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Deva was the Champion of Champions in all yoga competitions in India and has embraced yoga since the age of 6. Not only has he been teaching since 1983 in India, Hong Kong, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal and Singapore, he has also been the chief judge for hundreds of state, national and international competitions globally. With a diploma in Yoga Therapy, he has over 25 years of experience treating patients and has written numerous articles on yoga for leading publications. Deva teaches Hatha Yoga for all levels, asana and pranayama, Yoga Therapy and Yoga Nidra (meditation and relaxation). His expertise in Yoga Therapy - especially effective for people of all ages with chronic problems and psychosomatic diseases - has allowed him to incorporate light mobilising energy, curative yoga postures, pranayama, breathing exercises and relaxation into his classes.

2009/04/19

Yogic Remedies for Digestive Problems(3)

This issue we are going to talk about some common digestive problems and ways to handle these through yoga. Hyperacidity and hypoacidity are more commonly known as indigestion. Indigestion occurs when food starts fermenting in the stomach. It is actually a sign of failing digestive power.
Hypoacidity occurs when insufficient salivary enzymes and gastric acid cause stunted digestion. This can happen when a person eats in a rush without chewing properly, eats with anxiety, has too much water during a meal, eats when they are not hungry, or does not set a fixed time for proper meals It can also occur when there has long-term liver and intestinal abuse.
Hyperacidity is the other extreme. Even when the stomach is empty the gastric acid still accumulates in the stomach because the taste buds and salivary glands are too active. This situation can lead to the development of gastritis and peptic ulcers. Over eating, poor diet, smoking and drinking wine can cause hyperacidity, gastritis and peptic ulcers.
People suffering with this kind of indigestion should avoid the factors causing the indigestion. It’s good to start the treatment with proper fasting or a fruit diet followed by easily digested light food (sattvic) with no oil or spices. Further treatments can include enemas, hipbaths or wet abdominal packs. Kunjala kriya are also recommended with breathing exercises, meditation and yoga nidra.
Indigestion usually occurs when the navel is displaced towards the lower side. Patients should practice the4 sequence of uttanasana, dhunruasana, chakraasana, and matsyasana to readjust their navel to the right position. After a few days practice, patients can do surya namaskar, bujangasana, salvasana, mastyendrasana and pada hastana under supervision. Patients should change their daily routine and try to remain patient and happy. They should also avoid drinking cold water and should not drink water immediately after meals.
Flatulence or a feeling of fullness in the abdomen usually occurs when someone has eaten too fast. Eating without awareness of with anxiety, as well as too much drinking water pulling high from the throat, can be the cause of flatulence and can leave a person feeling heavy and noisy in the stomach. Gas sometimes presses up in the esophagus and comes out as burp from the mouth. This is fairly common but when it is excessive it becomes a problem. The feeling of fullness can press upon the diaphragm and can sometimes cause an abnormal heartbeat and breathing problems.
Patients with flatulence should practice sputa pawanmutasana (right leg first because the small intestines are there), uttanpadasana, biparitkarani, ardha kurmasana, ardha matsyendrasana and jatra parivritanasana. They should also avoid cold drinks and try to drink a glass of lukewarm water before bed.
A modern lifestyle can regularly result in constipation. This is a common chronic disease of the lower digestive system where the elimination of solid waste from the body becomes slow and inefficient. The causes of constipation can include a lack of physical exercise, increased mental stress and tension, a hectic lifestyle, irregular eating habits and the consumption of oily, spicy and heavy food. Tea, coffee, cigarettes, alcohol and other intoxicants can provoke a bout of constipation. In addition, grief, anger, anxiety and irritation can also be contributing factors.
Constipation can leave a person feeling dizzy and heavy in the head and it can leave a bad smell in the mouth and a coating on the tongue. Food digestion becomes delayed due to constipation. Food putrefies in the intestine and re4sults in gas, digestion, colitis, abdomen pain, backache and loss of appetite. Suggested yoga postures include jasthiasana, tadasana, kotichakrasana, pawanmuktasana, bakasana and basti. A hipbath with cold water can also alleviate the symptoms. In addition lghusankhabakrasana, practice of agni sara and breathing through the right nostril can be beneficial. Try not to take laxatives because they are habit forming and kill the natural mechanism and motion. They can cause piles, diabetes and premature ejaculation so it is better to eat fibrous food, plenty of green vegetables, salads and adequate fruit and drinks.
There are many digestive diseases but these are the most common ones. For advanced disorders like peptic ulcers and colitis, please seek professional medical advice from the doctor. I recommend a daily yoga practice as a preventative measure through which we can understand our bodies more and identify the specific postures the body needs to address common ailments.
The intimate relationship between the function of the body and mind has now become widely accepted in all forms of healing. It is very commonly thought that yoga means just doing asana of postures.
Actually the idea of yoga is not that narrow, especially when one deals with diseases. From the moment you wake up in the morning, all your activities including eating, relaxing, drinking, breathing, sitting, talking and seeing should be conducted in a yogic manner. The apprentice period is always tough but once you are on the right track, your yoga life run smoothly.

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