Yoga and Pregnancy
Posted on April 7, 2010
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Yoga is very helpful for a variety of medical disorders, diseases, and ailments. It is so helpful that it is often prescribed or recommended to patients by traditional medical doctors. This makes it dissimilar from other natural healing practices as most of these do not enjoy acclaim from the medical community.
Pregnancy is one of the times when yoga can be extremely helpful. While the typical yoga poses cannot all be used during pregnancy, prenatal yoga – which is designed to work with the needs of a pregnant woman’s body – can benefit both mother and baby. The mother’s body is strengthened by the physical exertion, and therefore her internal systems are strengthened, which ultimately helps the baby, too. Yoga can also help with labor later on, as well as relieve common complaints of many pregnant women, like back pain.
Yoga and the Mind
Posted on March 21, 2010
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Yoga practice is actually becoming a common practice that is recommended by medical professionals for a variety of illnesses and problems. While not all physical ailments can benefit from yoga, almost all types of mental illnesses can reap some benefit from the practice of yoga.
Psychiatrists and psychologists often recommended yoga to their patients as a way of gaining self-awareness and insight. When a person practices yoga, they calm their minds and focus only on their breathing and poses. This allows for the mind to filter out all that is superfluous and can help the person gain new perspective on their thoughts. Depression and anxiety are often greatly helped by the regular practice of yoga. People with depression often find that they are awakened to the simplicity and beauty in life through yoga. People with anxiety are often calmed and soothed when they practice yoga. It should be stated that before anyone does yoga, they should consult a doctor.
Types of Yoga Practice
Posted on March 7, 2010
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While many people think that there is only one type of yoga practice, there are actually quite a few. Some of these include Hatha yoga, Vinyasa yoga, Ashtanga yoga, and Bikram yoga. Each is unique in how they are practiced, though many teachers integrate the techniques of each into classes.
Hatha yoga is the general type of yoga done at a slow pace. If you are a beginner, this is a good place to start. Vinyasa yoga uses poses called sun salutations that are used in conjunction with breathing. Ashtanga yoga is a little more physical in that is uses coordinated patterns of repeating poses that are done in continual movement. Bikram yoga is also called hot yoga because it is performed in a very warm room; this stimulates sweating to cleanse the body and also helps to loosen tense muscles.
Yoga as a Religious Principle
Posted on February 21, 2010
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Yoga is commonly known in the western world as a method of exercise. However, yoga in fact takes its root in a much different place. Yoga actually began as a part of the Hindu religion, one of the major religions practiced in India. India is, of course, where yoga really began. Yoga is defined in the Hindu religion as being closely related to asceticism and meditation. The practice of yoga actually does teach meditation in some form, even in its practice in the west.
In western countries like the United States yoga is more of a forms of exercise than it is a practice of religion. Yoga involves movements and poses that strengthen the body as well as bringing a meditative quality to the mind. There are several different types of yoga commonly practiced in the United States, especially Hatha Yoga.
Rolfing and Yoga: Are There Drawbacks?
Posted on February 7, 2010
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There has always been a lot of controversy over natural healing and alternative medicines. And while some of the criticisms are founded in actual concern for the patient – such as physicians being concerned that seriously ill people will not seek traditional medical help - other criticisms are not realistic.
There has been almost no research to show that the average person won’t reap some kind of benefit from both rolfing and yoga. Be the benefits mental, emotional, physical, or social, almost everyone can count of some type of help from participating in these therapies. Of course, as with any physical activity, a doctor should be consulted before you begin; some people with skeletal deformities and other types of physical problems could have problems with these practices, especially if they are not provided by a trained professional.
Rolfing, Yoga, and Common Objectives
Posted on January 21, 2010
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There a re many similarities between rolfing and yoga, both in theory and in practice. Not only do both of these natural therapies involve the use of movement to strengthen the body, they both also employ breathing methods to lower stress in the body and to improve the body’s internal functions. But some of the most interesting similarities come in the common objectives of yoga and rolfing.
Both rolfing and yoga practices share purposes like the improvement of flexibility, coordination, and body posture and alignment. Many practitioners of both rolfing and yoga find they have greatly lowered stress levels, and they also can find relief from physical problems like breathing difficulties and chronic pain. One of the biggest benefits from both of these practices is increased energy, and along with increased body awareness, both practices bring about all-around wellbeing.
Rolfing + Yoga = Better Health
Posted on January 7, 2010
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The practice of yoga focuses on bringing balance and strength to the body by using movements and poses. The practice of rolfing focuses on bringing balance and proper structure to the body through movements and soft tissue manipulation. This, of course, points out the similarities between rolfing and yoga, as well as pointing out the subtle differences. But the best part about these two practices is that they can be used – and often are used – together to produce the same effects.
Since yoga does not use soft tissue manipulation, it is thought by rolfers that it is not quite a perfect method of helping and therefore healing muscular and body structure problems. However, combining rolfing with yoga adds the need to manipulate soft tissues to complete the lengthening process of the tissues, thus bringing the body into balance.
Rolfing and Criticism
Posted on December 30, 2009
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Surprisingly, there is less criticism for rolfing that there is for many other types of alternative therapies and natural healing practices. This is partly due to the fact that rolfing has some proven success. Research has shown that patients suffering from illnesses like cerebral palsy and chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as patients suffering from chronic lower back pain, have noted improvement in their physical wellbeing. Unfortunately, there is not conclusive proof to solidify rolfing’s place as a medically recognized therapy.
There is no evidence that rolfing is harmful to the body, so any relief brought to a patient is a benefit. However, as with soft tissue manipulation techniques like massage therapy, people who have skeletal problems, blood clotting disorders, and pregnant women should consult a medical professional before receiving rolfing therapy. This is because there is little scientific study done on rolfing in general, let alone on rolfing as it affects conditions like these.
Rolfing: A Different Kind of Massage
Posted on December 15, 2009
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For many people, there is little to no different between traditional massage therapy and rolfing. But for those who are rolfing practitioners or “rolfers”, as they are sometimes called, as well as for those who are rolfing proponents, rolfing is a completely different type of therapy. While it still involves the manipulation of soft tissue in the body, rolfing differs from massage therapy in its basic principles.
Essentially, the purpose of rolfing is to loosen up the soft tissue in the body so it does not interfere with the function of the muscles. Through a period of ten one hour long sessions, the rolfer will help the patient to lengthen their tissues and muscles. This also puts the body in alignment with gravity, something that rolfers also attribute to physical comfort and general wellbeing. Rolfers also offer advanced and maintenance sessions for regular recipients of rolfing treatments.
Criticizing Reiki
Posted on November 30, 2009
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As with almost all other forms of alternative medicine and natural healing therapies, reiki is subject to come criticism. While there are no known direct negative effects of receiving reiki treatment, some members of the professional medical community fear that recipients of reiki (and other alternative medicine therapies) might forgo conventional methods of treatment in favor of the reiki treatment. While this is certainly a legitimate concern, many reiki practitioners have begun to advise their patients to seek conventional medical help in addition to receiving reiki.
Of course, there is no complete, definitive evidence proving the validity or efficacy of reiki. Most of the benefits reaped from reiki are attributed to mindset and the placebo effect. While this may be true, it is definitely not harmful to the patient. Some of the most disturbing criticism comes from religious circles that deplore reiki as a method of communicating with “Satan” or other occult practices. This should be viewed as subjective as reiki is not directly linked with established religion in any way.
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