Yoga and Alternative Medicine

Alternative medicine is a term used to describe any form of healing that does not utilize conventional medical practices or use of synthetic drugs and medications. There are several different forms of alternative medicine innovated during the ancient times and is still being practiced in the modern world. In fact, some of them are considered more effective than conventional medicines. It includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, naturopathy, meditation, hypnosis, diet-based therapies, homeopathy, and yoga.

Depending on the type of alternative medicine that you use, the methodologies also vary. Most of these practices incorporate folk knowledge into their healing methods. Some modern medical practitioners warn about using alternative medicine approach to treating various diseases though since most of these practices are not accepted in the medical community. Hence, the question of safety and effectiveness are put in the spotlight. However, there are several patients who would attest to the ability of alternative medicine to bring about healing, regardless of the disease or condition.

Yoga is an integral system that combines physical exercises with meditation and breathing to produce holistic wellness. Its practice dates back during the ancient Hindu times until it evolved into a more established alternative medicinal philosophy in the West. There are several variations to the approach used in yoga practice, which has led it to become categorized as a fitness tool aside from healing.

Yoga is considered as an alternative form of medicine due to its unconventional approach to healing. Instead of using prescription drugs to cure diseases, it combines postures and meditation to bring balance into the body, mind, and spirit. According to yoga experts, this helps in correcting imbalances within the body that causes the disease. Therefore, yoga's method of restoration instead of actual healing as an alternative or supplemental therapy for various diseases.

Yogic Perspective on Diseases

The idea of diseases in the yogic point of view is that it is caused by insufficiency or blockage in the life force, whether in a part of the body or the whole. As a result, the functions are affected and an individual loses its immunity, which eventually leads to development of various diseases.

Even in medical science, lack of immunity is often pointed as the leading cause of diseases. It disables the body from fighting infection or other disease-causing bacteria and viruses. The emphasis on taking a holistic approach then makes yoga a suitable answer for all these health problems. Meaning, you do not only perform yoga exercises and meditation but you also have to vary your lifestyle. Make sure you have proper dietary habits and get enough sleep to maintain your immunity level.

Another crucial factor that is considered is the health of your spine. Ancient yogis believe that spinal misalignment could result to a wide range of diseases.

A specific branch in yoga practice known as restorative yoga is one of those specifically recognized for disease treatment. An individual is required to perform various poses that promote proper alignment that enable your body and muscles to reach a relaxed state instead of adding tension to them. Aside from healing diseases, it is also considered very effective for relieving chronic stress. It utilizes props such as chairs, mats, and many others, during performance of exercises to make it easier for one to perform them.

There are three major benefits to performing restorative yoga: the support provided by the use of props enable one to reach total relaxation, it works out your spine in various directions, and you can easily perform inverted poses in a sequence without worrying about gravity.

There are several yoga postures that you can perform, which totals to about 84 all in all. However, a few of them were designed specifically to rejuvenate the body and increase vitality. Here are some poses you can do at home as an alternative form of medicine:

*Headstand
*Shoulder Stand
*Plough Pose
*Reverse Posture
*Twist Posture
*Forward Bend Posture
*Spinal Roll
*Fish Posture
*Neck and Eye Exercises

Yoga Exercises for Disease Treatment

Since yoga has penetrated the West, it has allowed the expansion of yoga as a medical practice or tool. The complex combination of physical exercises, breathing patterns, and meditation fully works out the various parts of the body. Hence, it helps in boosting function of your health systems to treat diseases like asthma, spinal or back problems, hypertension, among others.

Yoga specifically benefits anyone with a heart problem, regardless if they are old or young. It does so in several ways including proper regulation of blood pressure and enhancing resistance to psychological stress.

Not only that, yoga has the ability to address various health conditions in various parts of the body including your central nervous system, endocrine glands, digestive organs, joints, and skin. This is one reason why yoga has largely become popular over recent years as people preferred its non-invasive approach to treatment unlike the use of drugs or medications and surgical treatment.

Apart from its capacity to address physical health problems, the biggest benefit that can be achieved through yoga is uplifting one's emotional and psychological health. Several clinical trials were conducted to prove exactly the impact that yoga does on psychological health. In fact, yoga is known to be very effective against depression, a condition that has baffled the medical industry for a long time. This was made possible by combining yoga exercises with meditation and breathing.

As with any other form of alternative medicine, the effectiveness of using yoga to treat ailments and other psychological conditions depend on the patient's dedication in using its method to achieve healing.

The range of yoga exercises produce varying effects on the body and health. However, it does have a few common cures available, especially for common illnesses. So, instead of going to a nearby pharmacists to purchase drugs for relief, why not execute some yoga poses for a more effective and safe relief?

Yoga can deal with the following conditions:

• increase body flexibility
• promote proper structural alignment
• boost blood circulation
• produce positive mood
• makes you more mentally adept
• i,prove breathing control and respiratory function
• cure digestive problems
• enhance mental sharpness and capacity
• pain relief
• heighten auditory and visual capacity
• increase metabolic rate
• weight loss