# 47 - Yogic Breathing and Breath Locks

Eight popular yogic breath techniques in the prevention and healing of various common ailments are as follows - ujjayi (victorious) for asthma, shitali (horizontal cooling) for diabetes, shitkari vertical cooling) for lumbago, brahmari (bumble bee) for hypertension, shanmukhi (seashell) for sciatica, anulom-vilom (alternate left-right nostril) for piles or hemorrhoids, bhastrika (bellows) for constipation, and kapalbhati (shining skull) for arthritis. There are three kinds of yogic breath locks – jalandhira (of the throat), uddiyana (of the abdomen), and moola (of the pelvic base).

# 46 - How Ailments Are Connected

It has been scientifically proven that many ailments are related to one another in some way. Of the eight common ailments (arthritis, asthma, constipation, diabetes, hypertension, lumbago, piles/ hemorrhoids, and sciatica), some affect the body (manifested by constipation), while others afflict the mind (manifested by a hypertensive state). For example, high cholesterol levels may lead to diabetes; chronic constipation often causes migraines; and an attack of asthma raises anxiety levels, potentially causing a hypertensive state. Nevertheless, it is also a proven fact that positive attitudes to diet, breath, and exercise have a direct impact on human health. Yoga attempts to supplement this philosophy with a holistic approach to various sattvic diets, ailment specific breathing techniques, and effective stretching.

# 45 - Chakras or Energy Centers

There are seven primary vortices of energy that form the core of our activity. These are called chakras, or wheels of energy that keep the body in motion. Each chakra or energy center in the human body relates to one bodily function. Base chakra is called mooladhara (excretory system); lower abdominal chakra is swadishtana (digestive); upper abdominal chakra is manipura (endocrine); the chakra at the base of our throat is jalandhira (respiratory); eyebrow center is ajna chakra (pituitary); and crown of head represents sahasrara chakra (cranial). Anahata or heart chakra is central to all else, and is linked to our emotions.

# 44 - Preparation for Tendon Stretching

Some basic stretches that help loosen the body in preparation for yoga practice are:

Neck roll - move neck from side to side in gentle semi-circular motion

Shoulder roll - rotate shoulders back and forth, connect elbows from behind

Knee roll - feet together, gently bend knees and rotate left and right

Wrist roll - flex wrists up, down, sideways; stretch, fold fingers into fist, release

Thigh flex - cross left thigh over right, turn upper body to left; reverse sides

Ankle flex - move ankles up, down, sideways; stand on toes, then on heels

Side stretch - heels together, toes apart, arms overhead; sway torso sideways

Back stretch - hands on buttocks, knees together, inhale deep and lean head way back

Forward stretch - hands on hips, knees slightly apart, exhale fully, fold from hip

Body balance - twine fingers, turn palms out, raise arms high, stand on tiptoe

# 43 - Yoga Complements Medicine

The fact that regular yoga practice helps prevent many common ailments is proof that yoga is in addition to, not instead of other forms of health initiatives. So it should really be identified as a complementary discipline, rather than an alternative science. Think about it - what is so alternative about stretching that will not allow for a peaceful co-existence with other forms of fitness and preventive healthcare? Yoga is quite simply a self contained discipline that involves breath, focus, diet, relaxation techniques without excluding other forms of preventive healthcare. Yoga helps prep mind, body, spirit in tandem harmony. It includes all forms of physical and mental discipline, and explores spiritual terrain at an individual pace.

# 42 - Yoga Myths, Facts, and Trends

Some of the foremost myths about yoga appear to be the following:
myth 1: yoga is a cult, with severe rituals -
fact 1: a cult is ritualistic, and has a leader; yoga has no rituals other than discipline, and has no leaders - only masters.
myth 2: yoga is for women only -
fact 2: the best known contemporary masters of yoga are men - bks iyengar, pattabhi jois, tt krishnamachari, and tkv desikacharya are just the tip of that iceberg.
myth 3: yoga means giving up eating meat -
fact 3: although meat fibers improve muscle strength, a vegetarian diet has natural fibers that improve elasticity.
myth 4: yoga helps us lose body weight -
fact 4: yoga may help lose inches due to muscle toning, but it also primarily monitors body weight by optimizing bodily functions.
myth 5: yoga should be practiced only by slender people -
fact 5: although being slender and/ or naturally flexible help the stretch process, technique and flexibility of mind help even heavy set people stretch as deeply as anyone else.
myth 6: yoga is just a less intense form of exercise -
fact 6: yoga includes breath, focus, relaxation - all of which require intensity of purpose; in fact, low impact tendon stretches in yoga can actually cause an internal sweat.
myth 7: yoga chants have religious overtones -
fact 7: although some practitioners may occasionally choose to take this to a spiritual level, the internal echo in repetitive sounds simply help clear the mind of negative debris.
myth 8: yoga is an esoteric/ erotic practice -
fact 8: because yoga is inclusive rather than exclusive, it may help improve sex life just as any other physical activity might; but the primary purpose of yoga practice is preventive healthcare.

# 41 - Yoga is About Spinal Health

All yoga is about spinal health. Although there are over 50 better known styles of yoga practiced around the world today (each similar yet distinct in their own way), most of them have a common goal - that is to improve mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing by offering strategies that enhance spinal health with breath, movement, diet, and relaxation. A structured approach to preventive healthcare forces us to be responsible for our own pain or progress. Blog entry # 9 observes that, when companies offer incentives for preventive healthcare, we are all healthier, happier nations. Insurance claims are low, and premiums are lower; morale is high, and productivity is higher. Yoga works on one simple premise -when the body is well, all is well.