Yoga and Nature Cure to Diabetes

Diabetes is supposed to be the life long disorder as allopathic medical therapy. But don't be tense, disappointed and depressed. Be hopeful and act wisely to cope with it. It is not only controllable but also curable if you go through some regulation of lifestyle, diet and thinking.

What exactly is diabetes?

It is disorder of digestive system, which can be controlled by changes in life style, regular practice of yoga and diet regulations. It is considered to be a disease of the people who have no place for physical exercise or physical labour. In this disease amount of insulin produced by pancreas is reduced quantitatively, which results in the increase of sugar in blood and excess sugar eliminates outside through urine.

There are beta cells in pancreas to secrets, which are the key to absorb glucose (commonly called sugar) by cell to produce energy for body function. Beta cells need nutrition to function properly. Lack of nutrition supply to beta cells of pancreas cause lack of insulin production. Lack of insulin cause less absorption of glucose by the cells so that extra glucose remain in blood that flows all over the body with damaging effects on vital organ. Categorically there might be two reason of lower supply of nutrition to pancreatic beta cell: First you may not be taking proper nutrition second the digestive system is unable to supply nutrition to pancreas. Diet regulation will definitely give you solution if you are not taking proper nutrition. If there is second reason then we need to go through the process of cleansing and activation followed by re-generation process. Be sure it is possible now.

Cause: The cause of diabetes is better to understand in detail with laymen language for larger benefits. Lack of physical labour; severe pressure of mental work and stress unnatural ways of living and irregular and faulty diet patterns are among the root cause of this disease. Heavy and regular use of fat and sugar products makes the digestive system weak and disturbs the process of metabolism on the body causing not only diabetes but also much more disasters. It is also believed as heredity disease, which used to appear in old age but nowadays it is common among young generation. A major factor responsible for this is badly changed life style.

Treatment: While treating diabetes it should be kept in mind that the patient is made to do adequate physical labour, his diet is controlled, he is kept free from stress, his digestive system is tackled to work properly and diabetic complications are also controlled. The diseases i.e. retinopathy, neuropathy, kidney disorder, etc. are considered as the complications of diabetes.

Yogic and naturopathic treatment of diabetes: -

1. Pranayama: Pranayama should be done early in the morning after being fresh on empty stomach while sitting in comfortable position with spine and neck erect.

• Bhastrika: -Deep breathing exercise for 2-5 min with positive autosuggestion the body is being healed)

• Kapalbhati: - Exhalation of breath by force at the same time contracting abdominal area. At the same time one should feel the increased flow of blood circulation, detoxification and vitalisation of the body along with activation of vital organs viz. kidney, small intestine, large intestine, prostate gland, liver, gal bladder, pancreases, spleen and lungs etc. Practice it for 15 min.

• Bahiya: - Take deep breath exhale it slowly removing all the air out and practice three lock called Uddiyan Bandha (abdominal lock), Jalandhar bandha (neck lock) and mul bandha (anus lock).Uddiyan bandha is bone by contracting abdominal muscle pulling them into ribs while exhaling and hold breath. Jalandhar bandha is done by locking neck by pressing with chin after uddiyan bandha. Mul bandha is done by pulling the anus muscle and hold as more as possible. When you feel that you need to inhale then slowly open neck lock then abdominal lock along with inhalation and finally open anus lock. Practice it thrice.

• Anulan vilom (Alternate breathing): - Lock your right nostril with right thumb then inhale through left nostril, lock left nostril with middle and ring fingers of the same hand and then open right nostril by removing the thumb. Exhale through right and again inhale through right, exhale through left and again inhale through the same by exhaling through right. In this way do it for 15 minutes. You may take rest in between by changing another kriya.

• Bhramari: - Close your ears with thumbs and eyes with middle, ring and small fingers while putting index finger on fore head. Close your mouth and inhale through nostril and chant OM with bee sound inside by listening the effect of vibration within. Do it for 5-11 times.

2. Asanas:

• Mandukasana: sit in comfortable position and put your left palm on your navel and right over it then exhale forcefully by removing all air out and bend forward while looking upward. Do it for 15 times.

• Bhujangasana: - Lie down on stomach and put your palm on the ground under shoulder. Lift your body while inhaling up to navel with arm making the position of the body like snake. Come to the ground while exhaling; touch your chin first to ground then nose and finally forehead. Repeat it for 5 times.

• Brisk walking (Jogging) for 15-20 min.

3. Sat karmas:

• Kunjal: - Drink 4-6 glass of lukewarm water with small pinch of salt with tear like test on empty stomach. Bend your body, Put your three fingers into mouth and move it all the water comes out with vomiting taking toxic matter and activating internal organs. It is best to cure cold, cough, and sinus as well to increase memory power.

• Nauli: - In standing position exhale breath and slightly bend forward while putting your palm of both knees. Try to rotate your abdomen while pressing right and left side.

4. Contemplation Meditation with autosuggestion.

Diet Therapy for diabetes

The diet of a diabetic patient is of utmost importance. The age of patient as well as weight, occupation and type of diabetes must be kept in mind for the diet prescription. The patient, whose weight is reduced, requires some more calories than other diabetic patients and the patients having above normal weight should take food of fewer calories so that their fat could be reduced. Diabetes patients may maintain their strength by taking curd as a part of their food.

What does Curd (Yoghurt) do?

There is good news for diabetes eating home made curd (two small bowls a day) is good for you. It slows down the progression of diabetes, lowers bad cholesterol and raises good cholesterol. The findings of the study conducted by the NHD Research Institute (India) are reported in the International journal nutrition. The study examined the effect of bacteria found in home made yoghurt made from skimmed cow or buffalo milk on blood glucose, insulin, lipid levels and liver glycogen. The results confirmed that the bacteria contained in curd could bring about a delaying effect on the progress of diabetes induced by high fructose administration.

The study also prevail that a curd supplement diet delayed the onset of glucose intolerance, hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulineminia and dyspidemia in diabetic. It also reduces the risk of diabetes.

Daily diet schedule for a diabetic patient:

Morning: A cup of bitter guard juice or sprouted methi or one teaspoon of its powder.

Breakfast: Skimmed milk or Amritahar-sprouted grain, moong, methi + amala

Lunch: Rice, Roti (mixed with wheat (75%)gm 15%, soyabean 9% and methi 1%) plenty of vegetables, salads, moong dal and curd.

Evening: Vegetable soup or one glass of milk.

Dinner: As in lunch but use of curd is not advisable in night.

Foods beneficial in diabetes:

Soybean, Cucumber, garlic, Lauki, Bitter guard, Spinach, Bethu, Fenugreek, Amala, Jamun, Bel, Moong Soup, Jau, Kodo, Maiz, Chana, Bitter vegetables prepared in mustard oil, Til, Parval, Dates, Water melon.

Food to avoid by diabetic:

All the sweet products, vanaspati ghee, too sweet fruits, fine flour (Maida) and its product, preserved and packed food products, smoking, chewing of jarda, gutkha, consumption of alcohol is completely prohibited for diabetic patients.

At last but not the least regular long walks are highly beneficial for diabetic patients.

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Chair Yoga - Part II

Chair Yoga

Self Awareness

"There's a yogic phrase: 'Matrika Shakti,'" she says, "which translates to 'the power of the word.' How we use words determines the effectiveness of our teaching and the messages we give to ourselves."

For example, if we have a child who is clumsy or trips or falls often and we tell the child that he/she is clumsy, that he/she could stumble over a thread on the floor, then it is pretty much a guarantee that this child will not become a graceful ballerina!

Lakshmi is also careful not to address any issue as a problem. Instead, she uses the word "challenge" in place of disability, illness, disease, or ailment. Challenge, she says, is more neutral and removes any negative energy around wording. Focusing on abilities and avoiding attention on problems and limitations yields the best results from yoga, or any practice.

Reaping Chair Yoga's Benefits

To get the most benefit from yoga, perform each movement slowly while breathing steadily. As you begin a practice, focus more on the alignment of the body, moving only to the point of slight sensation or gentle stretch. This cultivates the ability to listen to your own body and do only what feels good. Once you've developed an external awareness of the body, you can begin to deepen the breath and become attuned to the internal sensations, including shifts in thoughts, emotions, and energy, using compassionate self-awareness. Eventually, you'll learn to trust your intuitive guidance as you move from one pose to another.

Lakshmi suggests adding an affirmation to each Chair Yoga session. The affirmation, or intention, keeps your mind focused on what you want to accomplish during your practice.

Some of Lakshmi's favorites include:

• Everything is slowing down—my mind, my motion, my breath

• My body is relaxing as deeply as it wants

• It feels good to let my mind relax

To cultivate awareness of your body and emotions and how they shift and change in response to yoga practice, briefly check in with yourself before starting a yoga session, noting how busy your mind is and where you are holding tension in the body. Over time, yoga will remove the blocks that naturally develop in all of us so that energy can flow freely and true healing can take place at the level of mind, body, and spirit.

In 1999, Lakshmi created a tape and tutorial book to bring Chair Yoga into everyone's home and workplace. Lakshmi Chair Yoga modifies many of the more popular asanas, including Sun and Moon Salutations, Mountain, Warrior, Triangle, Tree, Dancer, Eagle, and Stick.

Simple Spinal Movements

The Simple Spinal Movement series moves the spine through all of its available motions—forward and back bending, side bending, and twisting. When coupled with mindful breathing, this series provides a complete yoga session.

Sitting Mountain:

Come halfway forward on your chair. Sit with each "sit bone" equally weighted on the chair, lengthen up through your spine, lift your sternum, tuck the chin slightly so that it is parallel to the floor, and lift the crown of the head toward the sky. Inhale, roll the shoulders forward, up, back, and down and engage the abdominal muscles. Align the knees directly above the ankles and, ideally, position the hips, knees, and ankles at 90-degree angles. Keeping a soft elbow, place the palms of the hands facedown on the knees for grounding, or turn them up as a receiving gesture.

Hold for several three-part (dirgha) breaths: inhaling, expand the belly fully, then draw the breath up into the rib cage, noticing the ribs expand to the side, then continue to draw the breath up into the chest, right up under the collar bone. Exhaling, relax the chest, then the ribs, then and the belly. Repeat.

Cat/Cow:

From Sitting Mountain, with your palms face down on your knee, exhale, tuck your tailbone and curve your spine backwards tucking the chin towards the chest. Inhale, beginning at the tailbone, arch the spine forward, lift the sternum, and reach the crown of the head towards the sky. Repeat slowly four times.

Simple Twist:

From Sitting Mountain, inhale, then while exhaling place the left hand on the right knee, twist around to the right and place your right hand on the chair close to your buttock.  Repeat to the other side. On the fourth repetition, hold the twist for four breaths. Each time you inhale lengthen up through the spine. As you exhale, twist a little more from the belly, chest, and neck and rotate the eyes to look out over your right shoulder. To come out, exhale and rotate the torso forward, hands back to the knees. Repeat to the opposite side.

Side Bend:

From Sitting Mountain, place hands on the hips. Inhale. Exhale, lengthen through the spine and reach the spine to the left, as if you were lengthening out over a full moon. Inhale back up, and then exhale to the right. Repeat four times to each side. On the fourth repetition, take four deep breaths, lengthening the spine slightly on the inhale, and arching a bit more on the exhale. Inhale back up and repeat to the opposite side.

Meditation:

Sit quietly with an upright spine for two minutes, focusing the mind's attention on the breath as it flows in and out of the nostrils or on the rise and fall of the belly with the breath.

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Chair Yoga - Part I

According to a 2003 study by Yoga Journal, over 15 million Americans now practice yoga, and the number is growing. Yoga is perhaps the perfect form of exercise, for in addition to toning and stretching muscles, it works to balance every system of the body. It also calms the mind and reduces stress. And you don't need to twist yourself into a pretzel, or even get down on a mat, to reap the many benefits of this ancient practice. And with Chair yoga, all you need is a chair, your breath, and the willingness to learn. Chair yoga has become more and more common as people with disabilities are realizing the benefits and accessibility of yoga.  

Lakshmi Voelker Binder, a yogini with nearly 40 years of experience, developed Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yoga™: The Sitting Mountain Series ™ in 1987 when one of her students, Candace Terry, found she could no longer get down on the floor to do yoga because of worsening arthritis symptoms.

Accessible to Everyone

"I wanted to develop a style of yoga that would be accessible to everyone, regardless of their physical condition," explains Lakshmi. "With Chair Yoga, everyone, regardless of age or ability, can benefit from yoga."

After Candace began practicing Lakshmi's chair asanas (poses), she quickly became stronger and more flexible. Within six months of daily practice, Candace regained the strength and vitality to attend regular yoga classes again.

Yoga Benefits

Besides being a great stress reliever, yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the opposite of the flight-or-flight (sympathetic) system we easily fall into. The gentle flow of breath and movement calms the mind, increases blood circulation, improves strength, reduces muscle tension, and enhances respiration. It's also grounding, improves focus, and helps people become more in touch with themselves and what they need.

"Many of us live with our sympathetic nervous system activated to some extent nearly all the time," explains Lakshmi. "Deep breathing reminds our bodies of what it feels like to deeply relax." And once we relax, we become more clear-headed and productive.

Benefits for People with Disabilities

For people with disabilities, yoga offers additional benefits, including improving gross motor skills; developing self-esteem; improving communication, listening, and relationship skills; and helping people discover their unique qualities in a non-competitive atmosphere. And, for those in wheelchairs, Chair Yoga enhances one's friendship with the chair by making it more of an extension of his or her body.

Almost any yoga pose can be modified to be practiced in a chair, and Lakshmi encourages all her students to be creative and do the best they can with the limitations they currently have. Any style of chair can be used for chair yoga, though a sturdy armless chair works best. For those who spend their days in a wheelchair, arm and leg rests may be removed, or kept in place as needed.

"The only limitations of doing yoga in a wheelchair are the individual's physical limitations," says Lakshmi, who quickly points out that she rarely uses the word "limitation."

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