Yoga News

Receiving a disease diagnosis places a tremendous psychological and emotional weight on one’s shoulders. And, if stress of a serious illness alone wasn’t enough, surgeries, medications, all the vast and often confusing treatment options, and trying to maintain a normal life on top of it all can build a burden that is almost too much to bear.

In a sad irony, science has shown that not only does this stress take away from our already strained emotional well-being, it impacts our immune function as well—compounding whatever condition we suffer from.

Since 1962, researchers have measured the negative effects of stress on the physiology and found that prolonged stress inhibits the body’s natural ability to fight of disease, heal itself, and maintain health. For example, research conducted in 1999 by psychobiologist Shamgar Ben-Eliyahu and colleagues revealed that stresses lead to an increase in both the size and number of tumors in lab rats. 

Another study, conducted by Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser and colleagues, found that the blood chemistry of students around exam time revealed an immune suppression unseen in blood samples taken one month previously. In other words, even test-anxiety can weaken the body’s ability to care for itself.

 Biologically speaking, the body’s stress response developed to protect the physiology from temporary threats, such as physical attacks. The stress-hormone fluctuations that occur when we experience threats increase muscular tension, speed up heart rate, and flood our system with adrenaline in preparation for “fight or flight.” However, when this stress is drawn out over a long period of time, such as days, weeks, or even months and years, the body experiences negative side effects from sustaining an almost constant state of tension. Headaches, fatigue, and irritability develop, along with more serious conditions that can include heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.

For those suffering from cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses, this stress is only compounded by the threat of their disease.

Fortunately, just as stress weakens the immune system, the release of stress can bolster it. A 1989 study conducted by Stanford psychiatrist David Spiegel found that women with metastatic breast cancer who participated in a support group lived longer than those who did not. The study found that group support could protect against or lessen stress.

Similarly, the practice of yoga for breast cancer patients can bring much needed relief from stress, bringing calm and ease to the mind and enhancing the body’s immune function.

Even the American Cancer Society acknowledges that yoga for cancer can "reduce levels of stress and bring about feelings of relaxation and well-being...[and] enhance quality of life for some patients with cancer." By releasing tension and relaxing the body and mind, yogatherapy for cancer patients and cancer survivors can revitalize immune function and restore the body’s ability to heal itself.

Studies have demonstrated yoga’s ability to reduce stress hormone levels and relieve acute tension. Many yogatherapy practitioners report a greater state of calm from their practice, as well as improved mood and overall sense of health. In one study, researchers found that yoga for breast cancer patients reduced stress levels and improved well-being. Another study, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, found that yoga breathing for cancer combined with asanas improved sleep quality, energy levels during the day, and quality of life.

By relaxing tension and restoring healthy immune function, yoga offers cancer patients and survivors, as well those suffering other serious conditions, a chance to go from a place of surviving to a place where they can once again begin to thrive.

For everyone who has ever wondered: does yoga help prevent osteoporosis—and if so, how? There's finally a book out that definitively answers the question.

Co-authored by Loren Fishman, MD and Ellen Saltonstall, Yoga for Osteoporosis not only explains how yoga prevents—and can reverse--osteoporosis, but also provides readers with instructions and over 400 illustrations on how to practice poses to increase bone density, muscular strength, and balance.

With a thorough overview of the pathology, prevention, and treatment of osteoporosis, the book lays a solid foundation for the reader to understand how yoga provides relief.

Furthermore, in a two-year study, author Fishman demonstrated that a mere 10 minutes of yoga a day added more than 3/4ths of a point to the T scale of participants’ spine bone-density tests, and 4/5ths of a point for their hip bone-density. In other words, patients who scored half-way between osteoporosis and osteopenia improved enough to re-enter the normal bone density range. Moreover, some patients with full blown osteoporosis regained enough bone-density to return to an osteopenia classification.

Ultimately, the explanation behind yoga’s beneficial effects on osteoporosis is simple: study after study has shown that the best treatment for the condition is low-impact, bone-strengthening exercises. Such exercise should ideally provide weight-bearing but not put cartilage or joints at risk; it should include isometric exercise and stretch the patient’s range of motion, and it should be modifiable for a patient’s specific needs and limitations. Yoga stands apart from other forms of exercise by fitting this bill perfectly.

In the pages of Yoga for Osteoporosis, the authors cover which yoga poses are best for safely preventing or reversing bone loss and give detailed instructions on how to perform them. The poses in the book come with three difficulty levels: beginning, intermediate, and advanced. Contraindications and modifications are also given.

Every year, forty-four million Americans suffer from low bone density, and osteoporosis is the culprit behind over 1.5 million fractures annually. For anyone looking to reverse, stave off, or prevent osteoporosis, Yoga for Osteoporosis provides a comprehensive, user-friendly guide to a medically-effective yoga program.

In addition to aiding with osteoporosis, yoga has been shown to be an effective treatment for back pain and other structural aches.

We’ve all been there: the class when the teacher tells you to move into Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, and all you can think is: “what?”

Well now, thanks to the people at Drishti Yoga, there’s a new, fun way to learn all the names of yoga poses, so that you won’t have to look around the room at the other students in order to know which posture to move into next.

Drishti’s news iPhone app, Yoga Quiz Cards, combines beautiful images and both the Sanskrit and English names of 120 fundamental yoga poses to help the aspiring student (or teacher) develop their knowledge of the practice.

The app uses a customizable quiz that allows users to test their recall and also gives students the option to study at level 1 or level 2 poses. Sanskrit names are given with translations, and the app comes with a search option for quick reference.

The app is available for download through iTunes for $1.99, and those interested can also enter a quick, simple contest through YogaDork to win a free copy: just comment on the blog post, and you’re automatically entered to win!

By Malinda Gosvig

Every month, it appears, brings news of more studies demonstrating the health benefits of yoga. Most recently, some of the studies we have reported on here at YogaTherapyweb.com show yoga to bring relief for people suffering from heart failure, diabetes, and more.

Naturally, however, if you have the choice, it’s a lot smarter to use yoga to stay healthy, rather than to turn to yoga as therapy after a disease condition has developed. And, here’s the good news: yoga is for every body, not just for the young and flexible. So, to help you stay healthy in 2010, here are some tips for beginning yoga.

1. Throw out the idea that yoga is only for people of a certain age. While calendars and DVD covers may show us pictures of the young and the beautiful entwined in pretzel-asanas, the truth is that yoga is not about the physical expression, but the internal process of transformation. Any yoga pose, no matter how simple, if done with mindfulness and awareness will offer benefits.

For example, senior adults can often find relief from stiffness, arthritis aches, and lower back pain through a simple yoga therapy routine targeted to seniors. There are many stories of people, 65+ and above, who have transitioned from a place of “barely able to get out of bed in the morning” to a place of limberness that leaves them feeling like they’ve turned back the clock. And yoga’s beneficial effects on blood pressure, sleep patterns, and weight add to the mix as well. As many yoga teachers have noticed, senior students who practice yoga often look younger than their age.

2. Forget about having to look thin and fit. For people struggling with obesity or being overweight, yoga not only provides physical conditioning to help shed pounds, it also cultivates a level of awareness that serves as a foundation for better dietary and lifestyle habits over the long-run. However, there’s no reason to think you already have to be in shape in order to get in shape—that’s just nonsense.

People of all weights can enjoy weight-control and other health benefits of yoga by modifying poses to accommodate their level of ability. With regular practice, yoga students will find they are developing a greater degree of strength and flexibility, as well as shedding unwanted pounds. Also, those who cope with excess weight shouldn’t feel shy enrolling in a yoga class: classes are designed to be self-referral, so that students remained focused on their own bodies alone. For students who nonetheless prefer to practice at home, a wide variety of yoga DVDs are available.

Over time, regular yoga can help practitioners shed weight, gain strength and flexibility, and look and feel younger. But by no means are students expected to already display yoga’s benefits when they first sign up for classes!

3. Try an introductory class.  Many studios offer free first-time classes, so if you’re not sure what you think of yoga, you can try it risk-free. Even those who already have some level of physical conditioning may be surprised at the benefits they’ll experience from just one class. Athletes, for example, have found that yoga can improve their strength, flexibility, and balance. Several USM sports teams have seen greater success on the playing field due to yoga.

Even for those who have worked with a DVD before, trying a class with a live instructor can provide important benefits. It’s possible to practice poses incorrectly while working with a book or yoga video, but a certified yoga teacher will come around and help you find a level of the pose that holds your body in proper alignment.

4. Don’t strain. Many times, new yoga students will assume the approach of “more is better.” In yoga, this statement is only true if “more” applies to relaxation, balance, and awareness. It is important not to strain the body in yoga; the purpose of the practice is to learn how to work with your physiology, not against it. Accept your body’s limitations—gently stretch them, but don’t strain.  Pushing and rushing the practice can lead to injury. This is another reason why many students benefit best from working with an instructor who can help pace them, as opposed to working with a book or yoga DVD at home.

5. Shop around. Not all yoga classes are made equal, and even the most excellent classes will offer different benefits for different people. Take a few introductory classes with different studios to find out which class style best suits your personal needs. You may find one you love, or you may find a couple you enjoy switching between. Working with different instructors, even within the same style of yoga, can help develop different aspects of body awareness, since each yoga teacher has his or her own, unique method of approach.

6. Be safe. If you are pregnant or if you suffer from chronic health problems, it’s best to consult with your doctor before beginning any type of new exercise, including yoga. Also, it’s possible your doctor may know of yoga programs in the area that can help target certain health concerns you may have.

By Malinda Gosvig

According to a recent study published in the April issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise yoga therapy may help improve the health of heart failure patients, as indicated by several measures, including inflammatory markers, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, and overall quality of life.

Conducted by Paula R. Pullen, Ph.D., of Georgia State University in Atlanta, and colleagues, the study looked at 40 different patients (38 African American, 1 Asian, and 1 Caucasian) with systolic or diastolic heart failure. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: one that received 16 regular session of yoga therapy for heart disease patients over the course of eight to ten weeks and a control group that was instructed to follow a home walk program.

At the start of the study, all patients were measured for endurance, flexibility, inflammatory markers (including interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and extracellular superoxide dismutase), and quality of life according to the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire.

At the end of the study, researchers again measured both groups and discovered significant improvements in the yoga therapy group —not just in one or a few areas, but across the board. The results reveal that yoga therapy can offer benefits to African Americans suffering from heart failure by improving flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, inflammatory markers, and overall quality of life.

For anyone suffering from heart failure or another kind of heart disease, the evidence that yoga offers natural therapy should be welcome news. So often in today’s society, conventional heart failure or heart disease “cures” isolate one specific aspect of our health, ignoring or even exacerbating other concerns. Yoga therapy, however, addresses underlying heart failure and heart disease causes and can bring improvement to all aspects of our health. Yoga therapy can also work alongside conventional treatments to help cure heart disease and heart failure and minimize side effects of medication.

Heart failure is tragically common: nearly 5 million Americans suffer from the serious cardiovascular disorder, and that number is rising. The outlook for patients is bleak: according to the Heart Failure Society of America, less than 50% of patients are living five years after their initial diagnosis, and after ten years, that number is halved again. Furthermore, the disease hits hard among African Americans, especially those who are at an economic disadvantage.

With heart failure rates accelerating alongside other cardiovascular diseases in our society, the need for a medically effective and cost-effective solution is more pressing than ever. Fortunately, in addition to its broad range of heart-related health benefits, yoga offers an inexpensive solution for those who may not be able to afford regular treatments for their condition. Once learned, yoga poses can be practiced at home. Patients who can’t attend a class can also practice with a yoga DVD.

By Malinda Gosvig

While Indian yogis are often pictures as ascetics living a recluse lifestyle in remote corners of the Himalayas, Indian yoga master Swami Ramdev defies the mold. The 50-something yoga guru, agile and lithe as ever, seeks to give his country’s politics the same reconditioning he provides to his ever-growing number of students.

The yoga master announced in March that he plans to form a new political party, which will revolutionize the way the India is run. “What the people need is honest, brave and responsible leadership,” he said in an interview. Swami Ramdev hopes to eradicate corruption and mend the divisions of religion and caste that currently plague his country’s political system by reintroducing traditional Indian values. He intends to heal and strengthen his nation through the same means he brings health and strength to his students: through the ancient Indian wisdom found in holy Vedic texts. His formula? Clean up the body, then clean up democracy.

Though he does not intend to run for office himself, the yoga master/guru plans to have candidates run for all of India’s 543 parliamentary seats in the 2014 general election, reports the New York Times.

Regardless of how his political endeavors go, Swami Ramdev’s yoga teachings have met with extraordinary success in India. While not well known in the West, Swami Ramdev is legendary in India, not just for his yoga teachings, but for his humanitarian efforts. In addition to a hospital, an Ayurvedic medical school, and a research institution, Swami Ramdev oversees an agricultural and processing operation that produces products ranging from shampoo to herbal supplements. He has led yoga classes in the U.S. (where he intends to open a yoga and health center), Japan, and Nepal and his organization recently acquired a small island of the coast of Scotland. 

By Deborah Rubin,

While we may look back at childhood with rose-colored-glasses, kids often have to deal with significant stress and frustrations, which even an adult would find challenging. And, for children with developmental disorders, such stresses can be tremendously difficult to deal with.

Yoga teachers working with yoga for kids with special needs report that yoga can inspire confidence and a greater sense of ease i children’s lives, including kids struggling with autism or Dow's syndrome.

Children with autism process information differently from other children. They have a hard time communicating with other children, and the frustration from this often makes them resort to angry or emotional outbursts.

According to Dallas-based yoga instructor, Lynne Silberman, yoga can help improve communication and foster a sense of group dynamics in children, who are often unable to participate in sports or other organized team activities. By working alongside each other as they practice yoga, the kids develop a sense of community along with greater physical awareness, mind-body coordination, and inner peace. Many children, Silberman also gain greater confidence and begin to speak more.

Students at Hygiene Elementary in Longmont, CO can expect more tree poses than tennis in the coming months of their P.E. classes, thanks to the addition of yoga teacher and story teller Sydney Solis to the school’s fitness department.

The founder of Storytime Yoga, Solis teaches classes that incorporate both body and mind by having the kids move through yoga routines that tell imaginative tales. According to Solis, this combination approach to fitness not only develops strength, balance, stamina, and flexibility for the children, but allows them to integrate the yoga practice with their imaginations as well.

According to TimesCall.com, the cost of Hygiene’s new yoga/storytelling P.E. program is covered by a grant from the Longmont Council for the Arts. As an integrated academic arts focus school, Hygene follows the district’s curriculum but incorporates “visual arts, music, drama, movement, creative writing and technology to promote meaningful connections.” According to the article, the program so far is meeting with success:

At an introductory assembly Wednesday afternoon, Solis shared a Jewish folktale from India about a king who discovered his one true love.

She then asked students to retell the story with their bodies by standing in mountain pose and assuming the tree pose, which requires them to balance on one foot and reach their clasped palms over their heads.

Despite some flailing and flopping, fourth-grader Sophie Storz, 10, said she enjoyed the poses.

“It just calms you down and gets all our energy out,” she said.

Six years ago, Anita Lopez graced the KUSA-9News anchor desk to deliver the week’s top headlines. However, when two devastating injuries left her with chronic back pain that rendered her unable to sit in a chair, Anita found herself pulled out of the news world and faced with dramatic story of her own: a downward-spiraling painkiller addiction.

According to The Denver Post, after trying traditional physical therapies — traction, massage, strength training — without finding relief for her chronic back pain, Lopez turned to the only pain relief she could find: the medicine cabinet.

It wasn’t until CNN covered Rush Limbaugh’s prescription-drug-abuse story that Lopez realized she had a problem. 

"I immediately went to the medicine cabinet and realized I was taking more painkillers than Rush did," Lopez explains to The Denver Post.

The wake-up call motivated Lopez to battle her addiction, turning away from the pills and heading for a healthy, balanced alternative instead, using yoga as therapy for back pain. She had practiced yoga before, but had gotten away from it. Now, with the help of regular yoga classes, Lopez not only overcame her drug addiction, but also restored her body into a healthy, naturally pain-free state. By taking two yoga classes six to seven days a week, Lopez was able to grow out of the downward spiral she had been stuck in and triumph over both pills and pain.

Like so many people before her, the experience of how effectively yoga helped her back pain prompted Lopez to take up a new career path: teaching yoga. Under the business name Anita Yoga, she now offers Yoga at Work classes to businesses, teaching courses in 12-week sessions covered by the company, employee, or a combination of both.

According to Lopez, large corporations like Nike, Forbes, Apple and other Fortune 500 companies have been providing onsite yoga for years, with fruitful benefits to the individual participants and company as a whole.

A report from a recent U.S. Senate investigation holds GlaxoSmithKline responsible for tens of thousands of heart attacks occurring as a result of the diabetes drug Avandia. The Senate report also indicates that both GlaxoSmithKline and the FDA not only knew about the potentially fatal side effects of Avandia, but went to lengths to hide the evidence and keep the drug on the market.

According to the Senate report, Big Pharma drugs all too often "put public safety at risk because the FDA has been too cozy with drug makers and has been regularly outmaneuvered by companies that have a financial interest in downplaying or under-exploring potential safety risks."

U.S. Senators Grassley and Baucus championed the report which was the result of the investigation of over 250,000 pages of documentation. Currently hundreds of thousands of Americans are taking Avandia and it is estimated that hundreds die every month from side effects from the drug. Click here for the full story in NaturalNews.com.

For natural ways to manage diabetes see Yoga for Diabetes and Natural Remedies for Diabetes.