Infertility, ailments affecting the lungs, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, sleeping disorders, cancer, high blood pressure, and joint pain are but only a few of the ailments which can be cured with the regular practice of yoga. Its benefits are not just extolled by only the yoga enthusiasts but it has been acknowledged as a promising therapy option by the medical fraternity as well.
Stress has been recognized as one of the most important reasons behind a host of ailments affecting the world population. Yet there are various yoga techniques available, which can result in substantial reduction of the symptoms as well as prevent further spread of the disease. Some of the common ailments which are directly related to increased stress levels and where yoga can help are: depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, some types of diabetes, heart diseases, several autoimmune diseases, diseases affecting the digestive system like irritable bowel syndrome and colitis, ailments affecting the reproductive system and our body’s auto-immune system.
Our nervous system could be broadly divided into two sections: the sympathetic and parasympathetic. There are many external stimuli which triggers stress in our metabolism which is the normal reaction of our sympathetic nervous system. The mind and body can react to these stimuli in two ways: ‘fight or flight’. There are both physical and physiological manifestations of this reaction. The physical manifestations include increased heart rate and blood pressure. Muscles become tensed and taut, while breathing becomes shallow and anxious. Internally also the ‘fight and flight’ response result in reduced blood flow to the heart and other internal organs, and systems which are not in use at the moment like digestion and excretion suffer. The mind and body are therefore undergoing a situation of extreme awareness and alertness. This state of alertness and high-intensity preparedness is good for the mind and body for a short period of time as it is in a state of complete readiness to face any external situation or stimuli. The situation can turn adverse both to the mind and body if there is prolonged exposure to a stress situation. The longer the ‘fight or flight’ reactions are allowed to remain in our senses, the more damage it does to both our mind and body.
To counteract the pressures created by external situations or stimuli, the ‘fight and flight’ response reacts automatically through the mechanisms of parasympathetic nervous system. This is called the ‘relaxation response’. The relaxation response can get automatically activated the moment the stress situations or the causes which triggered it disappears or ends. The body’s natural relaxation mechanism can be enhanced further through deep breathing and relaxing the muscles. What we are essentially doing is hastening up the process of recovery from the harmful effects of stress by proactively augmenting the body’s natural process of relaxation.
Yoga techniques which center round modifying our breathing and relaxation mechanisms, essentially teach you how to combat the harmful effects of daily stress, on the mind and body. The ‘fight and flight’ response can be further calmed if we look at the effects of stress as challenges or opportunities to heal rather than threats which endanger our mind and body. The primary objective of this exercise is to look for solutions rather than jump into abrupt reactions. The other important focus area of this technique is to become proactive and take adequate initiatives rather than be merely reactive and reactionary to a particular stimulus.
The positive healing power of yoga has been recognized through out the world. However to get best results, we must treat these techniques as a supportive measure for becoming healthy and should not rely on them as the sole therapy option to regain health and vitality. In fact, the best option is to combine the goodness of yoga therapy with the efficacy of traditional or modern medicines and to find a solution to an ailment both from the physical and mental perspective.
Darren Williger is an over-caffeinated, low carbohydrate eating, winemaking enthusiast who writes for MicroKarma.com, CoffeeZen.com, and PrimeYoga.com.
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