Yoga Cures: Simple Routines to Conquer Over 50 Common Ailments and Live Pain-Free (14 page)

aggravation to our systems, or if we are very calm and easy while we live/practice. Calm and easy is the goal.

There are no extra points in yoga for clenching up and muscling your way through.

This routine is designed to calm the nervous system, open the lungs, and strengthen immunity; the three

together can help alleviate allergy symptoms. It’s useful to practice these techniques regularly even when not
experiencing allergy symptoms so you can continue to shore up your immunity and improve your overall

health and well-being. The best cure is always prevention. Do this routine daily when you are experiencing

allergy symptoms, and three times a week when you are not.

Bellows Breathing

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Begin with seated mediation. After a few minutes of meditation you’ll be ready to begin bellows breathing, which increases oxygen and decreases carbon dioxide in the blood, cleanses the body’s systems, and clears the mind.

Make sure you remain in a comfortable seated position. This technique can be pretty intense so you want to make sure you’re not standing.

You’ll take short and fast exhales through the nose. Your inhales will follow the exhales naturally, but don’t force the inhales. Start slow and work to building the breathing to a quicker rate.

Take a long, deep inhale. Exhale sharply through the nose, let the inhale follow naturally and repeat at a medium pace for a few seconds. If you feel comfortable, start to pick up the pace until you are exhaling pretty rapidly. Try to continue for thirty seconds to a minute. When you are ready to finish, slow down your exhales gradually until you can resume normal, deep breathing.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

This breathing technique has some wonderful benefits, including soothing the nervous system, cleansing the lungs, calming the mind, and enhancing rest and relaxation.

Staying seated, curl the index and middle fingers of your right hand, so that they touch the insides of your palm.

For this exercise, you’ll use your ring finger and your thumb, which provide a perfect space for your nose to rest between.

Press your ring finger over your left nostril and inhale for four counts through your right nostril. Close off your right nostril with your thumb so both nostrils are closed. Hold the air in for four counts. Release your ring finger and file:///C|/...ures%20Simple%20Routines%20to%20Conquer%20Mlments%20and%20Live%20Pain-Free%20-%20Stiles%20Tara/index.html[5/29/2012 10:54:20 PM]

exhale the air out through your left nostril for four counts. Reverse this pattern starting with inhaling through the left nostril, holding both closed, and exhaling out the right side. Repeat this breathing pattern for three to five minutes.

Seated Chest Lift

From your comfortable, seated position move your arms back behind you and press your fingertips into the ground alongside your hips. Inhale and gently lift your chest straight up. Feel your spine lengthening. If it feels easy, lift your hips up to create even more length in the chest and spine. Lower your hips down gently as you exhale. Repeat this movement twice more.

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Cat/Cow

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From seated chest lift, come onto all fours with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Spread your fingers wide, like you are digging into wet sand. Bring your spine to a neutral position and take a few long, deep breaths. As you inhale, drop your belly down toward the ground, allow your back to arch, and look up into a cow pose. As you exhale, round your back like a cat and look inward. Repeat this movement

several times, moving along with your breath. Try to avoid pushing your body to achieve a shape, but rather breathe deeply and allow your body to open up to where your breath can take you right now.

Child’s Pose

Gently come onto all fours. Relax your hips and sit back on your heels. Rest your forehead on the ground and

breathe deeply into your back. Stay here for five long, deep breaths.

REAL-LIFE CURES: Justin’s Fight with Flowers

I was sitting in a waiting room one spring day in Manhattan and a young man named Justin was sitting at reception and sneezing up a storm. There was a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers sitting next to him on his desk. He looked at me and said nothing was working. He said he was taking all of the over-the-counter drugs for allergies, and every day his symptoms kept getting worse. The flowers were setting them off at that moment, but he said it was pretty bad all day long no matter what. I suggested moving the flowers to the waiting room table, and he thought that was a great idea. I picked them up and moved them. He said his thinking was even a little clouded and he felt just awful. I asked him if he was interested in learning a breathing technique that I thought could help him. He said he would try anything. I talked him through some alternate nostril breathing and we practiced it together for about two minutes.

He said he felt a lot better from just the two minutes and would continue practicing on his work breaks and at home.

If two minutes can help, imagine what a daily practice can do.

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Headstand Prep

Headstands are great fun and they’re great for you. They calm the brain, relieve stress, stimulate the pituitary and pineal glands, and strengthen the lungs, and are therapeutic for asthma and sinusitis. How to get ready for one?