Along with curing anger and stress, yoga is also beneficial in treating osteoporosis, either by itself or in combination with different medicines. Osteoporosis is an illness described by weak and diminishing bones that can result in cracks and fractures in the bones. Some of the postures that can be helpful in treating osteoporosis are as follows:
Utthita trikonasana: Uttihita trikonasana is an expanded triangle posture which is helpful in curing many diseases. Along with diminishing the side effects of osteoporosis, it additionally avoids soreness, increases strength and gets rid of spinal pain. Begin this posture by standing straight with your legs separated by four feet. Then, extend the arms to the ground with the palm facing downwards. Slide the left leg across the right side of your body. You need to slide it behind the left leg. Now extend your right leg towards the left side of your body. This will leave you in a sitting position. Where your right leg is placed on top of your left leg, make sure both your knees are on top of each other. Now straighten your body to an upright position.
Ardha chandrasana: This asana is also called as the half-moon posture. This posture comes under hatha yoga and is beneficial for various medical issues, for example, osteoporosis, menstrual issues, exhaustion, sciatica and stomach-related cramps. You can practice this pose to get rid of osteoporosis and appreciate a sound body.
Padangusthasana: This stance delicately stretches and strengthens persistently tight hamstrings.
Adho mukha svanasana: It is one of yoga's most commonly practiced postures. Adho mukha svanasana offers a definitive wholesome, reviving stretch.
Utthita hasta padangustasana: In this pose, keeping up the balance while standing on one foot strengthens your endurance capabilities.
Utthita parsvakonasana: Discover the flexibility in your sides of the body from your heel to your fingertips with an extended side angle pose.
Utthita trikonasana: It is a broadened triangle posture and is important as a standing posture in many styles of yoga.
Ardha chandrasana: Make proper balance with your leg and the lower part of your leg as you look for strength and flexibility into this adjusting posture.
Parivrtta parsvakonasana: This revolved side angle pose, a variation of utthita parsvakonasana requires a considerable measure of adaptability to bend flexibly and balance on the back heel.
Uttanasana: Uttanasana will awaken your hamstrings and will help you to calm your brain.
Urdhva dhanurasana: Urdhva dhanurasana can help in strengthening your arms, legs, abdomen and spine all at once.
Virabhadrasana: Named after a wild warrior, an incarnation of Shiva, this adaptation of a warrior pose increases the stamina.
Yoga is one of the most secure measures and medicines for osteoporosis. It is something that anyone of any age can do at any place. The advantages are numerous and dangers are few if done properly.
Yoga is widely recommended as a good exercise for pregnant women: It keeps the body limber, tones muscles and can relieve stress. But it comes with caveats, warnings that some poses can be dangerous and that all yoga should be done gently. Many women are also worried about doing yoga in the final weeks of their pregnancy.
A new study, published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology and described in the Harvard Health Blog, offers evidence that many yoga poses are safe until quite late in pregnancy -- including some that have previously not been recommended.
The study, led by a researcher from the Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, N.J., involved 25 healthy women who were 35 to 38 weeks pregnant. Ten practiced yoga regularly, eight were familiar with yoga and seven had no yoga experience at all. In one-on-one sessions with yoga instructors, the women performed 26 yoga postures. In some cases, the women were permitted to balance themselves with the aid of chairs or a wall.
The poses included four that some experts have deemed contraindicated for pregnant women: corpse pose, happy baby pose, child's pose and downward-facing dog.
But during all 26 poses, for all the women, vital signs of both mother and baby remained normal, the women felt safe and comfortable, and none had any problems such as contractions or vaginal bleeding within the following 24 hours. (Three women reported some muscle soreness but still liked the experience.)
The Harvard article noted that most women experience anxiety during pregnancy and about 13 percent of pregnant women experience clinical depression. "This study . . . adds to the growing scientific evidence that yoga is a helpful, safe tool to reduce stress, anxiety and depression throughout pregnancy," wrote the author, Marlynn Wei.
With more and more people adopting yoga as a way of life, the ancient Indian practice of physical exercise is gaining popularity across the globe. It not only works to stretch your muscles, but also boosts mental health as well as the functions of the heart, stomach and other internal organs. According to a study conducted by Harvard experts, yoga can be as effective as cycling or brisk walking in reducing the risk of a heart attack or stroke. It has been found to be beneficial in managing and improving the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and can be a 'potentially effective therapy' for cardiovascular health.Heart disease is a growing health concern, with many Indians suffering heart attack or stroke. Blame it on lifestyle habits and lack of physical activities, but preventive measures must be taken well ahead of time. There has been enough evidence to prove that exercise in any form is great to boost your physical and mental health and especially heart health. And for those of you who hate hitting the gym, yoga could be the best way to start.
Here are some yoga asanas that are said to boost heart health -
1. Trikonasana
Trikonasana, as the name suggests, is a triangle-shaped asana, which helps in stretching the spine, stimulating spinal nerves and blood circulation.
How to do: Stand straight with your legs wide apart. Extend your arms at the shoulder level. Inhale and raise your right arm by the side of your head. Make sure that both your arms are parallel to each other and your legs are stretched straight. Now, while exhaling gently slide your upper body to the left and tilt it down. Your arm will also move simultaneously. As your left hand comes down you can keep it on the ankle, over the shin, on your knee or simply rest it on the floor. Your chest and tummy should be facing the front.
Gently stretch your left palm away from the body and press with the back of your hand into the shin or ankle. The weight should be on both the legs and you are just pressing your hands against the inside of the leg to maintain balance. Repeat it using the other arm. You can practice this pose for 2-6 long breaths.
2. Dhanurasana
Dhanurasana, also known as the bow pose, is a yoga exercise which is credited to expanding the chest, improving blood circulation and relieving stress and anxiety. According to an article about Dhanurasana on Yoga International website, it states, "Resembling an archer's bow, this posture encourages a powerful stretch along the front of the body and a deep opening at the heart center, helping you cultivate an attitude of fearlessness and grace."
How to do: Lie down on your stomach with your feet slightly apart. Slowly, fold your knees up and hold your ankles with your hands. Breathe in and lift your chest off the ground and pull your legs up and stretch it out. You should feel the stretch on your arms and thighs. Hold the pose for 12-15 seconds. Slowly bring your chest and legs back to the ground, release your hold on the ankles, and relax with your hands on the side. Repeat for a few sets.
3. Bridge Pose or Setu Bandhasana
This yoga asana is known to increase blood flow to the chest region, thus boosting heart health. "It regulates the flow of blood and prana (energy) to the heart, the glands in the neck and the head, and releases tension," says a Delhi-based Yoga expert, Anju Kalhan of Vivafit Fitness Center.
At some point of time in our lives, we have all felt low and depressed. We have often questioned who we really are and whether we are good enough or not. It is very natural to be happy at some point in time and sad at the next. However, the concern arises when these changes in your mood persist for a fairly long period of time and interfere with your daily life.
An individual with depression often finds himself spending long hours isolated from family, friends and others who matter. Disturbed sleep patterns, changes in eating habits and excessive mood swings are some of the characteristic symptoms of depression.
While there is medical help available to enable one to tackle with depression, another means of bringing in positivity is yoga. According to a study done by Boston University School of Medicine in the US, joining yoga classes can help patients experience significant reduction in symptoms without the side effects associated with antidepressants. The power of yoga has cured innumerable health problems since time immemorial. With depression too, yoga comes to the rescue of individuals. Often known to improve physical health, yoga works wonders in the case of your mental health and well-being as well. It is a natural and simple way of helping you overcome fears and improving self-esteem and self-worth.
"This study supports the use of yoga and coherent breathing intervention in major depressive disorder in people who are not on antidepressants and in those who have been on a stable dose of antidepressants and have not achieved a resolution of their symptoms," explained corresponding author Chris Streeter, Associate Professor at the University. The findings, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, provide support for the use of yoga-based interventions as an alternative or supplement to pharmacologic treatments for depression
Yoga is believed to relax the mind and lower the heart rate thus reducing anxiety, which comes along with depression. It is built on the philosophy of helping one live in the moment, mitigating negative thoughts and focusing on all good things that life sends our way.
Lamya Arsiwala, The Yoga House Mumbai, suggests several yoga Asanas that could be practiced to enhance one’s state of mind in case of depression.
1. Baddha Konasana (Butterfly/ Bound Angle Posture)
It is often referred to as the “Cobbler pose”, named after the position cobblers sit in while working. The asana helps strengthen the thighs, knees, hips and the back. It is a great anti-depressant pose and improves emotional stability.
How to do: Sit with an upright back, knees bent and holding your feet tightly together. Deeply inhale and flap your bent legs up and down like a butterfly.
2. Supta Baddha Konasana (Supported Bound Angle Posture)
Supta means reclining. It is often referred to as the “reclined cobbler pose”. This asana helps one become calm and instills a sense of relaxation.
How to do: Lie down straight on the ground with bent knees on either side of the body. Join your feet and bring the heels closer to your groin. Place your palms next to your hips, facing downwards. Slowly exhale and inhale.
3. Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby Pose)This asana relieves fatigue and relaxes the mind. Since it is called the baby pose, the individual practicing the asana really feels the happiness of a baby in that moment.
How to do: Lie down on your back, bringing your knees closer to your stomach. Inhale and hold your feet with your hands. If you have difficulty holding your feet then hold on to your ankles in the beginning and progress towards heel as you continue to do the pose daily. Breathe gently and rock from one side to the other if you feel comfortable.
4. Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
It is a great asana for reducing stress and anxiety. It takes the shape of a bridge and hence the name. It also helps maintain normal blood pressure.
How to do: Lie flat on the ground, face up and hands on either side. Slowly lift your hips upwards while inhaling. Bring it back down and repeat.
5. Child's Pose
An extremely soothing posture, the child's pose helps achieve peace and is a great relaxation technique.
How to do: Sit on your knees. Slowly exhale and bring your torso down between your thighs. Place your hands on the floor alongside your torso and release the fronts of your shoulders toward the floor
Practicing these asanas on a regular basis will help overcome depression and improve mental health and well-being tremendously.
Wheezing, gasping for air, feeling a general tightness in the chest might be common symptoms for you if you suffer from asthma. A chronic breathing disorder, asthma causes the narrowing of the bronchial airways that hampers normal breathing. This contraction may be triggered by allergens like pollen, dust, leading to a decreased amount of airflow in the lungs.
The breathing exercises that are prominently taught in yoga focus on slow inhalation and exhalation that build up the lung capacity. The intercostal or breathing muscles are also strengthened by yoga that can improve breathing. However, there are some specific asanas that you can try to get relief from asthma.
Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose
Back-bending exercises like bhujangasana help in the opening of the chest, expand the rib cage and improve lung capacity, says Seema Sondhi, yoga expert, The Yoga Studio.
Salabhasana or Locust Pose
This pose strengthens the back and the abdomen and opens up the chest. The final position of the body in this asana resembles a locust.
Ustrasana or Camel Pose
One assumes a camel-like posture in the Ustrasana and it works towards opening the front of your body, pectoral muscles and hip flexors. It engages the entire frontal region and the sides of the body and helps in toning and relaxing the airways.
While these asanas can be challenging for beginners, they can always start out with easy breathing exercises. Dr Anjali Sharma, yoga expert, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, recommends specific ones to try out.
Tadasana or Mountain Pose
It involves standing and practising some stretches while giving special attention to regulating your breathing. Sondhi advises working more on the inhalation as patients tend to gasp for air while having an asthma attack and deep inhalation exercises can strengthen the muscles.
Kati Chakrasana
This pose improves the inhalation capacity and also gives the spine a nice stretch.
Pawanmukta Asana or Wind Relieving Pose
This asana involves lifting up the legs to a 90-degree angle from the floor while maintaining slow inhalation and exhalation of the breath. It also stretches the neck and the back, and relieves constipation.
Besides these, one can also try the Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose), and Matsyasana (Fish Pose). Dr Sharma encourages animal form of breathing and Yogi Kriyas to get relief from asthma. She recommends Jal Neti, which is a form of nasal cleansing and involves passing salt water through one nostril and eliminating it out of the other.
Another kriya she recommends is Vaman Dhauti that includes vomiting out salt water, thereby cleaning the passages from where allergens can enter.
Regular practice of these asanas will help give relief, however, it is recommended to practise under the supervision of a teacher.