The net result of this is that the heart pumps thickened blood faster through narrow tubes. Because of this pressure, when the body is under long-term stress the arterial walls frequently become damaged. As the body tries its hardest to repair itself no matter how badly we treat it, it sends blood platelets and fatty acids to seal the damage; this, however, results in narrowing the arteries further. Continued stress increases the clotting mechanism, and if a clot breaks loose it can easily block a narrowed blood vessel. This, of course, can be fatal. So if we learn to stretch away our tensions daily, eat a healthy diet and relax and allow our arteries and blood-clotting mechanism to calm down, the fight-or-flight reaction subsides, the blood-clotting mechanism is lowered, the arteries relax and blood pressure returns to normal. This would result in excellent care of our heart and circulatory system.
THE GLANDULAR SYSTEM
Our ductless glands control the amazing chemistry of our bodies, carefully regulating and controlling the mind-body relationship. If our body manual taught us that the detrimental effect of stress can upset our entire glandular system, we would understand how the pituitary – the master gland of the body – controls the secretions of all the other glands. In yoga we help balance the pituitary with the Headstand. The thyroid gland controls our metabolism, and the parathyroids control the calcium and phosphate level in the blood. The most important exercises for these glands are the Shoulderstand and the Fish. The sex hormones, if imbalanced, can lead to menstrual problems and infertility in women, and fertility problems in men. The Cobra, Bow, Locust and deep relaxation help these areas tremendously.
The adrenal glands, together with the sex hormones and corticosteroids, produce adrenalin to arouse the body to flee or fight. These glands are kept in excellent condition by movements such as the Cobra, Crescent Moon and Camel. Deep relaxation and meditation also relieve the stress that arouses this reaction. The pancreas is essential for the production of insulin to regulate the blood sugar of the body. The Pose of a Peacock and the Spinal Twist help balance this organ – and again, a healthy natural diet stops to body from overloading with excess sugar.
THE BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD
Finally, with the help of our body manual we could learn how to control our nervous system and realize the incredible importance of our brain and spinal cord.
As you will see from Figure 1, ‘The chiropractor’s view of the spine’, the 31 pairs of spinal nerves exit from the spinal cord supplying every part of the body. Tension around these nerves weakens the area they supply, with the resulting problems indicated. By performing your yoga stretches daily and learning to relax, you will relieve the tension from the roots of these nerves and encourage their correct functioning. Daily relaxation is of prime importance – during relaxation the mind calms and pressure on the spinal nerves is released.
The calming effect of yoga movements also balances the involuntary symptoms of the fight-or-flight reaction, calming and cooling the body and thus reducing the adverse effects of chronic stress.
Your Personal Manual for Health
In the pages that follow you will be treated to your personal health manual and learn that by looking after your body, exercising it, eating fresh natural foods, breathing correctly, learning to relax and cope with stress, concentrating your mind on what you want rather than what you don’t want, and keeping your joints and spine flexible and tension-free, you will look and feel 15 years younger in 15 minutes a day.
The manual for this is the secret of health and vitality for ever, and was discovered over 5,000 years ago, and is and always will be YOGA.
The Rejuvenating Benefits of Yoga
1 Yoga improves the flexibility and strength of the spine, so helping to prevent back problems.
2 Yoga oils the joints, keeping them flexible and so helping to prevent aches, pain and stiffness.
3 Yoga releases tension in the neck and shoulders, so helping to prevent headaches and the proverbial ‘pain in the neck’.
4 Yoga corrects poor posture, so helping to prevent the dreaded stoop.
5 Yoga means daily exercises to keep the body in perfect shape and condition instead of having to worry about uneven fatty deposits and middle-age spread.
6 Yoga means eating for health and vitality and enjoying a slim beautiful shape, instead of consuming an overload of junk and being constantly on a diet.
7 Yoga means enjoying the present moment instead of wasting time worrying about yesterday or feeling anxious about tomorrow.
8 Yoga means slow, deep breathing to energize every cell in the body and calm and relax the mind, freeing you from low energy levels, nervousness and breathing difficulties.
9 Yoga releases tension in the lower abdomen, so helping to prevent constipation and period pains.
10 Yoga strengthens the bones, so helping to prevent osteoporosis.
11 Yoga means taking time out to relax, calm the mind and refocus instead of falling prey to chronic stress-related diseases.
12 To sum up, yoga is being in control, creating the mind, body and life you desire, looking younger, feeling better and enjoying life more than ever before.
I do hope that you are now really raring to go and can’t wait to get started. Just before we begin, however, a few guidelines for your yoga practice:
1 Work in a warm, airy room in bare feet and wear loose comfortable clothing. A leotard and tights are in my opinion the best for women, but jogging bottoms and t-shirts are also fine, and are the best option for men.
2 Wait until at least two hours after a main meal before you practise yoga.
3 Make sure that you won’t be disturbed. You deserve time just for yourself to concentrate your body and clear your mind.
4 You will need a mat or blanket to sit on. Yoga is very much a ‘no-equipment’ exercise system, so you don’t even need to buy a special mat for your yoga. A blanket has always been the traditional suggestion for yoga practice, but if you haven’t got one that you feel is suitable, a car rug or thick bath towel will do fine. There are now many yoga mats on the market that some people find useful, but I am a bit of a traditionalist and still prefer my blanket.
5 Yoga is great for all age groups – my pupils range from 4 to 84 – however, it is for healthy people, so if you do have any health concerns whatsoever, just ask your doctor’s advice before you begin. If your doctor is unclear about the type of movements you will be doing, take this book along to show him, but do emphasize that you will not be straining and will only be moving into the positions at your own pace, going into your maximum position in each movement. You must have your doctor’s consent before you start to practise. Yoga is very beneficial for your health and frequently many health problems can be greatly helped by yoga practice. You must however never substitute yoga for your doctor’s treatment.
6 PREGNANCY: Yoga can be most beneficial during both pregnancy and labour. However, if you are new to yoga, I recommend waiting until after your 3-month check-up at about 14-15 weeks before commencing yoga practice. If you have been practising yoga on a regular basis prior