y e%periment proved illuminating. At the >ivekananda ashram 0ust outside of Bangalore, #. <agarathna, ..;., recommended breathing e%ercises in which ! imagined bringing prana ,vital energy- into my right upper chest. 3ther therapy included asana, p6ranayama, meditation, chanting, lectures on philosophy, and various kriya ,internal cleansing practices-. At the Krishnamacharya =oga .andiram in "hennai and from A./. .ohan and his wife, !ndra, who practice 0ust outside of "hennai, ! was told to stop practicing Headstand and #houlderstand in favor of gentle asana coordinated with the breath. !n 6une, #.>. Karandikar, a medical doctor, recommended practices with ropes and belts to put traction on my spine and e%ercises that taught me to use my shoulder blades to open my upper back. Thanks to the techni ues ! learned in !ndia, advice from teachers in the 4nited #tates, and my own e%ploration, my chest is more fle%ible than it was, my posture has improved, and for more than a year, !*ve been free of symptoms. .y e%perience inspired me to pore over the scientific studies !*d collected in !ndia as well as the +est to identify and e%plain how yoga can both prevent disease and help you recover from it. Here is what ! found.
Flex Time
1 !mproved fle%ibility is one of the first and most obvious benefits of yoga. ;uring your first class, you probably won*t be able to touch your toes, never mind do a backbend. But if you stick with it, you*ll notice a gradual loosening, and eventually, seemingly impossible poses will become possible. =ou*ll also probably notice that aches and pains start to disappear. That*s no coincidence. Tight hips can strain the knee 0oint due to improper alignment of the thigh and shinbones. Tight hamstrings can lead to a flattening of the lumbar spine, which can cause back pain. And infle%ibility in muscles and connective tissue, such as fascia and ligaments, can cause poor posture.
Strength Test
2 #trong muscles do more than look good. They also protect us from conditions like arthritis and back pain, and help prevent falls in elderly people. And when you build strength through yoga, you balance it with fle%ibility. !f you 0ust went to the gym and lifted weights, you might build strength at the e%pense of fle%ibility.
Standing Orders
3 =our head is like a bowling ball'big, round, and heavy. +hen it*s balanced directly over an erect spine, it takes much less work for your neck and back muscles to support it. .ove it several inches forward, however, and you start to strain those muscles. Hold up that forwardleaning bowling ball for eight or @8 hours a day and it*s no wonder you*re tired. And fatigue might not be your only problem. 6oor posture can cause back, neck, and other muscle and 0oint problems. As you slump, your body may compensate by flattening the normal inward curves in your neck and lower back. This can cause pain and degenerative arthritis of the spine.
Joint Account
4 &ach time you practice yoga, you take your 0oints through their full range of motion. This can help prevent degenerative arthritis or mitigate disability by $s uee(ing and soaking$ areas of cartilage that normally aren*t used. 5oint cartilage is like a sponge2 it receives fresh nutrients
only when its fluid is s uee(ed out and a new supply can be soaked up. +ithout proper sustenance, neglected areas of cartilage can eventually wear out, e%posing the underlying bone like worn-out brake pads.
Spinal Rap
5 #pinal disks'the shock absorbers between the vertebrae that can herniate and compress nerves'crave movement. That*s the only way they get their nutrients. !f you*ve got a wellbalanced asana practice with plenty of backbends, forward bends, and twists, you*ll help keep your disks supple.
Bone Zone
6!t*s well documented that weight-bearing e%ercise strengthens bones and helps ward off osteoporosis. .any postures in yoga re uire that you lift your own weight. And some, like ;ownward- and 4pward-)acing ;og, help strengthen the arm bones, which are particularly vulnerable to osteoporotic fractures. !n an unpublished study conducted at "alifornia #tate 4niversity, :os Angeles, yoga practice increased bone density in the vertebrae. =oga*s ability to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol ,see <umber @@- may help keep calcium in the bones.
Flow Chart
7 =oga gets your blood flowing. .ore specifically, the rela%ation e%ercises you learn in yoga can help your circulation, especially in your hands and feet. =oga also gets more o%ygen to your cells, which function better as a result. Twisting poses are thought to wring out venous blood from internal organs and allow o%ygenated blood to flow in once the twist is released. !nverted poses, such as Headstand, Handstand, and #houlderstand, encourage venous blood from the legs and pelvis to flow back to the heart, where it can be pumped to the lungs to be freshly o%ygenated. This can help if you have swelling in your legs from heart or kidney problems. =oga also boosts levels of hemoglobin and red blood cells, which carry o%ygen to the tissues. And it thins the blood by making platelets less sticky and by cutting the level of clot-promoting proteins in the blood. This can lead to a decrease in heart attacks and strokes since blood clots are often the cause of these killers.
Lymph Lesson
8 +hen you contract and stretch muscles, move organs around, and come in and out of yoga postures, you increase the drainage of lymph ,a viscous fluid rich in immune cells-. This helps the lymphatic system fight infection, destroy cancerous cells, and dispose of the to%ic waste products of cellular functioning.
Heart Start
9 +hen you regularly get your heart rate into the aerobic range, you lower your risk of heart attack and can relieve depression. +hile not all yoga is aerobic, if you do it vigorously or take flow or Ashtanga classes, it can boost your heart rate into the aerobic range. But even yoga e%ercises that don*t get your heart rate up that high can improve cardiovascular conditioning. #tudies have found that yoga practice lowers the resting heart rate, increases endurance, and can improve your ma%imum uptake of o%ygen during e%ercise'all reflections of improved aerobic conditioning. 3ne study found that sub0ects who were taught only pranayama could do more e%ercise with less o%ygen.
Pressure Drop
10 !f you*ve got high blood pressure, you might benefit from yoga. Two studies of people with hypertension, published in the British medical 0ournal The Lancet, compared the effects of #avasana ,"orpse 6ose- with simply lying on a couch. After three months, #avasana was associated with a 8B-point drop in systolic blood pressure ,the top number- and a @C-point drop in diastolic blood pressure ,the bottom number'and the higher the initial blood pressure, the bigger the drop.
Worry Thwarts
11 =oga lowers cortisol levels. !f that doesn*t sound like much, consider this. <ormally, the adrenal glands secrete cortisol in response to an acute crisis, which temporarily boosts immune function. !f your cortisol levels stay high even after the crisis, they can compromise the immune system. Temporary boosts of cortisol help with long-term memory, but chronically high levels undermine memory and may lead to permanent changes in the brain. Additionally, e%cessive cortisol has been linked with ma0or depression, osteoporosis ,it e%tracts calcium and other minerals from bones and interferes with the laying down of new bone-, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance. !n rats, high cortisol levels lead to what researchers call $foodseeking behavior$ ,the kind that drives you to eat when you*re upset, angry, or stressed-. The body takes those e%tra calories and distributes them as fat in the abdomen, contributing to weight gain and the risk of diabetes and heart attack.
Happy Hour
12 )eeling sad? #it in :otus. Better yet, rise up into a backbend or soar royally into King ;ancer 6ose. +hile it*s not as simple as that, one study found that a consistent yoga practice improved depression and led to a significant increase in serotonin levels and a decrease in the levels of monoamine o%idase ,an en(yme that breaks down neurotransmitters- and cortisol. At the 4niversity of +isconsin, 1ichard ;avidson, 6h.;., found that the left prefrontal corte% showed heightened activity in meditators, a finding that has been correlated with greater levels of happiness and better immune function. .ore dramatic left-sided activation was found in dedicated, long-term practitioners.
Weighty Matters
13 .ove more, eat less'that*s the adage of many a dieter. =oga can help on both fronts. A regular practice gets you moving and burns calories, and the spiritual and emotional dimensions of your practice may encourage you to address any eating and weight problems on a deeper level. =oga may also inspire you to become a more conscious eater.
Low Show
14 =oga lowers blood sugar and :;: ,$bad$- cholesterol and boosts H;: ,$good$cholesterol. !n people with diabetes, yoga has been found to lower blood sugar in several ways7 by lowering cortisol and adrenaline levels, encouraging weight loss, and improving sensitivity to the effects of insulin. /et your blood sugar levels down, and you decrease your risk of diabetic complications such as heart attack, kidney failure, and blindness.
Brain Waves
15 An important component of yoga is focusing on the present. #tudies have found that regular
yoga practice improves coordination, reaction time, memory, and even !D scores. 6eople who practice Transcendental .editation demonstrate the ability to solve problems and ac uire and recall information better'probably because they*re less distracted by their thoughts, which can play over and over like an endless tape loop.
Nerve Center
16 =oga encourages you to rela%, slow your breath, and focus on the present, shifting the balance from the sympathetic nervous system ,or the fight-or-flight response- to the parasympathetic nervous system. The latter is calming and restorative2 it lowers breathing and heart rates, decreases blood pressure, and increases blood flow to the intestines and reproductive organs'comprising what Herbert Benson, ..;., calls the rela%ation response.
Space Place
17 1egularly practicing yoga increases proprioception ,the ability to feel what your body is doing and where it is in space- and improves balance. 6eople with bad posture or dysfunctional movement patterns usually have poor proprioception, which has been linked to knee problems and back pain. Better balance could mean fewer falls. )or the elderly, this translates into more independence and delayed admission to a nursing home or never entering one at all. )or the rest of us, postures like Tree 6ose can make us feel less wobbly on and off the mat.
Control Center
18 #ome advanced yogis can control their bodies in e%traordinary ways, many of which are mediated by the nervous system. #cientists have monitored yogis who could induce unusual heart rhythms, generate specific brain-wave patterns, and, using a meditation techni ue, raise the temperature of their hands by @C degrees )ahrenheit. !f they can use yoga to do that, perhaps you could learn to improve blood flow to your pelvis if you*re trying to get pregnant or induce rela%ation when you*re having trouble falling asleep.
Loose Limbs
19 ;o you ever notice yourself holding the telephone or a steering wheel with a death grip or scrunching your face when staring at a computer screen? These unconscious habits can lead to chronic tension, muscle fatigue, and soreness in the wrists, arms, shoulders, neck, and face, which can increase stress and worsen your mood. As you practice yoga, you begin to notice where you hold tension7 !t might be in your tongue, your eyes, or the muscles of your face and neck. !f you simply tune in, you may be able to release some tension in the tongue and eyes. +ith bigger muscles like the uadriceps, trape(ius, and buttocks, it may take years of practice to learn how to rela% them.
Chill Pill
20 #timulation is good, but too much of it ta%es the nervous system. =oga can provide relief from the hustle and bustle of modern life. 1estorative asana, yoga nidra ,a form of guided rela%ation-, #avasana, pranayama, and meditation encourage pratyahara, a turning inward of the senses, which provides downtime for the nervous system. Another by-product of a regular yoga practice, studies suggest, is better sleep'which means you*ll be less tired and stressed and less likely to have accidents.
Immune Boon
21 Asana and pranayama probably improve immune function, but, so far, meditation has the strongest scientific support in this area. !t appears to have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the immune system, boosting it when needed ,for e%ample, raising antibody levels in response to a vaccine- and lowering it when needed ,for instance, mitigating an inappropriately aggressive immune function in an autoimmune disease like psoriasis-.
Breathing Room
22 =ogis tend to take fewer breaths of greater volume, which is both calming and more efficient. A @EEF study published in The :ancet taught a yogic techni ue known as $complete breathing$ to people with lung problems due to congestive heart failure. After one month, their average respiratory rate decreased from @G.A breaths per minute to H.B. .eanwhile, their e%ercise capacity increased significantly, as did the o%ygen saturation of their blood. !n addition, yoga has been shown to improve various measures of lung function, including the ma%imum volume of the breath and the efficiency of the e%halation. =oga also promotes breathing through the nose, which filters the air, warms it ,cold, dry air is more likely to trigger an asthma attack in people who are sensitive-, and humidifies it, removing pollen and dirt and other things you*d rather not take into your lungs.
Poop Scoop
23 4lcers, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation'all of these can be e%acerbated by stress. #o if you stress less, you*ll suffer less. =oga, like any physical e%ercise, can ease constipation 'and theoretically lower the risk of colon cancer'because moving the body facilitates more rapid transport of food and waste products through the bowels. And, although it has not been studied scientifically, yogis suspect that twisting poses may be beneficial in getting waste to move through the system.
Peace of Mind
24 =oga uells the fluctuations of the mind, according to 6atan0ali*s =oga #utra. !n other words, it slows down the mental loops of frustration, regret, anger, fear, and desire that can cause stress. And since stress is implicated in so many health problems'from migraines and insomnia to lupus, .#, ec(ema, high blood pressure, and heart attacks'if you learn to uiet your mind, you*ll be likely to live longer and healthier.
Divine Sign
25 .any of us suffer from chronic low self-esteem. !f you handle this negatively'take drugs, overeat, work too hard, sleep around'you may pay the price in poorer health physically, mentally, and spiritually. !f you take a positive approach and practice yoga, you*ll sense, initially in brief glimpses and later in more sustained views, that you*re worthwhile or, as yogic philosophy teaches, that you are a manifestation of the ;ivine. !f you practice regularly with an intention of self-e%amination and betterment'not 0ust as a substitute for an aerobics class' you can access a different side of yourself. =ou*ll e%perience feelings of gratitude, empathy, and forgiveness, as well as a sense that you*re part of something bigger. +hile better health is not the goal of spirituality, it*s often a by-product, as documented by repeated scientific studies.
Pain Drain
26 =oga can ease your pain. According to several studies, asana, meditation, or a combination of the two, reduced pain in people with arthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other chronic conditions. +hen you relieve your pain, your mood improves, you*re more inclined to be active, and you don*t need as much medication.
Heat Treatment
27 =oga can help you make changes in your life. !n fact, that might be its greatest strength. Tapas, the #anskrit word for $heat,$ is the fire, the discipline that fuels yoga practice and that regular practice builds. The tapas you develop can be e%tended to the rest of your life to overcome inertia and change dysfunctional habits. =ou may find that without making a particular effort to change things, you start to eat better, e%ercise more, or finally uit smoking after years of failed attempts.
Guru Gifts
28 /ood yoga teachers can do wonders for your health. &%ceptional ones do more than guide you through the postures. They can ad0ust your posture, gauge when you should go deeper in poses or back off, deliver hard truths with compassion, help you rela%, and enhance and personali(e your practice. A respectful relationship with a teacher goes a long way toward promoting your health.
Drug Free
29 !f your medicine cabinet looks like a pharmacy, maybe it*s time to try yoga. #tudies of people with asthma, high blood pressure, Type !! diabetes ,formerly called adult-onset diabetes-, and obsessive-compulsive disorder have shown that yoga helped them lower their dosage of medications and sometimes get off them entirely. The benefits of taking fewer drugs? =ou*ll spend less money, and you*re less likely to suffer side effects and risk dangerous drug interactions.
Hostile Makeover
30 =oga and meditation build awareness. And the more aware you are, the easier it is to break free of destructive emotions like anger. #tudies suggest that chronic anger and hostility are as strongly linked to heart attacks as are smoking, diabetes, and elevated cholesterol. =oga appears to reduce anger by increasing feelings of compassion and interconnection and by calming the nervous system and the mind. !t also increases your ability to step back from the drama of your own life, to remain steady in the face of bad news or unsettling events. =ou can still react uickly when you need to'and there*s evidence that yoga speeds reaction time'but you can take that split second to choose a more thoughtful approach, reducing suffering for yourself and others.
Good Relations
31 :ove may not con uer all, but it certainly can aid in healing. "ultivating the emotional support of friends, family, and community has been demonstrated repeatedly to improve health and healing. A regular yoga practice helps develop friendliness, compassion, and greater e uanimity. Along with yogic philosophy*s emphasis on avoiding harm to others, telling the truth, and taking only what you need, this may improve many of your relationships.
Sound System
32 The basics of yoga'asana, pranayama, and meditation'all work to improve your health, but there*s more in the yoga toolbo%. "onsider chanting. !t tends to prolong e%halation, which shifts the balance toward the parasympathetic nervous system. +hen done in a group, chanting can be a particularly powerful physical and emotional e%perience. A recent study from #weden*s Karolinska !nstitute suggests that humming sounds'like those made while chanting Om'open the sinuses and facilitate drainage.
Vision Quest
33 !f you contemplate an image in your mind*s eye, as you do in yoga nidra and other practices, you can effect change in your body. #everal studies have found that guided imagery reduced postoperative pain, decreased the fre uency of headaches, and improved the uality of life for people with cancer and H!>.
Clean Machine
34 Kriyas, or cleansing practices, are another element of yoga. They include everything from rapid breathing e%ercises to elaborate internal cleansings of the intestines. 5ala neti, which entails a gentle lavage of the nasal passages with salt water, removes pollen and viruses from the nose, keeps mucus from building up, and helps drains the sinuses.
Karma Concept
35 Karma yoga ,service to others- is integral to yogic philosophy. And while you may not be inclined to serve others, your health might improve if you do. A study at the 4niversity of .ichigan found that older people who volunteered a little less than an hour per week were three times as likely to be alive seven years later. #erving others can give meaning to your life, and your problems may not seem so daunting when you see what other people are dealing with.
Healing Hope
36 !n much of conventional medicine, most patients are passive recipients of care. !n yoga, it*s what you do for yourself that matters. =oga gives you the tools to help you change, and you might start to feel better the first time you try practicing. =ou may also notice that the more you commit to practice, the more you benefit. This results in three things7 =ou get involved in your own care, you discover that your involvement gives you the power to effect change, and seeing that you can effect change gives you hope. And hope itself can be healing.
Connective Tissue
37 As you read all the ways yoga improves your health, you probably noticed a lot of overlap. That*s because they*re intensely interwoven. "hange your posture and you change the way you breathe. "hange your breathing and you change your nervous system. This is one of the great lessons of yoga7 &verything is connected'your hipbone to your anklebone, you to your community, your community to the world. This interconnection is vital to understanding yoga. This holistic system simultaneously taps into many mechanisms that have additive and even multiplicative effects. This synergy may be the most important way of all that yoga heals.
Placebo Power
38 5ust believing you will get better can make you better. 4nfortunately, many conventional
scientists believe that if something works by eliciting the placebo effect, it doesn*t count. But most patients 0ust want to get better, so if chanting a mantra'like you might do at the beginning or end of yoga class or throughout a meditation or in the course of your day' facilitates healing, even if it*s 0ust a placebo effect, why not do it?