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