Tuesday, 15. May 2007
Yoga for your next flight

Transcript of this video:

Deep vein thrombosis is not limited to air travellers; it can affect anyone seated in a confined space for a prolonged period.

Also at risk are people who have varicose veins, cancer, or a history of leg clots, and those who've had leg or pelvic surgery or injuries. Others in jeopardy are those who are pregnant, on birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy, or are dehydrated or overweight.

The good news is that simple movements found in some yoga postures can prevent a clot from forming. Any pose that stretches the calves, hips and hamstrings can be beneficial by helping keep blood properly circulating in the legs. Here are some suggestions.

Yoga for DVT - 5:03



From your seat on the plane, place your left foot on your right thigh and your right foot flat on the floor. Lean forward from the hips, keeping the lower back long and open for a modified forward bend to stretch the hamstrings, as well as open the hips and release the back. Hold the pose for 10 to 15 deep breaths. Switch leg positions and repeat.

Next, bend forward from your hips with your legs slightly apart, either gripping the ankles with the hands or just allowing the arms to hang loosely between your bent legs. Hold this position for 10 to 15 deep breaths.

Another great seated movement is uddiyana bandha (upward abdominal lock). Exhale completely and hold the breath out, pull your belly toward the spine, and curl your pubic bone toward your navel, squeezing your sitting bones toward each other. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds and repeat several times. This releases pressure on the hamstrings, as well as the sciatic nerve.

A great pose to assist lymphatic drainage and relieve pressure in the back, abdomen and chest is a seated twist. Inhale to lengthen the spine and side waist. Use the armrest to brace the upper body and exhale to slowly twist to one side. Maintain a smooth breath and keep using the muscles of the trunk to assist the lift of the spine. Hold for 10 to 15 breaths and then repeat to the opposite side.

Perhaps the most simple and effective strategy is simply moving the extremities of the body to encourage full venous return and cardiovascular flow. Simply squeeze and release the toes repeatedly and then rotate the ankles. Then squeeze and release the hands and fingers and rotate the wrists. Stretch the arms above the head and hold for 10 to 20 breaths to allow blood and fluid to drain back toward the heart.

Of course, the best way to prevent DVT is to move around as often as possible. If it's okay to get out of your seat, you can usually find room near the back of the plane for poses like uttanasana (standing forward bend) and virabhadrasana i (warrior pose i) both of which stretch your legs and help keep DVT from arriving at your destination.


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Yoga for Hypertension

Transcript of this video:

The frantic pace and relentless pressure of modern society is enough to send anyone’s blood pressure soaring through the roof. A stressful lifestyle leaves you less time to eat properly or exercise, placing further wear and tear on the cardiovascular system.

Is it any wonder that there are millions of new cases of hypertension, or high blood pressure, reported each year in countries all over the world? Exercising for half an hour every day, eating a high fibre, low-sodium diet plus practising stress management techniques will go a long way to ease hypertension.

Yoga is an excellent form of exercise and stress management all rolled into one. While there are certain postures that should be avoided by people suffering hypertension, our resident yogi Dominique says that yoga offers some wonderful practices to assist in balancing heart problems and restoring the overall wellbeing of the cardiovascular system.

The following practices are suitable for those with high blood pressure, can be performed any time and will be particularly beneficial when feeling stressed or anxious.

Yoga for Hypertension - 4:59



Vipareeta karani (vee – paa – ree – tah, kaa – raa – nee.)

First, sit next to a wall with one side of the hips against it. Gently drop down onto your elbow and swing the legs against the wall. Ensure the buttocks and legs are in contact with the wall. Place the feet and legs hip-width apart and place the arms slightly away from the torso, just below the level of the shoulders. Turn the palms upwards and close the eyes. It is advisable to rest here for at least 5 minutes, breathing slowly and steadily in and out through the nose.

When you are finished, move very slowly to bring the knees into the chest and then gently roll to your right hand side. Rest here on your side for a few deep breaths and then slowly sit up.

This simple posture benefits the entire cardiovascular system. The heart is able to rest from the effect of gravity for a while. This reversal of gravity assists venous return (the return of blood to the pulmonary circulation) and can ease other vascular complaints, such as varicose veins and haemorrhoids.

Nadi shodana (nah – dee, sho – dha – naa.)

Sit upright with the spine straight, perhaps with the support of a wall or chair. Using the right hand, block the right nostril with the thumb. Inhale slowly through the left nostril, then block the left nostril using the bent index finger. Exhale slowly through the right nostril. Inhale slowly through the right nostril, and then block the right nostril and exhale slowly through the left nostril. Inhale through the left nostril. Block the left nostril and exhale slowly through the right nostril, then inhale through the right nostril.

Continue this exercise: block, exhale, inhale, block, exhale, inhale. Ensure that the breath is smooth and that there is no pressure in the head, eyes or chest. Continue for 5 to 10 minutes, or as long as feels appropriate for you. Work gently and slowly, concentrating on the feeling of the breath moving in and out of one nostril at a time.

Alternate nasal breathing is wonderful for calming the mind and subsequently soothing the nervous and cardiovascular systems. This pranayama, or breathing exercise, can be practised any time of the day or night to soothe frayed nerves and bring relief to hypertensive symptoms.

Prevention is definitely better than a cure when it comes to hypertension. Many people who suffer from the disease are completely unaware of it because it can often be symptom-less. Better to be on the safe side; watch the diet, do your daily exercise, and take some time out when you’re feeling stressed. And remember, you can get right to the heart of hypertension with good yoga practices.


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Yoga for Energy

Transcript of this video:

Do you suffer from the dreaded late-afternoon slump? Do you rely on a good, strong cup of coffee or a fatty, sugary snack to perk yourself up? Well, there’s no need to, and excessive caffeine, fat and sugar play havoc on your body.

Why not try something a little different to get more energy to get through the day? Yoga’s commonly recognised for its calming benefits but it can also help put some more bounce into your step. Give them a shot and you might find that you don’t even want that coffee anymore.

The following mini-sequence is designed to combat late afternoon energy slumps. Try this next time you’re feeling tired. This sequence helps to send oxygen-rich blood to the brain and gently stimulates the adrenal glands and pancreas to lift energy levels and balance blood sugar naturally.

Yoga for Energy - 3:51



Cat pose - bidalasana

Begin on all fours with hands directly under shoulders and knees directly under hips. Inhale and slowly arch the spine down towards the floor, looking gently up towards the ceiling. Exhale to reverse this movement, rounding the spine up towards the ceiling and looking towards the belly. Repeat 5 to 10 times.

Cobra pose - bhujanasana

From all fours, gently lower your body flat on the floor. Place the hand in line with the throat and roll the shoulder blades down the spine, away from the ears. Inhale and slowly lift the head, shoulders, chest and ribs off the floor. Depress the shoulders to engage the arms and chest and look ahead with the neck neutral.

Only come up as far as your lower back permits and as far as you can while maintaining a smooth, steady breath. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths and then slowly release to the floor.

Downward facing dog pose - adho mukha svanasana

From lying on the floor, place the hands near to lower ribs and come back slowly to all fours with your wrists directly underneath your shoulders and your knees directly underneath your hips. Tuck the toes under and inhale, lifting your pelvis up to the ceiling, tilting your hips up on a diagonal angle like an inverted V-shape.

Relax the head in between the arms and soften the muscles in the face. This is very important to allow for maximum circulation of arterial blood in the upper body and head. Hold this position for 5 to 10 breaths or as long as feels appropriate to you.

To release, inhale to all fours and exhale to bring the hips back to the heels in child’s pose. Bring the arms back behind the body and rest the forehead on the floor. If your forehead doesn’t reach the floor, stack the fists on top of one another and rest the head here.

Allow the body to absorb the energy of the sequence. Repeat the entire sequence of posture 2 to 3 times, depending on how you feel.

This is a great, all-natural way to get some much-needed energy back into your day. Find a quiet spot at your school, office or home and get into yoga – it’s got to be better than a caffeine rush or sugary hit that only lasts for a short while!


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Yoga for Feet

Transcript of this video:

Two of the most abused parts of the human body are the feet! The average person takes four to six thousand steps a day, and we don’t always choose the correct footwear. Stylish high heels or ill-fitting sports shoes can really take their toll.

Along with 26 bones in each foot, there’s an intricate network of ligaments, muscles, nerves and blood vessels. It’s no wonder that a hard day can leave our feet swollen, tender, and in need of some loving care.

The pose virasana, or hero pose, works to strengthen and release the ankles and feet. It stretches the top of the foot and strengthens the arches of the feet, improving sensitivity, and circulation of blood and fluids.

Yoga for Feet - 3:39



Do virasana (with buttocks on a folded blanket or a block, if necessary) for 10 minutes each day before bedtime. In fact, do virasana whenever possible.

Begin in upward kneeling position. If the knees or quadriceps are very tight, use a folded blanket or block under the sit bones to elevate the pelvis and reduce pressure on the knees. Sit either with the sit bones on the prop, or with the sit bones resting on the heels.

A more advanced version, for those people with healthy knee joints, is to slowly lower the pelvis and sit bones in between the ankles and feet, toes pointing away from the knees.

During the practice of this wonderful pose, massage the arches of your feet, pressing on the arches as if cultivating them with your thumbs. Also, spread your toes as far apart as possible to avoid foot cramps during virasana. Build an overall sense of sensitivity and awareness of the ankles and feet.

Another option is to work in standing balancing postures, such as vrksasana (tree pose) or any pose where you are standing on one leg/foot. These postures help to build strength and awareness of the ankles and feet.

Whilst working in tree pose, cultivate a sense of elevating the arches of the supporting foot to build strength. Repeat twice on each side, holding the pose for as long as possible. The aim is to build endurance and strength.

After your chosen balancing pose, stand with the feet hip-width apart and slowly rise up onto the balls of the feet. Balance here for 5 to 10 breaths and then slowly release the heels back onto the floor. Repeat 3 to 5 times.

To massage and release the feet after the above postures, try sitting on a chair and rolling the soles of the feet over a tennis ball or squash ball. This will serve to stimulate reflexology points in the feet and massage the network of tiny muscles, improving circulation and releasing tension.

Socrates said, "When our feet hurt, we hurt all over". So then, the opposite must also be true. When our feet feel good, we’ll feel good all over! Be good to your feet and they’ll be good to you.


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