Do you have a chronic health challenge? THe older we get, the more likely it is that we’ll have an on-going challenge which affects us. Yoga can help.

Yoga: Improve your stress management and relaxation skills – MayoClinic.com reports:

“Management of chronic health conditions. The breathing and relaxation methods used in yoga might help you if you have asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, depression, low back pain, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis of the knees or memory problems. Yoga can also be helpful when combined with other treatments for heart disease and high blood pressure. Yoga, when combined with a vegetarian diet, aerobic exercise and medication, has reduced cardiovascular disease rates and blood pressure levels. However, yoga is not a substitute for traditional medical care and treatment.”

Here’s the good news: you’ll receive the stress reducing benefits of yoga right from your very first lesson.

I have carpal tunnel syndrome, and yoga helps me to stay pain-free and able to use my hands.

What health challenge do you have? It’s possible that yoga could help.

[tags]yoga, health, stress relief[/tags]

Do you have osteoporosis? It’s a frightening disease, in which your bones become so fragile they can literally crumble. YOGA to the rescue.

While yoga is a great help in strengthening your bones, it turns out there’s a magic time span for which you should hold poses: 72 seconds.

Can Yoga Prevent Osteoporosis? 72 Seconds Is the Magic Number « Gaiam Blog reports:

“Fishman then said that there is a magic number to initiate this process of new bone growth. 72 seconds. Yes, you must hold your pose for 1 minute and 12 seconds to reap the benefits. This should be approached gradually, as building up the strength to maintain a pose for 72 seconds may take months — but it will be well worth it. Plus, you will be rewarded with less stress (the anxiety-producing kind) and improved breathing, sleep and coordination. You have nothing to lose … and you can gain bone density!”

Of course, if you’re new to yoga, you won’t have the strength to hold poses for this period of time, however, you will be able to do that quickly. So keep the 72 seconds in mind, as you practice.

I find this fascinating, because I’m getting older and several members of my family have osteoporosis. Time to beef up the time I hold poses — and to pay more attention to standing and weight bearing poses in general.

[tags]yoga, poses, osteoporosis[/tags]

Yoga is great for stress relief. The first thing you notice when you take up a yoga practice is that you’re more relaxed, and things just don’t bother you the way they used to.

Here’s another stress relief benefit from yoga: better sleep. You’ll fall asleep faster, and when you wake up in the morning you’ll be eager to get out of bed.

7 ways yoga helps your health | detnews.com | The Detroit News reports:

“Yoga is good for mental health. How could a practice that incorporates relaxation, meditation and deep breathing not be good for our mental health? Yoga can be a great stress reducer, and there’s a lot of stress going around right now.”

Tip: last thing at night, if you’ve had a stressful day, spend a minute in Downward Dog pose. The pose is great for relaxing you completely, and helping you to drop off to peaceful sleep. A friend calls Downward Dog “the insomnia beater.” Try it.

[tags]yoga, stress relief, sleep[/tags]