Yoga and MS

As it is emphasized in taking medicine for Ms Patients, sometimes it is recommended these patients to also use exercising, walking and yoga as assisting therapy factors. In this disease, mental calmness and adaptation with disease is of high importance and whereas in addition to the body, yoga affects one’s mind, besides physical effect, it may also help in establishing mental calmness. The MS Association held yoga classes for MS patients. Participating in these courses was half-priced in case of enjoying a relative balance, the patient could use these classes, and even those patients who could not walk were performing seated yoga. Participating in these courses had a lot of effects on patients, so that by alleviating the disease symptoms, some of them thought that they are cured. However, unfortunately, due to high MS treatment expenses, many patients prevented from practicing yoga. Meanwhile, this association used to hold these classes in one location in Tehran and even if the classes were for free, still it would be difficult for some to pay for the travelling costs for some of those who were coming from distant locations. One the other hand, many yoga institutes were not ready to hold courses for free or half-priced for MS patients and all these problems caused lack of MS association dependent yoga courses during the next years.

Yoga and Psychology
Many practices performed in psychology and psychotherapy exists in yoga in a certain manner. The first lesson of yoga is the anger management and stress. There are certain techniques in yoga which have physical (warming up exercises) and mental aspects and highly affect the mental health of people. Those who suffer from physical problems (with mental root), anxiety, severe an chronic stress and depression are more recommended to use yoga, as yoga is not a kind of sports, but is a mean to relax and giving vision.

Training to control Anxiety using Yoga Exercises
Often the psychologists train self-assistance exercises to be able to apply the same in confrontation under difficult situations. Meanwhile, training with anxiety control helps people to identify the anxiety symptoms and apply certain techniques to improve such symptoms. Generally, speaking, any emotion including fear or anxiety, is accompanied with a series of physical symptoms such as changing heartbeat, changing body temperature, changing respiration ad muscle contradictions. Therefore, through correct controlling these physical symptoms the emotions may be controlled. Increasing focus, soberness, mental balance and generally speaking emotional self-awareness are also play an effect role in control certain emotions including stress. The more one is aware and recognize his/her emotions, the better (s)he may control and manage the same. From amongst the skills which are quite useful to control stress is performing yoga techniques, of which some samples are mentioned in the following. Regular performing these techniques under suitable situations (e.g. a clam environment at home) causes one to have more control on him/herself under stressful conditions and keep clam to control his/her awareness and mental balance and eventually stress.

(1)   Tree Balance Pose (Eka Pada Asana)
The body weight is applied on one leg, vision is to the front and focus is on the foot on the placed onto the ground. The balance situations cause focus and harmony and balance in the brain lobes. This situation may also be performed simply, so that one foot palm is placed on the other one which is place onto the ground and the arms are placed besides the body.

(2)   Corpse Pose  (Shavasana)
In this technique, one loosens and leaves regularly and orderly each of the body parts from the foot fingers to the upper head through focusing on the same, so that the muscle extension an relaxation are generated in the entire body. In addition to removing muscle tensions, this technique increases one’s self-awareness.

(3)   Meditation Pose
Sit down relaxed and focus on the natural rhythm of respiration for 10-20 minutes and become aware of the natural respiration. This exercise causes calmness, focus and self-awareness.

(4)   Raised Arms Pose (Hasta Uttanasana)
Rise backwards while breathing in as much as you can, and come back while breathing out. Generally speaking, yoga exercises are performed with concentration and awareness together with respiration and calmness and with the maximum capability. Also the stretching exercises cause calmness and alleviate the physiologic symptoms resulted from stress.