Cooling Yoga Postures for IC

In keeping with our theme from last week, I wanted to discuss with you this week the use of yoga postures for irritable bowel syndrome(IBS), fibromyalgia, vulvodynia, and chronic prostatitis  All of these matter science disease labels are associated in high percentages with IC

(Also for more information see the YouTube video at   http://goo.gl/0Fm5SI)

Yoga has been used as a discipline for healing at the Ayurvedic Institute since the 1980’s and has been trademarked as Ayuryoga  The uniqueness of the breathing techniques that I talked about last week and the poses this week is that paired with energy science healing techniques they can restore normal health without IC

The key is that certain yoga postures improve GI health and restore digestive power that has been lost over the years  You will not heal IC until you address the digestive health of your gut

Use of Yoga in IC: A Historical Perspective

Yoga as a discipline of healing using the Ayurvedic model has been around for 5000+years and has used yoga postures for healing  In the late 1990’s Dawn Mahowald, a certified yoga instructor began having symptoms of IC  She began using yoga postures for her problem and was pleasantly surprised that her symptoms improved to the point she wasn’t bothered any further  During that time she sought out the help of a urologist, Emmy Ripoll MD who was open minded enough to follow Dawn’s progress and see the improvemnts

This led to a collaborative effort and a book on the subject showing how IC can be helped with yoga  They currently practice in Boulder Colorado  They were interviewed by Jill Osborne of the ICN in 2002

The Energy Science Model of Qualitative Healing

As I have pointed out over the years the difference between the matter science and the energy science medical healing models is that one is based on molecules and the other on seeing the body as an energy field  You simultaneously coexist as these fields  If I put on my molecular glasses I see the body as an collection of molecules  If I put on a different pair of glasses I see the body as an energy field

When I have those energy glasses on I see the body as a collection of qualities, hot and cold, hard and soft, liquid and dense, slow/dull and sharp/penetrating, heavy and light, etc  So these qualities become my window of observation as to how the energy field is doing  If I feel sluggish and fatigued then I’m out of balance and should take measures to correct the problem

If you have IC you have an imbalance in the hot and mobile qualities that cause you go to the toilet frequently and when in a flare experience burning on urination

So yoga can be therapeutic but a sequence in a yoga studio may cause you a setback if you don’t know how the activity can affect you  So the ongoing discussion below is meant to be a reference for you for future questions that you may have  Therapeutic yoga when combined with Ayurvedic energy science techniques can be healing and transforming

So What Yoga Poses Are Good For IC?

Using yoga as a therapeutic tool is extremely valuable but you have to have some basic understanding of what yoga asana(postures, poses) do to the energy body  As a matter of fact, people report being made worse when they go to a yoga class  This would be particularly the case if you attended a “hot yoga” (Bikram) session and this would make complete sense from what I said above  Here are some suggestions

Chandra namaskar(moon salutation) is an excellent cooling dynamic flow sequence for IC

Doing all sequences and poses slowly(opposed to the mobile quality) is also therapeutic

Forward bends are heating and backbends and expansion poses are cooling in general

After these generalizations the building of a posture practice is based on the individual and their needs  but safe asanas to use are:  trikonasana, ardha chandrasana, and utthita parsvokonasana  Most standing poses are heating

Balancing poses are very grounding for Vata and therefore reduce the mobile quality:  vrksasna, natarajasana, and gaurudasana

Agni building poses are safe such as uttana padasana, naukasana, and mayurasana

Inversions are in general heating but these can be used safely: halasana, bhadharasana(downward facing dog), and short periods in headstand(sarvangasana) are OK but sirasana and variations should be avoided

Twists are cooling so ardha matsyendrasana and jathara parivattasana are great

Seated postures with backbending components are cooling:  setu bandhasana, dhanurasana, pawanmuktanasana, baddha konasana, gomuksasana, virasana, supta virasana, ustrasana, matsyasana, vajrasana, upward dog, and bhujangasana

This list is to give you and your yoga teacher some guidance as to what postures can be aggravating for IC  If you haven’t explored yoga, maybe it’s time to try it out with this guidance  It’s great exercise!

If you would like some personal guidance you and I could develop a personalized program that could be progressed and at the same time get some other help with treatment of your IC condition

Clearance of Toxicity

There are specific postures in yoga that can help improve your digestion which are called above agni building poses  These are amazing because they help restore digestive health which is foundational on your road back to recovering from IC

As always best in your healing journey  Love DB

PS  Don’t forget April 5 for the free webinar on the use of yoga in IC!

Using the Breath for Healing IC

When in between the painful bladder flares of the IC bladder pain syndrome there are things that you can do to help support your recovery as you move along  One of the more important techniques are yogic breathing exercises

Moving Biological Energy

As I’ve discussed in the past you can either see your body as a collection of molecules or as an energy field  This is because you simultaneously coexist as both  From E=mc2 we know this to be the case but for many reasons the current molecular biological model has failed to embrace this fact primarily because you need a trusted model of healing that can guide you in world of energy science healing

The energy science model of Ayurveda is one such model of healing that sees the body as an energy field  Ayurveda comes from the vast yoga discipline and is actually the healing arm of that tradition

When you do yoga you are actually practicing energy science medicine because these postures realign, redistribute, rebalance the body’s energy field over time  In essence you are moving energy into places of stagnant energy which is the primary reason for pain

The primary reason for pain from an energy science point of view is poor flow or stagnant energy in the body

Breathing Techniques Can Do Wonders

There are 3 breath techniques that anyone interested in healing IC can use to aid and support their recovery  From a molecular point of view these techinques seem weird but when you know that you are doing these to redistribute energy in the body then it becomes clear why you are doing them

1 Kapalabhati(KB) is a breath technique of active exhalation and passive inhalation  This has high marks for healing IC because clears toxicity which I talked about last week  It restores the normal directional flow of energy in the pelvis and helps in the restoration of colonic health which is a major player in IC and bowel dysfunction  KB tones the digestive system and improves digestive power, brings about alertness, clears the energy channels and helps move stagnant energy along, energizes the brain, massages the heart(cardiovascualar import), stimulates blood production, heals the prostate, stimulates the ovaries, and balances hormones, and normalizes body weight  You can do this sitting on the front edge of a chair   Here’s a video demonstrating KB  Start with 100 and gradually over weeks increase to 1000  Some call this the breath of fire because it increases body heat  But because it doesn’t disturb the Pitta energy pattern it is considered OK for Pitta

2  Forceful alternate nostril breathing   A variation of nadi shodana or alternate nostril breathing, this breath technique is done forcefully with the right arm up if possible  So the fingers of the right hand are positioned such that the pinky and ring finger close off the left nasal passage and the thumb closes off the right nares   Begin by breathing in through the left nares and the same time closing off the right nostril with the thumb  Exhale through forcefully through the right nostril, closing off the left nares  Inhale right nostril, then forcefully exhale out left nares  This is one round  Start with 10 rounds and gradually work up to 50

This breath technique is like giving yourself an energy bath as it cleanses the entire energy body  It merges left and right brain hemispheres and unfolds by and by a blissful state of being  Physiologcially it reduces depression, eliminates migraines, clears the sinuses, brings vitality to the abdominal organs, strengthens the immune system, decreases cholesterol, induces contentment and serenity

3 Bhramari is translated as bumblebee breath and is done by placing the index fingers in the ear canals, closing the eyes, taking in a deep breathtthrough the mouth, and making the sound of a bee  This calms the physiology and hence the bladder in IC, is excellent of osteoporosis, induces good sleep, improves the function of the thyroid and parathryroid glands, harmonizes the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems  Start with 10 rounds and go to 17  No more than 17

In a couple of months I’ll do a webinar for the community on these techniques as well as other yoga poses that are beneficial for the IC bladder pain syndrome  Until then you can get started and be ready for the practice in April

All the best in your healing journey     DB

Toxicity and IC

The toxicity that we talk about in the environment is no different than the toxicity we create for ourselves The good news is that you can do something about it

The IC bladder pain syndrome is associated with toxicity not just an energetic imbalance As a matter of fact every disease carries toxic load to the tissues  But the matter science molecular model practiced today doesn’t have a concept of toxicity until late in the disease process, when people need dialysis for example And we tend to think of toxicity that comes from the environment, not something we create ourselves But the energy science sees it differently and hence as I have written about earlier, the disease process is seen differently Hence even though the matter science seems not to have an answer, the energy science does

In the IC syndrome IBS shows its toxicity as mucous in the bowel particularly if there is drastic pain  The other form of IBS doesn’t yield to the incredible spasms that occur with the spastic colon varietu  Fibromyalgia has the energy patterns of Vata and Pitta carry toxicity to the muscle and joints  In vulvodynia the toxicity appears in the female vaginal tract; in chronic prostatitis the toxicity  is carried into the male reproductive tract Lastly in IC itself the toxicity is carried into the bladder muscle causing spasm and bladder irritability

The Energy Science Term for Toxicity

The general term for toxicity is ama energy science lingo and it’s present in all diseases

Ama is a sticky cold material that is the endproduct of poor digestion  It doesn’t cause disease right away but by and by with its accumulation it begins to become symptomatic

Symptoms of ama are indigestion, poor appetite, sense of heaviness even though thin, halitosis, body odor, diarrhea, constipation, and of course all the symptoms of the above disease label

The Counter Measure to Ama

If ama is formed it means the digestion is not up to par and most people’s agni is not up to par  Another general term for digestion that is used in the energy science is agni  Agni and ama go hand in hand  If agni is low ama is formed  If agni is high ama is not formed and the person enjoys good health

There are several ways to prevent ama and hence ill health from occurring

1 Don’t overeat…..what one can hold in 2 hands is the volume that should be used at the biggest meal of the day…..the noon meal

2 Eat according to your dominant energy patterns(see foodsheal.com)

3  Use various tools to improve digestion…CCF tea, agni tea, ginger appetizer, trikatu

4  Use tripahala that helps improve bowel health and hence clears ama

5  Some ama is mucousy and the use of licorice as a demulcent(liquifies the mucous) can be helpful

6 Baking soda and dry ginger bath…1/3 cup of each in bath water  helps to eliminate toxic load through the skin

Clear Ama and Clear IC

So this is the top secret in clearing IC for good  Clear the ama  It’s not as easy and simple as it looks on the surface because as some of you may recognize all IC’s are not created equally  Some have had their IC a long time and others not so long  Some have prominent IBS as part of their IC symptoms while others have their ama loculated in different places

Not one size fits all so therefore the treatments tend to vary for each individual but the secret still remains the same: Clear ama and clear IC for good

Good luck on your healing journey      DB

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If Castor Application Doesn’t Work

There is a great energy around the use of castor with some people finding relief from its application to the lower abdomen for the painful bladder of IC syndrome(fibromyalgia, vulvodynia, HAS/GERD, IBS)

But if that doesn’t work try a mixture of castor, mustard and flax oils as a combination(a third of each)

The same application technique applies  You can use a covering cloth over the oils directly applied to the suprapubic region Once applied you can apply a towel and then the heating pad over the top of the towel

The value of castor is that it cools the lower abdomen  Mustard and flax both burn up toxic accumulation in the pelvis when applied even topically  As I’ve discussed before toxic accumulation is invariably associated with the IC condition

There is no pain without this toxic accumulation so it behooves all people with IC to promote a good strong digestive fire or agni to burn off this toxic residue  This waste is oily, sticky, stinky, cold, and heavy(see picture)  So who would want that?

All the best on your journey  DB