During today’s radio show Charly and I discussed relaxation, visualisation and meditation. Nowadays these terms are often used interchangeably and there is some confusion as to which one is which, whether it does matter in the long term which one you choose, which one you should do first, especially if you are just starting out on your yoga path.

Have a listen to our show to find out more. You might then be able to decide which is the best starting point for you.

Till next time,

Connie Your Yoga Partner

from

www.yogainahurry.com

I came a cross a recent study which tried to compare the effect of progressive relaxation and reflexology on the stress levels experienced by Multiple Sclerosis Sufferers.

The idea behind this study was that having a chronic, progressive illness like Multiple Sclerosis was very stressful for someone diagnosed with the disease. There are many different outcomes with Multiple Sclerosis, some people stay stable for many years and have only minor “episodes”. Others have one major episode after another and the condition worsens rapidly over a very brief period of time.

The uncertainty as to how the disease will progress creates huge amounts of stress for the person diagnosed as well as their families.

During the study the participants received either 6 weeks of reflexology treatments or were taught progressive muscle relaxation. They had a 4 week break, then they changed over. What I found interesting was that both treatments were equally effective in reducing overall stress levels. Stress was measured by taking saliva and checking the cortisol levels, measuring blood pressure, heart rate and filling out a specific questionnaire that measures anxiety.

What was also interesting was that the researchers found the study difficult to assess at the end because the positive effects of the first treatment didn’t wear off during the 4 week break. So when the study participants went in to try out the second form of treatment they were less stressed than when they had started out with the first treatment.

So – how does all this benefit us? It proves that progressive relaxation (and reflexology) reduce stress levels in a very real and physical way. It can be measured and the effect lasts for a few weeks even when no further relaxation (or reflexology) is practised. Reducing stress is important and beneficial no matter what your condition is, so I encourage you to regularly practise relaxation, it is well worth it.

For those of you who want to know all the details, here is the reference: 

Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 15 (2009) 14-21

Reflexology and progressive muscle relaxation training for people with multiple sclerosis: A crossover trial Peter A. Mackereth a,*, Katie Booth b, Valerie F. Hillier b, Ann-Louise Caress b

a Christie Hospital NHS Trust, University of Derby (Buxton campus), Rehabilitation Unit, Wilmslow Road, Manchester M20 4BX, UK

b The University of Manchester, School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work, Coupland Building 111, Coupland Street, Manchester M13 9PL, UK

Till next time,

Connie,

Your Yoga Partner

from

http://www.yogainahurry.com

With the recent bushfires and the terrible damage and trauma they have inflicted on so many people I want to do my little bit to help children and adults to deal with it.

I am giving you a link to a beautiful ritual which was designed by Petrea King. If you haven’t heard about Petrea and her amazing work, have a look at her website after you download the Rainbow Ritual. Go to:

http://www.questforlife.com.au/

Click on the “Services” link on Petrea’s page (on top of the page, just under the lotus flower) and in the drop down box you will find a link to “Rainbow Ritual”. From there  download the free PDF file and save it to your computer - it is really beautiful.

Children who have been traumatised need lots of reassurance and patience. They deal with feelings in a different way to us adults. Their feelings are expressed through behaviour. Most children cannot verbalise that they feel upset, angry, distressed or sad – but they certainly show it in their behaviour.

Be patient with your child, give lots of reassurance and help them feel secure by doing a nightly ritual like the rainbow one. It will help children and adults alike.

Yoga also can play a big role in recovering from trauma. According to yogic philosophy trauma stops the proper flow of prana (life energy) and this leads to all sorts of problems. The diaphragm (a very important internal sheet of muscle that stretches across the bottom of the ribcage and helps with breathing) gets contracted or “frozen” and breathing becomes shallow and too fast. Different imbalances arise from there.

The first thing to try and restore in a traumatised person is slow, steady and deep breathing. This will take quite some time but even short bursts of deep breathing will be very helpful. Breath is the main vehicle for getting prana into the body.  When the respiratory system starts to malfunction, the ability of prana to enter, be absorbed and circulated through the body’s energy channels becomes severely compromised. This will lead to all sorts of other problems, so prana flow needs to be restored to the body as quickly as possible to avoid further issues.

One technique would be to inhale through the nose and mentally say to yourself: “I am”. When you are exhaling say to yourself “letting go”. Try it, I sincerely hope that you will benefit from this simple technique.

Till next time

Connie

Your Yoga Partner

from

http://www.yogainahurry.com