Yoga to retrain, break habits and develop character.

    

    I was talking to my colleagues recently on car accidents among teenagers. We saw a surprising trend: some teenagers get into accidents nearly a year after they take the license! During the period of learning as well as the earlier period with license, they are very cautious and apply all rules (don’t they even teach you, when you drive with them?) Then comes that moment- “maybe I need to check that text or make a call.” They are unable to comprehend the consequences. Latter part of the associative stage and the early autonomous stage are periods where complacency inflicts chaos. I happened to talk to a Human Resources manager once who mentioned a unique behavior in gen Y (young adults, immediate gratification group) “I have been in this position for almost two (a short period) years, what next?” They are talking to a manger who is dealing with employees who worked in that organization for several decades. I remember the first few days in my life when I went against my faith. It was in my 8^th grade; the first time I was exposed to evolution. I thought the belief was a hoax; rebelled against my Sunday school teacher; hesitated to go to go the program. These scenarios have all one common thread: perception which is reality, till enlightened. 

Miscomprehension, obscurity and complacency –which surface in the cognitive, associative and autonomous stages, respectively -could lead to undesirable habits and outcomes. Breaking the temporary cocoon of these habits, through mindfulness is a solution. One needs to guard miscomprehension in the initial cognitive stage. I had written in the past: the rate of drop-off from any program, initiative, and resolutions is very high in this time. There seems a solution to this- be present where you are! Focus. Be there in the cognitive stage. Do not be complacent. Ask questions; teach yourself and teach whom you ask questions. Be candid. Nourish integrity. Everybody make mistakes; a successful person would be able to spot, fix and weave around those faults.

Do the right thing; do at the right time. We know it. But, sometimes, we are torn between complacency and miscomprehension. This was one of the scenarios in Hindu epic Mahabharata. King Arjuna was in a dilemma on the outcome of waging a war at Kauravas; dejection and despondency overtook him. Lord Krishna spent hours to advise him to get out of the labyrinth of his feelings through 700 verses of Bhagavad Geetha- the philosophy which gave rise Karma yoga, Raja yoga, Bhakthi yoga and Jnana yoga It may be hard for us to understand the philosophy of theses yogic streams. The yoga we know and practice today in the western world should help to train our body and mind to comprehend experiences in life with clarity and retrain us when we swing, naturally, to complacency. By definition of Patanjanli, yoga should warrant stability and comfort. It is not only the stability of body, it means the integrity; it is not the comfort of complacency, it is the comfort of challenge and dedication. 

Here I give a flavor of one of my favorite (under-utilized) yoga pose- Ananthasana. Anantha is a mythical snake, a bed for lord Vishnu. The Lord chose Anatha as a mattress; Anantha gave the comfort along with the stability he needed to control the universe (Again, I am not going to explain the details on how to get to this pose. YouTude knows everything!) In this pose your diaphragm is moved caudally by the vacuum created by the internal organs (while flowing to the bottom of the belly); the pressure created by the internal organs on the bottom moves the diaphragm cranially. There are not many yoga poses which would asymmetrically stretch your diaphragm. It retrains the diaphragm to get out of the comfort of symmetric operations. It is one of the yoga poses suggested for breaking out of habits. If you feel really hard to sleep on the other side (as most of us do, we sleep only on one side), you may try this yoga pose and see what happens. This is an example. I could cite several other examples where yoga has shown us the light to break off the habits and overcome complacency.

  

Please feel free to comment on this post and let me know what is in your mind.

Healthy regards,

Jay

Your immunity is more than a personal choice.

Dear All,

This is the time of the year when our resolutions get little shaky.  I have seen participants in various fitness programs complain about the lack of success. By the end of February, they lament: “I have been working hard, no results”, “this is not my cup of tea”; “just wasted my money by buying this treadmill”; or, “just trapped into the contract with that fitness club/ studio” (I heard the best time to buy used fitness equipment is end of February!). I suggest them to keep their eyes open; overcome insanity (As Albert Einstein said, “doing same thing over and over again expecting a different result”) When you are in a gym see the modified versions of exercises members execute. It may not be a bad idea to ask them (if you are comfortable) the benefits of their versions. I am amazed by the number of ways yoga poses are adopted and modified by various studios and instructors to accommodate specific groups. When instructors offer their availability for discussions, use their openness and ask how this modified version is different from the traditional one. It is a teaching moment for you and for your instructor. Create the comradery with your fitness buddy, gym or the fitness studio. To be successful is great; maintain that success is greater. We may succeed in several health related resolutions. The best way to maintain the success is not get into the complacency: always ask questions- why I am doing this? Why can’t I do this way? Why you did this? This would certainly keep you engaged and get you out of the pleasure of temporary complacency. Why are we doing what we are doing? Can we do it differently? Create a great community around you for that conversation.

 I have been thinking about this post for quite some time. Even while we are springing into March, the influenza season does seem to linger. Adding to the agony, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that several strains of tested influenza viruses is genetically different from the vaccine viruses. The immunity of people -even those who took the flu shots- was compromised. We spend huge resources and time to fight the flu season. More than anything else, it is an inconvenience.  We do everything to prevent influenza virus to invade us. But, we may be missing a point. How did we get here in the first place?  May be our life styles might have added a bit to where we are now.

A short story from Hindhu mythology might shed some light on the how we got there. Lord Narayana initiated an "exchange program" with mother earth. He send his wise emissary, Naradha (who has the ability to travel distant worlds and realms), to invite the most unhygienic creature on earth to visit heaven and see the life out there. Naradha's investigation ended with a pig (a pig that lived in the wild). Naradha and the pig started their journey. On the way, the curious pig asked Naradha, “What is so big about your abode?” “It is neat, clean, no dirt, mud, fragrance everywhere ...and you will love it. We (just) want you to know how things are different there.” The pig stopped, turned back and said, "I trust you, it may be a good place. But…” paused the pig. “I might die if there isn't enough dirt and mud.” Said the pig to Naradha; turned went back to earth. This might be a story but I think there is an iota of truth in it. Dirty mud was a better place for pig. (Naradha did not tell the pig about Amruth- the divine nectar!)

Let us place this story side by side to some of the published scientific data. A study published in Biomedical central (BMC Biol. 7, 79 (2009)) conclude pigs living in dirt had a higher immunity. Animals raised in the isolated environment (over protected) expressed more genes involved in inflammatory immune responses (meaning: low immunity) and cholesterol synthesis (meaning: high cholesterol), whereas genes associated with T cells (T cells or T lymphocytes play a central role in cell-mediated immunity) were expressed in the outdoor-reared pigs (meaning: high immunity). Researchers in a latest study published in Journal of pediatrics suggest hand-washing kitchenware exposes children to a more diverse microbiome which improve their immune system positively. May be we need to pull our sleeves and do some outdoor living: gardening or outdoor games, perhaps. It improves your physique too. Try to stay away from the “Windex” culture.

There are numerous ways we could improve the immunity- eat health food (containing antioxidants and immune boosting ingredients), drink plenty of water, supplement Vitamin C, supplement fish oil, and manage stress. Studies have shown that stress could impair your immune system. This may be one of the hardest one.  We could manage stress in two ways: avoids activities or people who cause stress (or, surround with people, who relieves your stress), meditation, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), or Imagery Guided Relaxation. Relaxation reduces the production unnecessary chemicals and hormones in your body that would eventually compromise your immunity.

Your lymphatic system control the immunity. Unlike blood, lymph movement is controlled either by the either intrinsic contractions of the lymphatic passages or by the extrinsic compression of the lymphatic vessels via external tissue forces. Lymph moves the defensive cell (NK cells, T cells and B cells) around the body. I am a big fan of curative powers of alternative systems in health and fitness. Yoga and meditation could be effective in your fight against pathogens. There are specific yoga postures that help to cleanse your body and remove toxins, germs and infections. Camel, Bow, Wheel (any heart openers would work. These poses sensitize thymus and spleen which along with bone marrow leads the fight against pathogens (controlled by the production, maturation and action of T and B cells) In general, any inversions and heart openers could boost the immunity. These poses supplement the seamless flow of lymph in the body. One of my favorite pose is Downdog. The potential of this simple and easy pose is hard to imagine if we never try it. Other inversions (may be little challenging) are plow and supported shoulder stand. Trunk twisting poses -half-fish and Maricyasana, for example- could stretch, twist and compress the skeletal muscles to enhance the flow of lymph. This is going to be challenging. I could definitely tell you, form my experience, it is worth taking that challenge. (P. S. I thought of writing the details of these poses. Recent inundation of yoga poses and methods of their execution in YouTube might make my efforts redundant at the best). What about the corpse pose? Who doesn’t’ love it? Whether you get into the pose after a vigorous Ashtanga vinyasa or you take after eight hours of deep sleep, its benefits are beyond your imagination. Warrior 2? If you have ever attended my class, you will see how addicted I am to this fighter pose. In one of my auditions, I asked the participants to hold this pose for several minutes (out of the 15 minute total) Alignment, energetics, mind-body connection (fighting your imperfections and weaknesses), spiritual cues and breath- by the time a touched a bit of these, I have passed the time allotted for this pose!

On a broader sense, your immunity is more than a personal choice; it’s a commitment to the community. One of my favorite term this flu season was “herd immunity”- a mechanism where significant portion of immune population render a level of protection to those who have not developed immunity. The immune population create an “immune-sphere” around the immune compromised. What surprised me was the reason some population thought about vaccination: it protects those whom you may interact. This was a pleasant surprise to me; a compassionate thought. Is it not the situation similar with our mind and body?  If herd immunity creates “immune-sphere”; hanging out with good folks could lead to the protection of mind, body and spirit. Surround yourself with folks who respect body, mind and spirit. You may falter on your way to gain that holistic immunity; but, folks who walked before you, those walking behind you, and those walking by your side may prop you up. I have seen this in some of the yoga classes I teach. The participants form a strong comradery and community.

The santhi mantra from Upanishads is relevant and I have heard many yoga classes start with that chant, a prayer which could help when you feel compromised with the mind, body and spiritual immunity. 

Om saha nāvavatu
saha nau bhunaktu
saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai
tejasvi nāvadhītamastu
mā vidviṣāvahai |
Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||

Aum! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together;

May we work conjointly with great energy,

May our study be vigorous and effective;

May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any).

Aum! Let there be peace in me!

Let there be peace in my environment!

Let there be peace in the forces that act on me

Healthy regards,

Jay.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I had never been a fan of restorative yoga; its benefits eluded me. My fitness trail and pragmatism biased me to an extent in my first restorative session the instructor had to wake me up (at least twice) during the transitions. At the same time, I must admit, I am a fan of closely related deep tissue and self myofascial massage to squeeze, stretch and compress muscles and joints. My reasoning to substantiate the benefits of restorative reached nowhere. Witnessing the momentum of restorative yoga in the US, I thought: I am missing something.

I recently attended a restorative class in a yoga studio in Western Springs. During the centering the instructor mentioned, among other associated benefits, the connection between Hyaluronic acid (HA) and restorative yoga. I knew HA: a BIG molecule; a dimer of glucoronic acid and N-acetyl glucosamine; and those were it! The next 50 minutes, I lied on my yoga mat trying to decode the missing link, oblivious to the poses and instructor’s narration.

HA is being called the “key to the fountain of youth” and is everywhere in our body: in bones; in cartilage (especially in the hyaline cartilage); in synovial fluid; in skin; in the eye.. It is a resilient molecule; it transports nutrients in the synovial fluid to avascular cartilage. The only way nutrients could migrate to the cartilage (which does not have blood vessels) is by the mediation of HA. By feeding essential nutrients to the joints and protecting it from shock, HA promotes joint integrity. HA is the most water loving molecule in the nature. It is nature’s moisturizer. In the skin, HA maintains high percentage of water to bathe elastin; this prevents wrinkle and makes skin brittle free. Here is the problem: HA is very short lived and need to be regenerated continuously. Further, as one age, this regeneration slows down as its production centers (fibroblasts) dwindle and less sensitive.

What does restorative yoga has to do with HA?

Fibroblasts are stimulated through stress: squeezing the muscles, compressing, and stretching the connective tissues (where fibroblasts reside) stimulate them to enhance HA synthesis. The body also creates more fibroblasts under such conditions. With more fibroblasts, and more production of HA, the body rehydrates our tissues and joints more.

Vitreous humor in the eye is loaded with HA. I practiced some eye exercises during my graduate days (which, I must admit, happened long ago). I was determined to remove my eye glasses I was using for my short-sight. With the guidance from school of perfect eye sight and the exercises, I met my target- removed the eye glasses. No ophthalmologist will support what I observed with my sight. Now, looking back, I realize all those exercises were related to working with the eye ball and the muscles and ligaments around the lens. May be, I was recreating HA to maintain the focal length of the lens by strengthening suspensory ligaments.

I watched a “fuzz speech” in you tube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FtSP-tkSug) recently. Even though I did not agree with the idea of comparing a cadaver to a body with life, it may be possible sedentary lifestyle could enhance the accumulation of “fuzz” between muscle layers, restricting the movement of muscles. This may aggravate the accumulation of more scar tissue- it’s a domino effect. The warmth of the human body, the hydration and constant regeneration of hyaluronic acid could all trigger a natural melting of the fuzz. I remember the (very) first time I went for a yoga class. The first thing the yogi did was deep self myofascial massage. I am sure he did not have any idea on fascia, fuzz, or sliding filament theory. In addition to increase the blood flow, I believe, he was trying to dissolve the fuzz to make muscle tissue more mobile and body more flexible. May be we get similar effect (sensitize the fibroblasts) from elevated temperatures. There is no wonder why (even) traditional fitness clubs move to heated yoga.

This is the message to all pragmatic guys out there: your quest for mobility of joints and determination to burn calories are great; add few restorative yoga poses to your repertoire for the stability of those mobile joints. You will not regret it! Science will, definitely, meet the truth one day; till then, follow what your guru told you!

Healthy regards,

Jay