I hear some variation of this question a lot -
what are the best poses to do in yoga for osteoporosis?
Of course, we all want to know what to do to support our bones, and what not to do to avoid any risky move that might fracture our bones.
In my weekly classes, we don't do any super fancy poses and we tend to stick with a canon of poses that have either been directly studied to build bone or are similar in structure and intention so we can extrapolate the principles and gain the benefit our bone.
And, being a long-time yoga practitioner, I am compelled to emphasize that yoga is more than just a physical exercise.
There is no magic in what poses we do (or not do). The poses are important, yes, but the magic comes from how we do them.
The important considerations are: what's your frame of mind? Are you present and aware while you are in a pose? Are you feeling your whole body - and working wisely on alignment and effort within your capacity? Are you breathing?
The "best" poses are poses where you are aware of your body, your breath, and your mental focus -- balancing between effort & ease.
There is a weight-bearing element to many of the poses for sure, but, as you may know, our bone health relies not only on the building up of bone but also on the breaking down of old cells as well - it's also a balancing act.
Supporting our body in making these wise balancing decisions on the autonomic interactions of the systems & organs of our body, including your bones is an aspect of yoga that comes into play through the combination of body, breath, and mind practices.
And to gain the most value from yoga, I highly encourage you to practice often and even incorporate the principles into your life (that's why I often refer to "sneaky" and "secret" yoga for those off-the-mat moments.)
The practice of yoga is complementary to other exercise programs and to alopathic medicine and Western paradigms of treatment.
In a state of yoga, our wise body is able to turn down the flames of inflammation and hormonal imbalances and in this peace and quiet, that's actually when our bones start transforming.
Be patient and take it one breath at a time.
~~~
My "Yoga for Vital Bones" Class is designed for anyone with a skeleton :-) but it is especially helpful to folks diagnosed with, or having a family history of, conditions of diminishing bone mass: osteopenia or osteoporosis.
In Yoga for Vital Bones you will learn:
- How to do yoga safely for your bones
- How to do yoga to strengthen your bones
- How to do yoga to improve balance, range of motion, and muscular strength to reduce fracture risk
- How to use yoga to create a calm state of mind (and how this helps you to absorb nutrients!)
~~~
Know someone who could benefit from this class? I invite you to join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vitalbones
If you're not on Facebook - go here: https://3greencircles.com/join
0 Comments