Still Suffering from Asthma, bronchitis, and hay fever? – Part three of four
Benefits of the Headstand
This asana affects four of the most important endocrine glands —the pituitary, the pineal, the thyroid, and the parathyroids. The regular practice of the Headstand helps to relieve insomnia, tension, nervousness and anxiety, poor circulation of the blood, asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, hay fever, headaches, female disorders, and lack of energy. It is because of its many benefits and because it affects the most important gland in the body, the pituitary, that the Headstand has been called ‘The King of Asanas’.
A word of warning, though. If you suffer from high blood pressure, palpitations, chronic constipation, chronic nasal catarrh, or weak eyes, please do not attempt the Headstand. Cure your complaints by other Yoga exercises first, but in the case of high blood pressure I do not recommend it under any circum-stances.
Having just described, in this chapter on disorders of the respiratory tract, one of the most difficult of the Yoga asanas, I will now describe a really easy one which will present not the slightest difficulty. It is an invaluable exercise for sufferers from these complaints because it allows full expansion of the lungs while doing deep breathing and at the same time the inverted position helps to drain congested cavities.
It is called THE LETTER L BREATHING EXERCISE.
Letter L Breathing Exercise
Facing a convenient wall, lie down on your back and place your feet as high up the wall as you possibly can, keeping your legs straight. Stretch out your arms above your head, without joining the fingers, and hold them palms upwards and elbows straight.
Your body is now in the shape of a letter L
Perform the deep slow Complete Breath while in this position. Take as many breaths as you have time for, but not less than ten at a time. Do not use force and at the end of each exhalation pull in your abdomen slightly to expel the last small amount of air from your lungs. This exercise will not only help to bring relief from asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, and hay fever, but the inverted posture will bring calmness to your mind.
Having had an easy time of it with the Letter L Breathing Exercise, try now another exercise which incorporates breathing, stretching, and in its advanced stages, a high degree of balance. It is the beautiful MOUNTAIN POSTURE or PARVATASANA in Sanskrit.
Mountain Posture
There are four variations of this posture and I will describe them in order of difficulty.
Variation 1.
Kneel down and hold your body straight up from the knees to the top of your head. Raise your arms above your head and hold them palm to palm while keeping your elbows as straight as you can. Practise the Yoga Complete Breath while in this position and remember not to let your body sag and to keep your tummy muscles pulled well in.
Variation 2.
Sit down in the Lotus Pose; raise your hands above your head with your fingertips touching as in figure 31. Holding your body very still, and without letting your arms sag, again practise the Yoga Complete Breath. Keep this up for as long as you can but if you feel any discomfort in your legs please undo them.
Variation 3.
This increases the stretch of the dorsal muscles while you are performing the deep breathing. While seated in the Lotus Pose lace your fingers together and turn them palms upwards. Now raise your arms as far above your head as you can and you will feel a powerful stretch along your sides. This intensifies the benefits of this asana.
Variation 4.
This is one of the most spectacular of the Yoga asanas and is for more advanced students. Although this is primarily a book for beginners to the subject I did not want to leave out this fourth variation of the Mountain Posture in case some of you might feel up to trying it. It is not easy but the practice of it will help you to acquire balance and patience. While sitting in the Lotus Pose with your hands above your head with the fingertips touching, raise your buttocks off the floor and remain balanced on your knee-caps.
To the adventurous among you who attempt it I would say please go carefully and do not strain any of your muscles. You will achieve nothing by forcing your unwilling muscles where they would rather not go. Your best way to master Variation 4 is to practise the other three until perfect and then, while supporting yourself with a conveniently placed chair or low table you can gently pull yourself on to your knee-caps, and then let go of the chair or table. It will tax your sense of balance to the utmost but practice will be the answer. While poised on your knee-caps with your arms above your head practise the Yoga Complete Breath. The effort needed for the perfection of this advanced posture will greatly improve your powers of concentration and in addition to the benefits to the muscles of the arms and torso the deep breathing will help congested lungs and bronchial tubes and the posture tones up the entire nervous system.
Keep coming back here for not just tips on real health issues, but more on the ancient practice of Hatha Yoga, which is now widely accepted in the western world especially in the USA.
Better late than never I say “quote Gaylene Slater”
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