The last in this series of Constipation and indigestion, you should be cured.– Part five of five
The last in this series of Constipation and indigestion, you should be cured.
Variation of Head to Knee Posture 1.
1. Sit down on the floor with your legs stretched out. Place the right foot on the left thigh, as near to the body as possible.
2. Stretch forward your left hand and grasp the toes of your left foot.
3. Place your head on your left knee.
4. Keeping your head on your knee, reach your right arm round the back of your body and try to grasp the toes of your right foot which is on the left thigh. Remain thus for as long as you find comfortable, and without straining, and then straighten up, lie flat on the floor and relax, taking a few deep recovery breaths.
If you find you can do this variation you might like to omit the simpler Head to Knee posture in favour of this one, as the benefits of the asana are greatly enhanced by the added stretch to die muscles of the back and shoulders.
Yet another variation of the HEAD TO KNEE POSTURE re-quires a little more flexibility, and should not be attempted until you can perform the above variation with ease.
Variation of Head to Knee Posture
1. Sit down on the floor as before and place your right foot against your left thigh, as near to the body as possible.
2. Lift your left leg straight up and catch the foot firmly in both hands. Your leg should be perpendicular to the floor.
Incline your head slightly until your face touches the knee of your raised leg. Hold this position for as long as you can and then repeat with the other leg. You may perform this variation up to six times, three for each leg. It will take time and patient practice to perfect, but it is well worth the extra effort as it will give an invigorating pull to the sciatic nerve as well as imparting the other benefits of the posture.
And now for something more spectacular. This is a colourful Yoga asana requiring flexibility and concentration. Called the Akarna Dhanurasana or in English the BOW AND ARROW POSTURE it will strengthen flabby abdominal muscles, thereby promoting better elimination, and will also limber up the joints of the hips, legs and shoulders.
Method
1. Sit down on the floor with your legs stretched out. Bend your right knee until your right foot is over your left thigh.
2. Grasp the right foot with the left hand to hold it in position while you
3. Raise your left elbow while drawing your right foot up to touch your left ear.
Your body now resembles a bow and drawn arrow. Look in the mirror while you perform it and you will see it is rather a dramatic-looking pose, deserving of its name, and certainly the benefits of it are dramatic too. Hold the pose for as long as you comfortably can and then return to the starting position. You may perform the BOW AND ARROW POSTURE up to four times, but please do not impart any strain to your muscles. You may hurt yourself and achieve nothing, so do go carefully.
Sufferers from both constipation and indigestion would do well to follow the water-drinking habits of the Yogis.
Next to air, water is one of the bodily supplies most urgently demanded by nature. Eight-tenths of our physical body consists of water and about two quarts a day are eliminated. An insufficient intake of water is very often^ responsible for constipation, a congested colon, and malfunction of the liver and kidneys.
Drink a glass of fresh water, at room temperature, first thing in the morning and last thing at night. It should be taken hot only when your constipation is of long standing, or persistently troublesome, in which case unsweetened lime or lemon juice may be added to make it more palatable.
Water which has been boiled or processed often loses some of its vitality and to restore this pass it through the air, pouring it from one glass to the other, as this will prove more beneficial than drinking devitalized water.
Drink from six to eight glasses of water a day, or one glass for every fourteen pounds of your body weight.
And remember that one of the greatest crimes in the black book of bad health is the drinking of iced water, or indeed any other iced beverage. Never, never drink anything straight from the refrigerator, no matter how pleasant you may think it is. Your health is more important than a few moments’ pleasure don’t you think?
Do not drink water with your meals but take it half an hour before or a couple of hours afterwards so as not to impair the digestive processes by diluting the digestive juices.
One of the most powerful weapons against indigestion is the consideration of one’s mental attitude while eating. Many people forget that the state of the body reflects the state of the mind and vice versa. So if food is eaten in a state of distress, anger or fear, it produces a toxic effect in the body and courts digestive troubles. And food improperly digested leads to chronic constipation and worse. It is far better not to eat if you are upset in any way, even though you might think that a good meal will make you feel better. Chances are it will not, and you will have a hefty attack of indigestion into the bargain.
It would seem unnecessary to mention that to swallow food in large, hurried mouthfuls first thing in the morning is not taking a good solid breakfast but cruelly treating the poor digestive system.
By all means eat a good breakfast if you can take a lot of food in the morning, which many people cannot, but do please eat it sitting down. If you bolt large quantities of food standing up with one eye on the clock you will spend half the morning trying to relieve yourself of the resulting digestive upset, and so lose that much working time. It is far better to take a little food, even a cup of tea with an egg and toast, and chew it slowly and calmly. Enjoy what you are eating and never eat anything you dislike because you think it is good for you. If you do not want it, you do not need it.
Unpleasant news should never be disclosed during, or just before, meals as this upsets the digestion and indeed the entire organism.
A calm, methodical attitude towards life and its problems (which you will gain through the study of Yoga) will result in improved digestion, and better health and temper.
Cultivate repose.
It is the beginning of all Yoga, but it is not the body’s and the mind’s need alone. It is also the need of the world.
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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