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Regular practice of yoga offers benefits for the mind, body and spirit, helping manage even chronic ailments.
india
healthysoch
New Delhi, June 19, 2020 :
In Sanskrit, yoga means “union”. The synchronization of mind and body creates a sense of calm during practice. The regimen represents a combination of varied postures, breathing exercises, strength and meditation.
At the physical level, yoga mainly functions as a stressbuster. Through its practice, it is easier to manage multiple chronic diseases. While yoga’s ability to foster a sense of peace and calm is acknowledged, its profound impact in managing chronic ailments is not as well-recognized.
Yogic breathing:
This is extremely beneficial for stress management and short-term wound healing. A common cause of an illness is improper breathing. If just one yogic tip could help transform lives, it is the practice of learning correct breathing techniques. There is nothing more powerful and energizing as slow deep breathing, which can improve one’s overall health and well-being. When controlled breathing is coupled with meditative practices, there can be an actual increase in brain growth in areas linked to attention and processing of sensory inputs.
Prolonged or chronic stress is known to shrink the brain, causing emotional as well as mental impairment. In particular, stress shrinks the prefrontal cortex. This is associated with decision-making, complex thinking, working memory, moderating social behaviour and attention control. Worse, a chronically stressed brain becomes predisposed to remaining in constant stress mode. Thereby, it creates a vicious cycle of discomfort and disease.
Besides shrinking the part of our brain associated with higher thinking, chronic stress increases the size of the amygdala. It is this section of the brain that controls emotions, including fear, and processes emotional memories.
Meditation:
This practice helps calm and still the mind, fostering a state of emotional well-being. Practising meditation regularly promotes the growth or thickening in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Simultaneously, there is shrinkage of the amygdala – the brain’s fight or flight centre.
Consistent practice of yoga, breathing exercises and meditation benefits people afflicted with various ailments by reducing stress, alleviating disease symptoms and side effects of medication while boosting the immune system and increasing overall comfort. It is a wonderful option for individuals seeking to boost their energy, control anxiety and cope with chronic illness. Be it heart ailments, chronic back pain or ulcerative colitis, among others, studies show yoga can make a positive difference.
Accordingly, it’s important to know that yoga impacts autoimmune diseases or those arising from the immune system attacking its own body. These ailments include rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis and many others.
Diabetes:
A rising number of diabetics are embracing yoga to control their disorders as well as enhance the overall quality of their lives. Empirical evidence indicates that sustained practice of yoga reduces stress, boosts mobility and lowers blood pressure while improving overall well-being.
One of the core components of managing diabetes lies in controlling stress. When a person is stressed, blood sugar levels soar. Elevated blood sugar then increases the possibility of serious co-morbidities such as heart problems.
Through controlled breathing techniques (pranayama), meditation and yogic postures, one can relax the mind. This reduces levels of cortisol and other stress hormones that play a pivotal role in the development of type 2 diabetes and allied complications.
Cardiac ailments:
Practicing yoga may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels. It also improves the heart rate, acting as a useful lifestyle intervention. One of yoga’s clearest benefits for the heart is its ability to relax the body and mind. Emotional stress can cause cascading physical effects, including the release of stress hormones. These then narrow the arteries, increasing blood pressure. Fortunately, deep breathing techniques and mental focus that yoga teaches can help counter such stress.
By offsetting stress, yoga helps control blood glucose levels as well as the heart rate, making it a useful lifestyle intervention.
Arthritis:
Yoga is effective for people with arthritis as it helps lessen physical and psychological symptoms, including joint pain, improving flexibility and functions even as it simultaneously lowers tension as well as mental stress, promoting better sleep.
Asthma:
Yoga is popular among asthmatics too. One of the simplest solutions to tackle asthma, if yoga and pranayama are practised consistently, it mitigates the condition.
From increasing flexibility and boosting immunity to improving sleep quality and relieving headaches, it’s no secret that there are myriad health benefits from yoga. It is also safe and effective as a complementary treatment for people with chronic illnesses, such as inflammatory bowel disease, fibromyalgia, diabetes, lupus and multiple sclerosis.
Undoubtedly, if practised diligently, yoga remains the safest and healthiest exercise regimen in the world.
The author, Ruchi Khosla is Mind-Body Breathwork Coach and Yoga Therapist – BeatO
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