Yoga Treatment of High Cholesterol

MEANING
Cholesterol is the steroid lipid found in the outer cell membranes of all body tissues. Cholesterol is sometimes known as sterol, which is a high combination of alcohol and steroid. A person can face health problem with the rise of the cholesterol level. High cholesterol level in the body can cause arterial disease or coronary heart disease.

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

• Hypercholesterolemia is one of the major clinical symptoms for cholesterol. In this condition, the cholesterol level increases and it can cause several heart and cardiovascular diseases.
• Hypocholesterolemia is also another symptom which is caused when the cholesterol level falls abnormally low.

CAUSES
It is said that the cholesterol level of the body is dependent on the food a person consumes. Certain foods which affect the cholesterol level include:

• Shellfish
• Eggs
• Red meat
• Foods that contain saturated fat

YOGIC MANAGEMENT
Yoga is highly beneficial for the treatment of high cholesterol. Some important asanas for cholesterol management include:

• Vajrasana.
• Padmasana.
• Shalabhasana.
• Ardhyamatsyendrasana.
• Kapalbhati Pranayama is considered the best practice to reduce the cholesterol level.
• Meditation and breathing exercises also help.

HOME REMEDIES

• One can regularly drink coriander with water to reduce the cholesterol levels. This also improves the functioning of kidneys. Positive changes can be seen after a month.
• Boiled milk with one piece of garlic helps in lowering the level of cholesterol. It is also recommended for people who have cardiac pains.
• One can eat a piece of garlic every morning.
• Regular consumption of walnuts and almonds can also help in lowering the cholesterol level.

AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT

• Arjuna is an effective herb that allows one to achieve proper balance in the level of cholesterol. One can consume it as Arjuna Ghritam and Arjunarishtha.
• Prabhakara Vati and Hridayarnava Rasa are also popular Ayurvedic treatments for cholesterol problems.
• Mrigamadasava can be prescribed if a person has a high level of cholesterol.
• Alfalfa is useful to clear cholesterol congestion from the arteries.
• Guggulu, a traditional herb of India, has been identified as an important medicine for the treatment of heart and cholesterol problems. The Guggulsterones contained in this herb can reduces cholesterol.
• Holy Basil can dissolve accumulated cholesterol from a person’s arteries and carry it to the bloodstream. This ultimately gets eliminated through the kidneys.

CONCLUSION
The cholesterol level of a person depends on the food consumes. One should make a chart of calorie intake. A person should avoid those foods which have high calorie count, such as red meat, ice creams and chocolates. Fried food should also be avoided. One should also refrain from the consumption of groundnut oil. Butter, ghee and cow’s milk are recommended, but buffalo dairy products should not be consumed. Consumption of fruits, fresh green leafy vegetables can help balance the cholesterol level of a person. Drinking large quantities of water can also help drain the toxins from the body and checks the level of cholesterol.

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Alzheimer’s Disease

MEANING
Alzheimer is defined as a typical neurological disorder affecting brain to a great extent and resulting in loss of memory. Alois Alzheimer, a German physician, found this disease in 1906 and defined it as a typical brain disorder. Abnormal behavioral and thinking patterns are the byproduct of this disease, including short-term memory. This is a form of dementia, generally identified with loss of memory and different old age ailments. Medical experts place it in the category of fatal diseases as it spoils the brain cells which are never regenerated.

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

• Loss of memory.
• Abnormal behavior and related signs.
• Destroys capability to think and analyze.
• Alzheimer patients are generally not able to express their views and feelings to anyone. They can not share their feelings and emotions with others and become a victim of a typical anxiety.
• It becomes difficult for them to manage common day-to-day tasks. Eating, washing, dressing and other such work are a nightmare for them. The situation worsens with time.
• Most of the patients of Alzheimer’s disease forget their relatives, friends and surroundings.
• Depression is a common trait among them.

CAUSES

• Alzheimer attacks in old ages. Researches show that this disease worsens with age. It easily attacks people who are in their last phase of life.
• Some studies show that, Alzheimer is a genetic disorder.
• Rarely, youngsters get affected with this disease in severe traumatic situations.
• Studies are going on to trace out the root cause of this disorder. But they have not yet got any clues. So, the exact reason behind this fatal disease remains unknown.

YOGIC MANAGEMENT
Several asanas or poses are suggested to deteriorate the progress of this disease. These include:

• Ardha Matsyendrasana.
• Ushtrasana or camel pose.
• Simhasana or lion pose.
• Standing yoga asanas, including Tadasana or Pal tree pose.
• Sitting poses include Gomukhasana or cow face pose.
• Purvottanasana, Navasana, Pawanmuktasan and Matsyasana are the other yogic poses that are beneficial.
• Bhujangasana or cobra pose.
• Parvatasana or mountain pose.
• Ardha Chakrasana or half moon poses.
• Shalabhasana or locust pose.
• Dhanurasana or bow pose is also helpful.
• Sarvangasana and Viparita Karani are very effective inverted yogic asanas.
• Balancing poses include Pranayamas or breathing exercises.

HOME REMEDIES

• Walking is very effective. A reliable person can accompany an Alzheimer patient while walking. It enhances his or her (Alzheimer patient’s) ability to communicate.
• Calming and soothing music may be a good option as it relaxes such patients. This also corrects their behavior.
• Bright light therapy is suggested to reduce wandering problems and insomnia, or sleeplessness. Pet dogs and other animals can help them in appropriating social behaviors.

AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT

• Ayurvedic remedies such as Winter cherry or Withania somnifera are very helpful in treatment. They decrease the stress and anxiety.
• Brahmi or Herpestis monniera enhances grasping and learning skills.
• Ginkgo or Ginkgo Biloba is a popular cure for dementia. It enhances blood flow (to the brain).
• American ginseng or Panax quinquefolium and Asian ginseng or Panax ginseng are also helpful.
• Huperzine or Huperzia serrata and Nicotine or Nicotiana tobaccum may give relief.
• Physostigmine or Physostigma venenosa and Snowdrop or Galanthus nivalus are also popular medications.

CONCLUSION
Alzheimer has no permanent cure unfortunately. The growing rate of the disease can be decreased with the help of medical and yogic intervention.

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Benefits Of Yoga For Pregnancy

Motherhood is one of the most fulfilling experiences for women all over the world. The most beautiful time period for any woman is during Pregnancy stages. While waiting for the child to come in the world they feel increasing joy but ironically there are some hidden fear factors. Fear about your baby's health, delivery without much pain, mood swings, fatigue, morning sickness, constant craving for strange items, increasing weight and overall the feeling about pregnancy can be overwhelming.

The fact is that there are many risk factors associated with pregnancy. While carrying a baby in the womb, your body has to adapt to lot of changes. Though everything goes in a natural planned way and the body adjusts automatically but and these variations leave a long lasting impact on your body. Studies show that with pregnancy come chances of getting caught with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, liver disease and many more.

But here is the good news!!!! If some yoga asanas and breathing exercises are practiced during pregnancy under expert supervision regularly, all these risk factors are minimized to a great extent. And also body can be prepared for an easy delivery with lesser pain. But before doing any of these exercises consult your doctor.

Yoga keeps high blood pressure in control and also keeps a check on your weight. Breathing exercise is very simple but care must be taken to avoid too many jerks and jumping in this condition. Some poses or asanas specially chosen for pregnant women are:

• Mountain yoga pose – that increases body strength, and relaxes joints and muscles,
• Triangle Yoga Pose- makes your spine flexible, tones up your spinal nerves, improves digestive system.
• Warrior yoga pose - which includes warrior I and warrior II,
• Standing side stretch - Benefits your stomach, arms and legs

Other suggested asanas are Standing spread leg forward bend and Forward bend yoga exercise, Hero yoga pose, Cat pose, Fish pose, Headstand, Tree yoga pose and many more including Corpse pose.

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Yoga Breathing or Pranayama

Whenever we think of the term Pranayama, the only thing appears in our mind is that it is a breathing exercise. But Pranayama means a lot more than just breathing for relaxation.

Different Yoga experts have defined Pranayama in different ways having a broad range of meanings. It also stands for cosmic power, or power of the whole entire universe that reveals itself as a conscious living entity in us through the miracle of breathing.

As defined in the Yoga Sutras, by Vivekanand Needam, Pranayama is “regulation of incoming and outgoing breath coupled with retention.

In Sanskrit, the word Pranayama is a combination of two parts having different meanings, viz. Prana and Ayama.

While Ayama means control; means the act which is done in Pranayama. Prana – as most of us know – is vital energy. It is that energy that is represented naturally as the self-energizing force driving our body in daily course of life. When our body is dominated and controlled by this vital force, it is called Pranayama.

Pranayama does not emphasize on to bring the inhalation and exhalation into synchronization with each other. Nor the aim is to make our body habitual of a particular length of breath. The different pranayama practices pose variety of opportunities for following the breath, as well. When you focus on breath, your mind is concentrated only on the breathing activities. Pranayama prepares us, in this manner for the stillness of meditation to come.

Yoga Breathing or Pranayama - A Broad Overview
Pranayama, the breathe control technique in yoga is an indispensable part of the Yoga science. It is an essential step of most of the asanas or poses. As described in the Vivekanand Needam Yoga Sutras, asana and pranayama play a vital role to help us control ourselves mentally and physically, attaining purification of body, soul and mind.

While practicing yoga one can feel heat sensations internally, which is nothing but the inner fire of purification. As per yoga experts this heat is the byproduct of the purification process of the Nadis. These are subtle nerve channels in the subtle body. The result is healthy mind and body to it’s high.

Pranayama emphasizes to concentrate on your breath. Hence, make sure that while practicing Pranayama the mind is alert and focused. This is because the processes being observed are extremely subtle. Unlike asanas, body movements are almost nil in Pranayama. In the beginning of Pranayama the inhalations and exhalations are felt within your respiratory tract, and later, the sensations of breath movements are felt throughout your body. The only animated process will be breathing. Vivekanand Needam, in his Yoga sutras, has given tips and practical suggestions so that one can concentrate on breath movements.

To begin with Pranayama, you must start paying attention on a part of your body, where you feel or hear your breath. Alternatively, you could try following the movement of breath in your body. Try to sense the inhale extend from the center of your collarbone, down through your rib cage to your diaphragm. Then follow your exhalation upwards from your abdomen.

One more trick to concentrate on your breath is by feeling where it enters and leaves your body around the region of your nostrils. If you want to hear your breath, then try to make a noise by gently tightening your vocal chords. This is a Pranayama technique called Ujjayi.

Yoga Poses & Yoga Exercises

In Sanskrit, the word “pose” is “asana” (pronounced as “ah-sah-nah”).

Ancient yogis studied human body and then developed various yoga asanas so that each and every part of our body gets benefits from yoga poses. The yoga poses not only give us health benefits but also make us more aware of our body, mind, and environment.

It is however advised that while beginning yoga exercises, one must have a cool mind and experiment with the poses as per one’s comfort and convenience. The benefits of yoga exercises will be noticed faster if one has a playful mind and also the feeling of frustration and competitiveness will not enter the mind. The word of caution one must keep in mind while practicing yoga exercises, is that there must not be any feeling of discomfort or pain.

Important things to keep in mind during yoga practice:

• Never hold your breathe during a pose.
  
  
• Do not force or strain your breath.
  
  
• Whenever you notice Labored breathing, come out of the pose slightly as it is an indication that you’re working too hard.
  
  
• The rule of thumb is that, one can hold for three full breaths through most yoga poses. You must hold it longer only if your body says that you are comfortable in the pose, and if the body shows symptoms that you are uncomfortable, you should come out of the pose immediately.

Types of Yoga Poses

Seated poses

• Seated yoga poses are especially beneficial if practiced for breathing exercises and relaxation or meditation techniques.
  
  
• Seated poses generally advised to be used as a warm up or as a starting point for other poses.
  
  
• Performing seated poses can help improve your posture and open your hips.

Standing poses

• Standing yoga poses are often used as warm up or as a starting point for other poses.
  
  
• Standing poses are beneficial for strengthening your legs, opening your hips and improving your sense of balance.

Inversions

• Yoga experts advice Inversion yoga poses because it helps to improve your blood circulation quiet your mind and improve your overall health.
  
  
• Inversions are also believed to reverse the ageing process and reduce the effect of the gravity on your body.

Relaxation and restorative poses

• Relaxation or restorative yoga poses are more beneficial if performed at the end of each yoga practice.
  
  
• The body and mind get more relaxed at this time and the energy released by the poses in your practice is moved freely throughout your body.

Counter poses

• A counter pose is a yoga pose that stretches your spine in the opposite direction from a previous pose or returns your spine to a neutral position.

Twists

• Twists are generally advised to stretch and strengthen your back and abdominal muscles, increase the flexibility of your spine and improve your circulation.
  
  
• As the body is twisted and released, a fresh flow of blood moves in the body thereby improving the functioning of your internal organs.

Balancing poses

• Balancing yoga poses are great for improving your balance and coordination as well as developing your ability to remain grounded in a pose.
  
  
• Keeping your body balanced encourages you to focus, quiet and balance your mind.

Forward bends

• Forward bends stretch the entire back of your body, especially your hamstrings.
  
  
• Forward bends especially beneficial to release tension, calm your mind and soothe your nervous system.
  
  
• Similar to back bends, forward bends help keep your spine strong and supple.

Back bends

• A great challenge for any yoga performer is to perform back bends successfully.
  
  
• Bending backward helps strength your back and keep your spine strong and supple.
  
  
• Back bends also open the front of your body, especially your chest.

Child Yoga and Physical Therapy

Child Yoga and physical therapy, a medical boon having a therapeutic approach for children and adults. Popularly known as a combination of Yoga practices like breathing exercises, meditation, and poses with physical therapy, Child Yoga and physical therapy works as highly effective therapy for motor, language, and social development as well as medical needs.

Emerged as a highly effective approach to children’s medical therapy, Child Yoga and physical therapy is the greatest advancement in pediatrics, basically for needs of special children. Child Yoga and physical therapy has modified Yoga practices to treat neurological, medical and orthopedic disorders of children. It combines traditional pediatric therapy, reflex integration and sensory integration with Yoga Therapy, with an emphasis to facilitate motor, language and social development of the Special Needs Child.

Child Yoga and physical therapy includes special children's yoga classes - baby and parent, infant massage, preschool and after school children's yoga. It is conducted by teachers with certified degrees in Yoga.

Who can avail of Child Yoga and physical therapy?
Child Yoga and physical therapy is an efficient therapy for kids and adults of all skill and developmental levels.

Infant & Children

• ADD/ADHD
• Asthma
• Autism/PDD
• Cerebral Palsy
• Development Delay
• Down Syndrome
• Learning Disabilities
• Neurological Disorder
• Sensory Dysfunction
• Sports Injuries
• Torticollis

Grown-ups

• Cancer Support
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Joint Replacement
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Muscle and Back Pain
• Orthopaedics Problems
• Osteoporosis
• Parkinson
• Posture
• Pulmonary Disease
• Stroke