Being healthy means more than just eating right and exercising; it includes the absence of common ailments such as headaches and body pain that we treat as “normal” occurrences. While we may consider these symptoms passable, they do inconvenience us. Yoga asanas and pranayamas are extremely helpful tools to correct imbalances and disorders. 

Yogic practices help pinpoint the root causes of these lifestyle-triggered problems. The asanas bring balance to the body’s systems by correcting our circulation and sleep cycles, helping us manage stress, and creating an intuitive awareness of our mind-body connection.

Headaches: 

Women are three times more likely than men to experience tension headaches, migraines & muscle spasms. Even so, allopathy has not found anything better than quick fix painkillers for these ailments. Medicine has not yet given us a long term solution to these pains. 

Common physical causes could be dairy, alcohol, indigestion, lack of sleep, premenstrual syndromes, hormonal medications or strain on neck and shoulders causing spasms. Mental or emotional stress situations also tense up the nerves and body and trigger this pain. 

Yoga Practices

The following asanas are helpful daily practices that can ease your pain and reduce the frequency with which they occur. 

Shoulder Rolls & Garudasana helps ease muscle spasms.

Shoulder Rolls:

Garudasana hands:

Halasana increases circulation in the neck region.

Paschimottanasana slows down the breath and relaxes the head region.

Brahmari & Nadi Shodhana correct breathing patterns and relieve stress.

Brahmari:

Nadi Shodhana:

Yoga nidra daily helps shut down the body & mind to restore & repair for a few minutes.

Anxiety

Anxiety may be experienced differently by people, but is commonly felt as a stimulated bodily response expressed through increased heart beats, sweating, palpitations, restlessness, tremors, and an inability to focus. Our bodies may habituate themselves to this hyperactive and disoriented response to uncertainty, making it much harder to control. It is important to ground ourselves and release our pent up energies in order to reduce the likelihood and frequency of anxiety episodes. 

Much like with headaches, yoga asanas have a long term approach of handling anxiety.  A mix of dynamic and still yoga practices can help to first release, and then slow down the overactive nervous system. A regular practice of Pranayama and Meditation can help in the long term to control the breath specifically when palpitations occur and heart beat rises. Regular journaling of thoughts and episodes also helps make one accountable to be more mindful. 

Yoga Practices

Surya Namaskars & Kapalbhati to release excessive energy. 

Kapalbhati

Vrksasana to focus and ground the mind.

Paschimottanasana

Janu Sirsasana:

, 

Upavishta Konasana to relax the mind.

Konasana to relax the mind.

Brahmari & Nadi Shodhana Pranayama to correct breathing patterns and relieve stress.

Brahmari:

Nadi Shodhana:

Poor gut health

A fluctuating digestive system with common episodes of diarrhoea, constipation, flatulence, nausea and bloating might be an indicator that your overall gut health is extremely poor. Other than unhealthy eating habits, eating in a stressful mindset is the biggest cause of inability for the body to digest effectively. The gut-brain connection is extremely strong and when our mind is stressed, our gut reacts. 

Apart from asanas and pranayama, a few habits and discipline from yoga theory are also required to realign this imbalance. 

Yoga Practices

• Surya namaskars for increasing circulation and digestive fire

• Sitting in Vajrasana for a few minutes post meals 

• Malasana daily for circulation to the excretory system

• Nadi Shodhana Pranayama to correct breathing patterns and relieve stress 

• Toilet training of giving adequate time & a fixed routine for bowel movements daily 
• Moderation > Extreme restriction in food habits  

All the above are not quick fixes or cures to any of the conditions, but adding these asanas to your daily routine will have a positive long term impact on your mind and body.  Our bodies are designed to thrive when we live in moderation and take care of ourselves physically, mentally, socially & spiritually.

About the author – Riya Ranka: An Ashtanga practitioner, Riya uses traditional yoga techniques to open up the body and mind. Exploring themes from yoga philosophies making the practice a combination of holistic and physical movements.