Biochemical Benefits of Yoga

* Glucose decreases
* Sodium decreases
* Total cholesterol decreases
* Triglycerides decrease
* HDL cholesterol increases
* LDL cholesterol decreases
* VLDL cholesterol decreases
* Cholinesterase increases
* Catecholamines decrease
* ATPase increases
* Hematocrit increases
* Hemoglobin increases
* Lymphocyte count increases
* Total white blood cell count decreases
* Thyroxin increases
* Vitamin C increases
* Total serum protein increases

Physiological Benefits of Yoga

• Stable autonomic nervous system equilibrium
• Pulse rate decreases
• Respiratory rate decreases
• Blood Pressure decreases (of special significance for hyporeactors)
• Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) increases
• EEG - alpha waves increase (theta, delta, and beta waves also increase during various stages of meditation)
• EMG activity decreases
• Cardiovascular efficiency increases
• Respiratory efficiency increases
• Gastrointestinal function normalizes
• Endocrine function normalizes
• Excretory functions improve
• Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase
• Breath-holding time increases
• Joint range of motion increase
• Grip strength increases
• Eye-hand coordination improves
• Dexterity skills improve
• Reaction time improves
• Posture improves
• Strength and resiliency increase
• Endurance increases
• Energy level increases
• Weight normalizes
• Sleep improves
• Immunity increases
• Pain decreases
• Steadiness improves
• Depth perception improves
• Balance improves
• Integrated functioning of body parts improves

Yoga Benefits

The most important benefit of yoga is physical and mental therapy. The aging process, which is largely an artificial condition, caused mainly by autointoxication or self-poisoning, can be slowed down by practicing yoga. By keeping the body clean, flexible and well lubricated, we can significantly reduce the catabolic process of cell deterioration. To get the maximum benefits of yoga one has to combine the practices of yogasanas, pranayama and meditation.

Yoga In Office

1. Take a long deep breath and exhale with the word "Ah".

2. Stay fluid by drinking lots of water.

3. Nature tends to fill any vacuum and your workspace is no exception. Straighten up your workstation, your desk and your office. Especially all you "clutter-holics". That includes all the files on your computer. Practice letting go. Less clutter means more time, more space and more satisfaction!

4. A splash of cold water under your armpits and on your face works better than a cup of coffee. The process gives you a welcome break from your keyboard, your skin gets hydrated and you avoid the caffeine jitters.

5. We all need to "recharge our batteries". After work or even during your lunch hour, make it a point to visit high-energy places. For example, a park, a body of water, or a walk in a garden. Holy places like churches, temples or shrines are usually open during the day, (nightclubs and bars don’t count) It’s an instant internal battery charge!

6. Change is the only constant variable throughout life. How you accept, react to or resist change are directly affected by how positive your outlook on life is. Try not to analyze or judge your processes, just observe and stay present with great compassion.

7. Smile, giggle, chuckle, snicker and even laugh. Start your day by reading the comics, tell jokes during the day and at night watch live comedy. Laugh at your self! Don’t take life so seriously.

8. Posture affects how you feel and how you feel affects your creativity level. Invest in a good chair that gives your comfort and proper back support. Keep both feet planted into the floor at all times. Adjust your monitor so that it is at eye level. Be sure that your forearms are supported and your wrists are straight when you are working on your keyboard.

9. If you’re in a cubicle remember "no one is an island", even if it looks like it from your point of view. You have a valuable purpose or mission to fulfill in your lifetime and so do your co-workers. Treat each other with respect and loving-kindness. Be authentic.

10. Keep spiritual teachings, poetry or pictures by your desk. It only takes a few moments to read an uplifting paragraph or two. It could be as simple as a book of love poems or a picture of your loved ones.

11. Make YogaEverywhere your home page and every time you fire up your computer do a pose or two.

Some Suggested Yoga Poses During The Menstrual Period

We recommend practicing yoga poses that encourage a state of groundedness to alleviate the mental and emotional heaviness of menstrual symptoms. We also recommend that you use these modified practices to explore more gentle, restorative or supported variations of poses and flows.

1. Forward Bending Poses:
*These poses apply a light massage to the pelvic and abdominal region without causing collapse to uterine veins. This massaging effect can alleviate heavy bleeding and cramps.
Janu Sirsasana (One Leg, Head to Knee Pose)
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend Pose)
Balasana (Child’s Pose)
Baddha Konasana (Seated Cobbler’s Pose)
Gomukasana (Cow’s Face Pose)
Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend Pose)
Upavisthakonasana (Seated Wide Leg Forward Bend Pose)

2. Twisting Poses:
*Aid in relieving back ache and cramps.
Lying Two Knee Twist
Seated Twists (ie in Sukhasana)

3. Supported Back Bends:
*Alleviates pelvic discomfort while generating a relaxed state.
Setu Bandhasana (Spinal Lift or Bridge pose) with support
(block placed under the sacrum and crest of the hips)

4. Supported Leg-Only Inversions:
*Relieves pelvic discomfort and improves circulation of veins and lymphatic vessels in the legs.
Viparita Karani (Inverted Two Leg Stretch or Inverted Lake Pose)
-placing legs up against a wall as if in Staff Pose while pelvis remains on floor.

5. Savasana (Corpse Pose):
*Relaxes and calms the nervous system and to balance emotions.

Stress Management Yoga Postures

Hatha yoga is the best type of yoga posture for stress management and to get relief from hyper tension. This is also a easy yoga to eliminate tension and is the best of all yoga execises for high blood pressure. The best yoga hathasasans therapy for hypertension are:

• Balasana also know as Child's Pose
• Savasana also know as Corpse Pose or Dead body pose
• Makarasana know as Crocodile Pose

Balasana Instructions for Stress Management:

Balasana is one of the best known Yoga relaxation and meditation which has helped many get maximum relief from hypertension leading to high blood pressure. Balasana is also one of the best yoga for hypertension.

Procedure to perform Balasana:

• With your lower legs on the floor, bend your knees
• Now rest your cheast on your knees and stretch your head forward towards the ground (let your forehead touch the ground if possible)
• Stretch your arms forward or backwards as show in the image

Stay in this pose for about five to six minutes while taking deep breaths.

Savasana Instructions:

The following steps instruct you on how to perform savasana.

Procedure to perform Savasana Yoga for Hypertension:

• Lie on your back and spread your arms and legs to aout 45 degrees. You can make use of a yoga mat to make yourself comfortable
• Start to breath deeply letting your body rise and fall with each breath. Following the pranayama technique of breathing
• Concentrate on each part of your body from head to toe and try to remove tension from these parts by relaxing
• Stay in this position for about 10 to 15 minutes

Makarasana Yoga Instructions for Hypertension:

Makar means crocodile and hence this yoga asana is also know as the crocodile pose. This is one of the best yoga poses for stress.

• As shown in the picture stretch out your legs and lie down on your stomach
• Hold your head with both your palms with the elbows rested on the floor

Continue deep breating and stay in this position for around five to ten minutes before getting up slowly. How this yoga reduces stress is by relaxing your entire body from head to toe.

Yoga for Diabetes

Diabetes is a cruel disease most patients crave food but have to limit their intake to avoid sugar fluctuations. Type I Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus occurs when the pancreas is producing little or no insulin. And I’m sorry to say that there no cure for diabetes. But you can definitely control it and here’s how.

Yoga aims to control your raging diabetes and obesity by gentle lifestyle changes, meditation, and asanas. This will balance your endocrine system by nudging the pancreas into producing more insulin, and promoting a large amount of weight loss.

As with all types of Alternative medicine, Yoga aims manage to the mind, body, and spirit and thus controls disease. S.A.A. Ramaiah’s study carried out in Washington, D.C. compared the effects of ordinary exercise to different types of yoga asanas. It was decided that the direct prodding of the pancreas by the different asanas revived its power to make insulin.

Although these are just a few of the asanas which are effective in controlling diabetes, it always good to get treatment under a trained professional,

1. Dhanurasana (Bow pose, Vilasana),

2. Paschimottanasana (Sitting crane, Amarntha kokkuasana),

Yoga and low blood pressure

Every living animal on the planet has blood pressure; there is no exception to this rule. The blood flows through the body with certain pressure, but if the pressure is lower than the normal range then it is a disease, which is called low Blood Pressure.

It is the condition in which the action of the heart, is forcing the blood through the arteries is weak.

Practicing certain yoga asanas and breathing, increases blood pressure, improves and balances and strengthens the nervous system, tones the digestive system, cleans and strengthens the arteries and corrects the flow of the blood to the body.

Kapalbhati Kriya
in vajrasana or padmasana.
Place hands on the knees, back upright, eyes looking straight ahead.
Exhale forcefully through the nose while pushing the stomach inward.
Inhalation should be passive and short. Quickly perform the next exhalation. Do this continuously to a rhythm.

Practice this with 50 exhalations at a stretch, then increase to 100.
Subsequently, perform this for 2minutes continuously and increase the duration to 10 minutes .

Benefits
Increases the metabolic rate and reduces fat.
Improves cardio-respiratory endurance and builds stamina.
Activates the peristaltic movement in the stomach, resulting in better digestion and excretion.
Helps to cure sinus, migraine and hypertension.
Revitalises the system.

Cautions
Those suffering from high blood pressure, gyneacological problems, stomach ailments or who have undergone recent surgery should consult their doctor before practicing this.

Bhastrika pranayama

/photo.cms?msid=1943653 • Sit back on your heels.
/photo.cms?msid=1943655 • Bend arms at waist, elbows close to body, make fists as shown.
• Raise both fists up, a bit higher than head, keep elbows close to body.
• Exhale forcefully through mouth (cheeks puffed out) as you pull the arms down, taking elbows behind waist as shown.
• Repeat 20 times, exhalation should be rapid, movements smooth not jerky.
• Inhale deeply and slowly
• Exhale slowly.

Yoga Helps You Lower Blood Pressure

Hypertension is a common disease nowadays, which, if it's not treated corectly can cause many damages to the other organs of the body. People who suffer from high blood pressure need to lower blood pressure in order to neutralize the effects of hypertension on their body.

Changing their life style and sometimes taking medicines is recommended for the people who need to lower blood pressure.

It is very helpful in the treatment of hypertension the yoga lifestyle, which can really help you lower blood pressure. Yoga exercises, called asanas, involve stretching and moving the body into various positions. During these exercises any tightness or tension observed in the body should be consciously relaxed. Yoga practice offers stress management techniques, which are essential to lower blood pressure. There are many yoga asanas, maybe hundreds or even thousands, but only certain asanas can help you lower blood pressure.

The most efficient for lowering blood pressure are the forward bends, which have a pacifying effect on the brain, the nervous system, the blood circulation to the brain, and they also help you reduce the stress. All these lower blood pressure. Furthermore, these asanas slow down the pulse rate, so they lower blood pressure.

They are also helpful to lower blood pressure the sitting asanas, such as Upavista Konasana, which remove the tension from the ribs and the intercostals muscles, and also help you breathe easily. Many hypertensives have difficulties in breathing and these asanas help them in this matter and they also lower blood pressure.

Other helpful asanas are the supine poses, like Supta Baddhakonasana, which relax the abdominal region and have a calming effect on the nerves, facts that lower blood pressure.

There are also recommended for those who need to lower blood pressure, the inversions, such as Halasana and Setubandha Sarvangasana, which have a refreshing effect on the nerves and reduce the sympathetic tone very fast. Usual practice of these asanas regularizes blood pressure, so lower blood pressure when it's abnormally high.

At these previous asanas you can add the pranayama and the Svanasana, which relax the mind and senses, and stabilize the blood pressure, so lower blood pressure in case of hypertension.

What is Blood Pressure?

Every living animal on the planet has blood pressure; there is no exception to this rule. The blood flows through the body with certain pressure, but if the pressure is higher than the normal range then it is a disease, which is called High Blood Pressure or sometimes the blood pressure drops below the normal range, then it is called Low Blood Pressure.

For the blood to reach all parts of the body, it has certain pressure. This pressure is created because of contraction of heart. Sometimes for various reasons these blood pressure increases, for example fearful situation, anger, anxiety, excessive thinking, mental tensions or even for physical exertion. During these situations the heart comes under extra workload. But when the situation changes and comes to normal, so also the blood pressure. This temporary change in Blood Pressure is not disease but when this Blood pressure remains high always, it becomes a disease.

Measuring BP

The BP is not same everywhere; it is maximum close to heart from where the blood comes out and lowest where blood comes in to the heart. So always the BP is measured on the hands. There are 2 types of pressures, systolic and diastolic. Systolic Pressure is higher and indicates the contraction of heart and diastolic is when heart expands. The BP in healthy person is 120 mm / 80 mm, that is systolic 120mm and diastolic is 80mm. If the BP is greater or less by 15 mm to 20 mm than the normal range, it is considered as disease.
There are various reasons for this high BP. Sometimes because of improper functioning of kidneys, heart related problems or diabetes BP can go high, so if these diseases are treated then BP also comes to normal. But in 80 % of the cases there is no apparent reason, then it is called "Essential Hypertension".
The reason for this High BP is cannot be found on physical plane but can be traced to mental activities. High mental strain results in high BP. Modern medical science treats the BP but not the underlying reason that is mental strain. When you take medicines, the BP comes to normal for sometime but when the effect of the medicines is over, the BP again rises. So the best remedy is to remove all underlying reasons for mental stress and strain. Yoga certainly helps achieve the stress free mind. There is no solution except removing all the strains on mind and control the mental activities. Yogasanas (Yoga Positions and Postures), Pranayama, Meditation, Yoga Nidra definitely help achieve the mental peace.

Yogasana - (Yoga Positions or Postures)


Yoga Guru Patanjali has defined Yoga as 'Steady and comfortable state of Body and Mind means Asana'. || Sthirsukham Asanam ||
During any exercise the strain on muscles increases, the requirement for blood and oxygen increases but in Yogasanas the requirement goes down as there are no strains and every muscle is relaxed, the requirement for blood and oxygen goes down. This also reduces the strain on mind, the mind also becomes stable and focused. Also because of twists and stretched postures, the functioning of endocrine glands, digestive organs, heart and other organs improves. To achieve this even simple Yogasanas are helpful, one can easily practice these yogasanas and get the best for himself.

Pranayama -

Pranayama is control of breath, breathing & blood circulation system, heart have close relation between them. Also these are dependant on mental activities. If mental strain increases the breathing rate is affected. In Pranayama the breathing is controlled and the rate is reduced, which reduces the strain on heart and also the rate. This increases the stability of mind and mental activities are also controlled.
Even simple breathing exercises like Deep Breathing, Quiet Breathing help reduce the mental stresses and strains.
Also the Pranic force in the body is balanced with the regular practice of Pranayama, which restores the physical and mental balance. Some Pranayama techniques affect the functioning of nervous system, which again help restore the balance.
Pranayama reduces the need of oxygen, so also the production of carbon dioxide. So the respiration rate reduces. In various Pranayama techniques Ujjayi Pranayama balances the Pranic flow of energy in the body. Ujjayi also affects carotid sinus, which help reduce BP. Nadishodhan Pranayama controls the Pranic flow. But people suffering from BP should not practice Kumbhaka (retention of breath) but only inhalation and exhalation.

Meditation

Meditation is study of concentration. One should try to keep mind focused on one point or object, this concentration of mind has very effects on body and mind. Lot of research is going on around the world about the meditation and its effects. Some of the observed facts are listed below.


1. Balance is achieved in the functioning of nervous system.
2. Complete body is relaxed, which gives enough rest to the muscles and various organs.
3. Concentration, grasping power, memory increases and so also the will power.
4. One can handle stressful situations in efficient ways.
5. Balance is achieved in the functioning of Body Mind complex.
6. Brain functioning is improved.

The basic meditations help achieve these results, it includes Omkar Meditation, Omkar chanting, Prana Meditation. Especially for High BP patients, Omkar chanting for 15 minutes everyday shows miraculous results.

Cure with Your Feet

1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
2. Bend one leg and bring the ankle over the knee of the other leg.
3. Make a fist with your thumb tucked inside your hand.
4. With the pinky side of your fist, pound the sole of your foot strongly 30 times.
5. Alternately, you could use a wooden stick to press the soles of the feet.
6. Pay attention to your Ki 1 (Yong-chun) acupressure points.
7. Repeat with the other foot.