Sunday, November 28, 2010

Yoga Decreases Stress in Childhood Cancer Patients and Parents - MyHealthNewsDaily

Yoga may help childhood cancer patients and their parents cope with the stress of a cancer diagnosis and treatment, according to a new study.

Yoga was beneficial for older children, ages 13 to 18, but not younger ones, ages 7 to 12.

Adolescents and their parents experienced a decrease in anxiety and increase in sense of well-being following the yoga sessions, the researchers say.

"Yoga is emerging as an effective complementary therapy in adult oncology," the researchers wrote in the September/October issue of the Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, "promising benefits for decreasing symptom distress including fatigue, insomnia, mood, and stress resulting in improved quality of life."

The study focused on childhood cancer patients and their families. Parents may experience stress and anxiety because of the uncertainty of the disease, and the suffering of their children.

"Teens reported that that they felt relaxed and calmer, and that [yoga] was fun," the researchers said in a statement. Parents said the yoga sessions were relaxing, allowed them to stretch their muscles and strengthen their bodies, and relieved stress. They felt better about themselves, and those who participated in the sessions with their children said it helped them bond with their children.

Yoga lowers heart rate and blood pressure, and improves circulation and oxygenation. It also improves muscle tone, lung function, coordination and flexibility, according to the researchers.

Previous research has suggested yoga's focus on deep breathing and breathing control may turn down the body's "fight or flight" response, or the body's reaction to stress.

More studies are needed to determine whether yoga also has an effect on fatigue, sleep disturbance, pain and nausea, the researchers said.

The study was conducted by researchers at the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.


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Should Christians practice yoga? - CNN (blog)

Editor's Note: Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary recently asked on his blog, should Christians should practice yoga? That post got picked up by the Associated Press and led to a lot of discussion on the topic.  In this story from CNN Affiliate KLTV in Tyler Texas, a yoga instructors and student, who happened to be practicing Christians, voice their disagreement with Mohler.

Does practicing yoga compromise your Christian faith? That question is at the center of a debate made by the Southern Baptist Seminary president. Christians that practice yoga say two have little to do with each other.

Tanya Wood is a yoga instructor at the Yoga Spot in Tyler. She has been practicing yoga for eight years. "It makes you feel good, strong and flexible," said Wood. "It really does allow you to just wind down."

But, recent comments made by Southern Baptist Seminary President Albert Mohler has Wood wound up. "It's clear it's struck a nerve," said Mohler. "I hope at least it's a fruitful conversation."

In his online blog, Mohler said, "Christians who participate in yoga are embracing, or at minimum flirting with a spiritual practice that threatens to transform their own spiritual lives."

"I totally disagree," said Wood. "I'm a Christian. I was saved when I was five-years-old. I have never practiced anything that would compromise my beliefs."

Mohler said that people should see yoga represents and see that it conflicts with Christianity. "This is totally separate," said Wood. "It has nothing to do with religion. What we practice has nothing to do with religion."

Read the full story and see the video from KLTV here.


View the original article here

YOGA Treatment in High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Posted By : Bendz (M.S.Benz)

For controlling your hypertension, there are two effective yoga exercises that helps lower the blood pressure:Before doing this, please consult with an yoga guru and your physician.


Inverted Yoga


Inverted yoga reverses the action of gravity on the body. The most profound changes brought about by Inverted Yoga is in circulation. In inverted poses, legs and abdomen are placed higher than the heart.


Lengthening up through the legs and keep them very active so your spine opens and the entire body actively involved in the pose.


One of the reasons for this is simply because the force of gravity is reversed and venous return becomes significantly greater.


Normally, the muscles of the calf and other skeletal muscles in the lower extremities must contract in order to pump unoxygenated blood and waste back to the heart through the veins.


In inverted poses, gravity causes the blood to flow easily back through the veins and this brings the blood pressure in the feet to a minimum. This in effect gives skeletal muscles a chance to rest.


In Inverted poses, drainage of blood and waste from the lower body back to the heart is increased and disorders such as varicose veins and swollen ankles are relieved.


Rhythmic Breathing


It's time to learn about breathing, because inhaling and exhaling has the power to nourish the body and calm the mind.


Not just any old breathing will do. If you're like most people, you take shallow breaths, pull in your stomach when you inhale and never empty your lungs of carbon dioxide when you exhale.


Here's the physiological explanation: Long, slow breaths are more efficient than short, fast ones.


To take in a good breath, your lungs must first be basically empty. Thus the key to efficient breathing lies in exhaling completely. A full exhalation begins with the upper chest, proceeds to the middle chest and finishes with tightening the abdominal muscles.


Only after a good exhalation can you draw in a good lungful of the oxygen-rich air your blood needs for nourishing cells.

By: Bendz (M.S.Benz)