The Practice of Yoga and
Pain Management
For thousands of years, the
practice of Yoga has helped people cope with physical, emotional and even spiritual
pain. Chronic pain depletes both our
physical and emotional reserves. It can
also lessen the desire to fully participate in life and lead to isolation and
loneliness. Yoga combines the triad of breath
work (pranayama), relaxation poses (asanas) and meditation (dhyana), all of which help reduce pain
syndromes. These techniques act together to 1) distract the mind from focusing
on the pain; 2) reduce the body’s physiological
reaction to pain; and 3) help loosen pain’s
power over us.
Yoga helps regulate the brain’s
secretion of natural biochemical pain-killers. Breathing exercises and poses increase
blood flow and stimulate release of endorphins, promoting feelings of well-being. Yoga also activates the parasympathetic
nervous system—that part of the involuntary nervous
system that slows heart rate, increases intestinal and glandular activity, and helps
the body recuperate, restore and reach equilibrium. Yoga
also helps us increase the length of the breath’s exhalation phase, producing a
relaxation response that reduces pain
signaling to the brain. When our muscles relax, our mind and emotions unwind, allowing
us to develop greater compassion and understanding of ourselves and others.
Many times, the most
stressful aspect of chronic pain is the lack of control we experience around
it. Yoga helps us feel more ‘in charge’,
allowing us to slow down and loosen up around the pain. Less pain—less tension—less pain! Often, we overly-identify with our pain, believing
we’re helpless and at its mercy or, even worse, responsible for it. Yoga helps soften these perceptions, allowing
us to lovingly inhabit our bodies. Most
importantly, yoga is designed to precede meditation. The cultivation of awareness through mindfulness
meditation helps us become more fulfilled and able to see things as they really
are in the present moment.
Yoga is a multi-faceted
practice that trains us to reduce the mind’s constant chatter, lovingly breathe
in to our beautiful bodies, concentrate on living in the present, and focus on
what’s most important in our precious lives!
I look forward to seeing
you on the mat soon,
Cindy Walker, B.A. RTY
http://www.yogaandtheartofliving.com/
