Yoga can help heal almost any ailment there is. The help yoga offers may be limited with some conditions, but in general it will help, and in some cases heal. All it takes is a little diligence and three yogic techniques that anyone can do.
Yoga postures are widely known. They can be practiced by anyone regardless of age or physical limitation. And, it will most likely improve any limitation you might have!
It took a few years of teaching yoga postures for me to fully realize this about yoga. The evidence was literally hundreds of people telling me how it helped them. The variety of conditions people experience improvement, which no longer surprises me, but I do love to hear people’s stories.
One story I heard was from a fairly young woman who came regularly to a couple of classes a week. I had noticed a med alert bracelet early on but didn’t really think much about it. Then one day I saw that she didn’t have it on anymore. After asking about it she told me she had a heart issue from birth, but after only two years of yoga her cardiologist told her she didn’t need the bracelet anymore.
Of course, there are conditions that yoga can’t do much for, but so far I haven’t found anything that is completely immune to the positive effects of regular practice. After 40 years of teaching I have to say that every condition and ailment there is can be helped at least a little with regular practice.
And, this improvement is with just taking classes that teach the postures that gives a good stretching workout and maybe a little breathing practice. But, when a little meditation is added to the practice, the improvements are greatly increased.
Meditation is an important part of yoga. When combined with yoga postures the healing effects are significant. Focusing your attention on anything is meditation. And, focusing on a physical issue helps bring energy to the distressed area which helps heal. Focusing on an area of your body while stretching that area will speed healing as well as increased flexibility.
The energy body is not fully understood by western science, but the ancient yogis studied it in depth and learned more about it than modern science currently understands. Even so, the findings of ancient yogis have been proven to be true over and over again through modern scientific research and experimentation. The healing powers of the mind and focus are starting to be discovered by scientists all over the world.
Energy follows attention. Energy also flows to parts of the body that are in motion, as well as when holding a stretch. When the mind and energy focus are combined the healing power of both are concentrated.
Another practice that can be added in to bring even more powerful results is the breath. The technique is easy enough, but can be confusing at first.
All you need to do is breathe into the area that is being stretched as you practice yoga postures. The main way to do that is to inhale with the intention of bringing in life energy. Then, exhale as you shift your attention to the area that is being stretched. Simply having your attention on the stretch while exhaling is all it takes.
It can be confusing at first because you may not notice anything happening. But, with practice your focus and energy flow will improve. And, your ability to notice the energy flow will increase.
You can use these same practices to improve any exercise you do. For example, if you are lifting weights and focus on the muscle that is being worked as you breathe into the area then you will gain strength faster than you can if you simply lift the weights without intention.
While these techniques may be ancient, they really work, and work well. Modern science is finally catching up with practices that have already been proven thousands of years ago. Incorporating them into your practice will help bring faster results to your flexibility, strength and health. It may take a little time to see maximum results, but you will be pleased.
