Siddhasana and the Heart

Recently, medical scientists have found an important connection between the reproductive metabolism and the heart. Excessive and uncontrolled levels of the male hormone testosterone in the blood are correlated with a preponderance of such traits as over-assertiveness, acquisitiveness and latent or overt aggression which characterize the cardiac personality, the type most prone to a sudden heart attack. Research has revealed the existence of specific receptor sites for this hormone in the Myocardial tissue of the heart, and also in the walls of the larger blood vessels, and it is now felt that Myocardial damage is induced by testosterone accumulation at these sites.

Heart attack is far more frequent in men than in women, up to the age of the menopause, but beyond that, the incidence between both sexes is similar. This strongly suggests that the female hormonal environment bestows a natural protection for the feminine heart whereas the male heart is endangered by excessive circulating levels of male hormones. In order to combat this, the masculine emotional and sexual metabolism has to be controlled. For this purpose we recommend the practice of meditation in siddhasana, where the lower heel exerts pressure in the area of the prostate gland in the region of the perineal floor, and the upper heel is against the pubic bone, above the root of the generative organ.

This posture stabilizes the two lower psychic centres- mooladhara chakra and swadhisthana chakra, redirecting prana upwards towards the higher centres. Blockage of energy within these two centres is responsible for many health problems and also poses a barrier which has to be crossed in spiritual life. Mooladhara is the root centre in which an infinite source of pranic energy lies dormant and asleep, while swadhisthana is the centre responsible for the sexual and emotional metabolism in which our psychic energy most spontaneously manifests itself. When our emotional life does not extend beyond this plane, blood pressure and cardiac function remain unstable and our role and purpose in life remains ill-defined and unclear. There is an 'ache' in the heart which never knows the experience of constancy, beyond the fickle and transitory emotional feelings. But the higher experiences of the human heart and mind remain impenetrable unless the energy can be stabilized and led up into the higher centres of consciousness. In this sense, heart diseases can be considered an evolutionary malady, where we suffer due to our bondage on the emotional plane, while our being aches to experience the constancy of human life which arises when emotional attachments and aversions have been transcended.

Siddhasana is the posture which is recommended by Dr. Christian Barnard, the heart transplant surgeon, to stabilize cardiac function in his patients. We have found that it proves most beneficial when learned during the late teens or early twenties, when the emotional and sexual drives and passions are likely to be unruly. At that time, siddhasana is found to rectify problems such as excessive nocturnal emission. If followed throughout life it bestows protection from emotional ravages and stabilizes the passions, preventing later cardiac demise. The heart is protected when there is neither suppression of, nor anarchical expression of the emotional complexes. The key to preservation of the heart lies in controlled expression of our desires, instincts and drives and this is learned by following the precepts and practices of yoga throughout the different stages of life. By incorporating some asanas, pranayama and meditation into the daily program from an early age, the penalty of an overtaxed heart is avoided in middle age, and the emotions are channelled and expressed in a more creative way throughout life.

The central role of cholesterol should be understood. This fatty substance is the precursor from which the sex hormones are synthesized by the gonads and the adrenal glands. It is also required in the production of the spermatozoa by the testes, along with other fatty protein complexes known as lipoproteins. These are needed to provide the structural requirements of the sperms, and also to provide the machinery which gives every sperm such an enormous energetic and motile capacity.

If the emotional and reproductive metabolism is unruly and uncontrolled then the turnover of new sperms must occur at a rapid rate and an enormous amount of energy must be constantly provided to synthesize these replacement sperms. As a result a high level of cholesterol and protein is necessary, and this usually comes from dietary sources. This necessitates a high protein and fat diet, and demands that the physiological systems of digestion and cell synthesis operate at a very high rate, pushing up the metabolic rate and basal temperature in the process. Strain on the heart, the digestive organs such as the liver, and the eliminatory organs such as kidneys, bowels and sweat glands, is inevitable. Excessive wear and tear on the physiological systems is the end result and cardiac strain is one foremost effect.

Clearly the emotional metabolism must be stabilized if the body is to be preserved. This can be attained by the twin approach of dietary regulation, where a decreased protein and fat intake is recommended, coupled with the growth of self-knowledge, self-expression and self-control, which develops by following the royal path of yoga in the midst of the various worldly confrontations and difficulties. These measures are the best insulators against heart disease in the community as a whole.

In this regard, it is not enough to simply follow the precepts of a traditional religion. While this may provide a degree of mental and emotional security, it is actually suppressive and anti-evolutionary, for it does not allow us to come to terms with the emotional and instinctual factors of our nature directly. Traditional religions offer only precepts and concepts, but yoga offers psycho-physiological practices which channel emotional energy correctly. The key to an enlightened emotional and sexual life, free of mental conflicts and physiological exhaustion lies in the practice of yoga techniques in conjunction with our normal daily life experiences. Yoga does not require renunciation, but leads its practitioner to a fuller enjoyment of every aspect of life. The experiences of life should be enjoyed and understood if we are to progress and evolve. Blind adherence to dogmas only blocks this evolutionary process, leading to mental illness and physical disease, but yoga offers the sublime way to fully appreciate life and complete our evolutionary journey.

thankyou...............

Cerebral dysrythmia (epilepsy) &yoga

In this illness, the person is subject to paroxysmal attacks of explosive action in the brain. In its severest form (grande mal) he loses consciousness, falls to the ground, and the body undergoes spasmodic convulsions. During the attack he may injure himself, and in extreme cases (status epilepticus) he may die.

The usual medical treatment for cerebral dysrhythmia is by drugs, and these generally stop the attacks if the person takes them for the rest of his life. However, their side effects can cause real problems. Many of the drugs have toxic effects on the blood, the gums, and other organs, especially if taken for a long time. Others make the person tired and stupid. Those who have treated cerebral dysrhythmia over the years have seen bright intelligent people functioning as 'zombies' not because of the epilepsy, but because of the drugs, and they would like to find a better treatment. This is a serious problem and if we can find a way to control cerebral dysrhythmia without drugs, or even to reduce the drugs for people who are suffering their side effects, we will be making an important contribution to healing sciences.

For centuries, yoga practices have been used for the treatment of cerebral dysrhythmia and in many cases, it has been found that not only do the attacks stop, but the person's perceptions and abilities expand as well. The patient practises a small group of classical major postures (bhujangasana, shashankasana, shalabhasana, sarvangasana), some breathing exercises (nadi shodhana, ujjayi, bhastrika) and mantra meditation (in this case ajapa japa). If the person has a lot of mental tension, bhramari pranayama, kunjal and neti are practised. On the other hand, if he is of phlegmatic temperament, the practices of kriya yoga are of greater benefit.

With the treatment of cerebral dysrhythmia, much discretion is needed on the part of the yoga therapist, who must be expert in the field. The practices must be designed to suit the individual person, and the anticonvulsant drugs reduced very slowly over months. However, when this is done correctly, the results are most gratifying.

thankyou...........

Bronchitis and emphysema & yoga

There is another group of conditions in which the bronchial tubes are obstructed and the patient cannot breathe properly. The two main forms are chronic bronchitis (long term inflammation of the bronchial tubes), and emphysema (excessive dilation of the air sacs due to damage to their walls). These two conditions are a real problem, because such patients usually continue to deteriorate despite the best treatment medical science can offer. In 1978, Dr. M. K. Tandon published in the journal Thorax an account of his work with twenty two elderly patients with severe cases of these conditions. Half of these people were given routine physiotherapy treatment, and the other half received yoga training. Tandon found that, "At the end of the nine months the yoga trained subjects reported to have:

1. Improved exercise tolerance.
2. Quicker recovery after exertion.
3. Control over an attack of shortness of breath without the need of medical help.
4. Definite improvement in their overall chest condition.

The breathing pattern of the yoga trained group was changed to a more efficient one. It was deeper and slower as compared with their original condition before the experiment and as compared with the shallow fast breathing of the physiotherapy group which showed no improvement in the breathing pattern."

We must remember too that these are severe diseases in elderly people who, under ordinary conditions, would have deteriorated during the nine months of the investigation, rather than improving as well as they did with yoga.

thankyou........

Headache & yoga

A common form of headache, which causes widespread distress throughout the world, is migraine. This is caused by swelling of the arteries of the scalp and inside the skull, probably because of instability of the autonomic nervous system in that area.

Migraine is usually treated by drugs containing a derivative of ergot fungus. However, these drugs are toxic; they frequently don't relieve the attack once it has started, and they have no effect on reducing the tendency for the attacks to recur.

Yoga can be incredibly effective in treating migraine. It has been discovered in many yoga centres, including Satyananda Ashrams, that the combination of shatkarmas (kunjal daily, neti twice daily, shankhaprakshalana every three months), with the daily practice of simple yoga postures (pawanmuktasana part 1), brahmari pranayama, and finishing with yoga nidra, completely eliminates migraine in the majority of sufferers.

Tension headaches are related to migraine but manifest through the somatic nervous system instead of through the autonomic nervous system. In fact, the two types of headache often occur in the same person. These also respond very well to the other practices mentioned above.

As in the case of asthma, a person who begins to feel an attack of migraine coming on need only practise kunjal kriya, and there is an excellent chance that the attack will be averted. Needless to say, recurrent headaches in a person who has not had them before, or headache which becomes continuous, must be investigated medically. But when we are sure that the cause of the headache is migraine or tension, then the yoga techniques are far superior to drugs and should be practised in every case.

Yoga the Opportunity for Health

Yoga is a science of consciousness. It is an integrated system of techniques by which we develop our hidden potentials to the fullest. Our qualities of love, joy, security, confidence, discrimination, intelligence, intuition, higher abilities and awareness, expand as we practise yoga. This is the fundamental aim and use of this ancient system.

However, there is another important aspect to the practices. Along the way to higher consciousness, the basic causes of illness are interrupted and eliminated, almost as a side effect - a bonus. This is because the samskaras which are dulling our awareness, are the same ones which cause our mental and physical illnesses. By uprooting the samskaras, and thus changing the pattern of the mind, the mental conflict that exacerbates illness is removed allowing the body's self-healing functions to operate. Hence, yoga, although never meant as a therapy, is so effective in helping us to attain and maintain abundant good health and well being. People who practise yoga don't need to worry about how to treat illnesses, they remain healthy and energetic, tranquil and balanced. That's the secret of yoga and that's the opportunity for all of us.

Yoga therapy has proved effective in a variety of disorders and is being used today not only by yoga practitioners but by wider circles of medical and paramedical practitioners. In the following disorders we show how yoga therapy along with medical consultation when necessary provides greater healing benefits with less chance of recurring symptoms.

thankyou...........

Yoga at Office

Working in an office or at a computer for prolonged periods of time can put strain on the neck, shoulder and back muscles which in turn can lead to tension and stiffness. This tension can cause headaches, as well as back, neck and shoulder pain. If left unattended, it could also impact your ability to function effectively at work and your overall quality of life. Simple techniques such as Office Yoga may help alleviate the pain and other symptoms by releasing tension and increasing muscle strength and flexibility.

Work is a necessity in our lives. It is better to make the best of the responsibility imposed upon us. Most of us are locked up for hours inside the office or are hooked to computers in our cubicles. Hence, physical ailments, stiffness of various muscles in the body and mental fatigue gradually make their existence, transforming our lives into a complete hell.

Doctors and psychologists have opined together that working out simple yoga postures in the office is not only effective in terms of physical exercises but also enlivens the spirit and mind of the tired employee.. Simple techniques may help alleviate the pain and other symptoms by releasing tension and increasing muscle strength and flexibility. They can be performed right on the office chair, any time, any day. Take a few minutes for yourself and incorporate some Yoga into your daily routine. Here are some simple Yoga techniques for:

• Right Posture
• Stress
• Neck
• Shoulder
• Eyes
  

• Right Posture:

  Neutral sitting or standing should most essentially be practiced. Often we fail to place ourselves in the correct posture whether standing or sitting and soon the problem begins. However, this simple exercise will help you to keep the position of your spine in order.

• Place your feet hip-distance apart and bend forward.
• Then look down at your feet. Your feet should be parallel (||).
• If you are sitting, keep check that your hips and your knees are in right angles.
• Sit straight and tall at the edge of your chair.

The Warrior Pose is recommended for relaxation of the upper body. Here are the steps:

1. Raise your arms to the sides with fingers pointed out.
2. Take a big step with the left foot turned out and knees bent.
3. Your right leg should be straight and planted on the ground.
4. Keep breathing.
5. Keep your upper body in rest.
6. After few minutes, switch sides. Now, extend your right leg.

Breathing Techniques To De-stress:

Are you yawning heavily at the start of the day or in the post lunch session?
Your stress has increased so profusely that you are falling asleep in office?
Try this breathing technique, it will surely help you to release your stress and you will be fresh to start your work again.

1. Put your right thumb on your right nostril.
2. Deeply breathe in and out the air using your left nostril.
3. Similarly press your left nostril with your right index finger.
4. Inhale and exhale as much as air you can.
5. Practice this for 1 minute, if you have time, for it to be effective.

Neck Training:

While sitting on a chair or in front of the pc, your neck gets affected the most with terrible aching and severe cases, at times leading to spondylitis. Here is a simple way which can relieve you from the stress caused and prevent you from any kind of aching.

1. Keep your hands on your waist and slowly lower your chin so that your neck is relaxed.
2. Your entire body should be straight while you are doing this exercise.
3. Hold 2/3 breath with you neck lowered.
4. Gradually lift up your neck to its neutral position.
5. Then lower you right ear to your right shoulder and repeat the same for the left side.
6. Finally rotate your entire neck from its right to the central neutral position. Keep 2-3 breaths for areas where you need a relaxation.
7. Repeat the same for the left side.

For Your Shoulders:

Shoulder problems often crop up when you sit in the same position for a long period of time. Here is an easy method to keep away your shoulder pains.

1. Stretch your hands on both sides up to your ears, while you inhale.
2. Drop them down to your sides in their normal position, while you exhale.
3. The process should be gradual and raising/dropping of hands should follow your breathing.

Eye Exercise

Your eyes are mirrors to your soul and the most divine gift. Therefore it becomes your duty to take utmost care of them. Overusing your eyes, improper light during work and stress can harm your eyes. Here are some simple ways to prevent any kind of damage to this precious gift.

1. Look forward and straight.
2. Gradually look up towards the ceiling keeping your head & neck in the neutral position and by sucking in the air.
3. Slowly drop your sight down on the floor while taking out the air and maintaining the position of the neck and head.
4. Practice this at least 5 times.
5. Then blink your eyes several times and close them to relax.
6. Do the same side wise.
7. Then gradually rotate your eyes in a clockwise manner. thankyou...........

Facial Yoga

It is less painful than plastic surgery and definitely cheaper than non-surgical injections that temporarily reduce or eliminate wrinkles -- but it can make you look young.

Yes, facial yoga -- which gives you the benefits of a face-lift without the danger and expense of surgery -- is the latest craze in India as a number of people, regardless of age, are enrolling themselves for training classes.

Your face works hard. All day long it helps you see, breathe, chew, speak, laugh, cry, kiss, grin, grimace, smile, frown, sneeze and whole lot more. It gets hit by sun, rain, wind, snow, rubs, scratches, scrapes, make-up, grit and grime, as well as smiles, stares, glares and other looks from friends, family and strangers.

There are about 16 muscles, a dozen bones and assorted arteries, veins and blood vessels that help your face do the things it does. Like muscles in other parts of your body, your face muscles absorb and store a lot of stress and tension. Unless you relax those muscles, they get stiff and hard and look strained. Tense muscles also constrict blood vessels, limiting the flow of blood and nutrients to your face. What's more, the tension in your face muscles can cause headaches and spread down into our neck and shoulders. A few simple exercise can help relieve facial tension and help you look and feel more relaxed.

Your face deserves a break. Below are a few simple face exercise that help relax tense muscles, release stress and improve circulation.

1. Palming. - Find a comfortable seated position, either on floor on a cushion or in a chair. Sit with your back straight. Begin with your eyes closed. Focus on your breath as it moves in and out of your nostrils. Cool air in, warm air out. - Rub your palms together very fast until they feel warm. Then cup them over your closed eyes. - Repeat. Benefits: Soothes the optic nerve, eyes and area around the eyes.

2. The Great Rub - Place the index and middle fingers of both hands in the middle of your forehead. Rub your forehead by making small circles with your fingers. - Move your fingers across your brow and to your temples, pausing there to give them a gentle massage. This is an area where we hold stress and tension that can often lead to headaches. - Then move down from your temples to the hinge of your jaw, pausing to massage your jaw muscles. - From there, move across your cheeks and up along the side of your nose to your forehead. - Repeat.

Benefits: Releases stress and tension, particularly in the temples and jaw.

3. Eye socket massage. - Take your index and middle fingers of each hand and place them on either side of your nose just below the bridge. Rub your fingers up to the bridge of your nose and along your eyebrows. - You'll feel a notch in your eye socket where the bone begins to turn downward. Rub the notch gently for a moment. Then follow the line of the socket rim down beneath the eye and back up along the side of your nose. - Repeat 3-5 times.

Benefits: Relaxes the eyes and surrounding areas, and relieves stress and tension.

4. Clenched smile. - Grit your teeth and open your lips as wide as they will go. - Feel your lips, cheeks, chin and neck stretch to their limit. Hold…and release. - Repeat. Benefits: Increases circulation, relaxes faces muscles, relieving stress and tension.

5. Scrunches - Scrunch your face real tight. Purse your lips, draw your cheeks in toward your nose, pull your eye brows down and bring the flesh of your chin up toward your mouth. - Hold…and release. - Repeat.

Benefits: Provides a counter stretch to the "Clench" exercise. Increases circulation, relaxes faces muscles, relieving stress and tension.

6. The Lion. - Take a deep breath. - All at once, exhale forcefully, open your mouth wide, stick your tongue out as far as it will go, say "Aghhhhhhh," and open your eyes wide and look up. - Repeat 3 times.

Benefits: Relieves tension in the throat and face, stimulates the eyes and improves circulation.

7. Cheek Pinch. Pinch your cheeks, by grabbing bits of flesh and giving them a squeeze.

Benefit : Improves circulation.

thankyou......