From
Asana to Pranayama: People of Every Ability
Can Practice Yoga for Fun and Fitness
by Amy Labbe
Yoga Master B.K.S. Iyengar once said, "Yoga
teaches us to cure what need not be endured and
endure what cannot be cured."
 |
| Kathy Senecal helps Keith Mullinar, who has inclusion-body myositis, do the pawanmuktasana pose, or seated side stretch. |
More than an insightful play on words, the saying
rings true for people around the world -- including
those who have disabilities caused by neuromuscular
diseases.
For thousands of years, people have practiced yoga
-- stretching and breathing exercises designed to
unite the mind, body and spirit into a state of
perfect consciousness. Yoga was introduced to the
West a little over a century ago, and over the last
several decades has become increasingly popular
as a form of exercise and an enhancement to health.
There’s a form of yoga to suit almost any
taste -- from the gentle and relaxing Hatha Yoga,
to the favorite of dedicated workout enthusiasts
everywhere, Ashtanga, or Power Yoga. Modification
and a host of specialized props allow asanas (postures,
or poses) to be tailored to almost any ability.
Done from a standing position, or while seated
in a chair, a bed, or the floor, poses are combined
with pranayama, or proper breathing, in a particular
order and for varying lengths of time to stimulate
targeted muscles and sharpen mental clarity, while
easing stress and tension away. The activity can
be performed alone or in groups. Those with severe
physical limitations can work one-on-one with a
yoga therapist, who, with proper equipment, including
bolsters, props and straps, can help clients achieve
the proper positions and gain the same benefits
as their able-bodied counterparts.
 |
| Susan
Iannaccone |
INCREASED BODY AWARENESS
Susan Iannaccone, a pediatric neurologist and director
of the MDA clinic at Children’s Medical Center
of Dallas, has practiced yoga for two years. She’s
also recommended the activity to people with neuromuscular
diseases.
Iannaccone says the benefits to be gained from
yoga come not only from stretching and relaxation,
but also in maintaining strength. Perhaps most important
is what those who practice yoga can learn about
themselves.
“It teaches people to be very aware of their
own body,” Iannaccone says, something particularly
important to those dealing with neuromuscular diseases.
Increased self-awareness helps people to know where
their bodies are in space, as well as whether they
feel any aches, pain, strains or stiffness.
Yoga’s adaptability, Iannaccone says, is
what makes it a natural fit for anyone looking for
a way to help maintain comfort and flexibility.
“Everybody can do some of it,” she says.
 |
| Kathy Senecal, who has Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), demonstrates the seated side stretch. Senecal explains that the pose "releases the spine through the waist area and ribcage, opening up the torso for breathing." |
Of course, as with any activity, individual ability
has to be taken into account. “Patients with
a lot of orthopedic problems are going to have more
problems than others,” Iannaccone says. “The
problem is frustration with not being able to do
what everyone else does.”
Still, yoga has something to offer for everyone,
a factor that third-grade teacher Kathy Senecal
believes has contributed to the growing popularity
of yoga and yoga therapy -- that and the simple
fact that, as she says, "It works."
Senecal, 58, has practiced yoga since 1994, and
as a yoga instructor and yoga therapist in Cromwell,
Conn., she helps others learn about and experience
the activity she believes serves her so well. Senecal,
who has facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy,
knows that yoga has made a significant difference
in her health and well-being.
 |
| Keith
Mullinar does a forward bend from the seat of
his scooter as service dog Coco relaxes at his
side. |
"My personal experience with yoga has been
extremely positive," Senecal says, adding that
her doctor has attributed her overall good health
to the fact that she's been doing yoga for so long.
REACHING DEEPER MUSCLES
Senecal and Iannaccone agree that, in some cases,
yoga can help you reach muscles that can't be reached
with other types of exercise or physical therapy.
Furthermore, she adds, it's something anyone can
do.
Like Iannaccone, Senecal believes the quality that
makes yoga so accessible is its adaptability. She
stresses that it can be continually modified in
response to the individual body and symptoms: If
someone makes progress, they may move on to a deeper
level, and if they encounter difficulties, they
can back off and try something else.
 |
| The jathara parivarttanasana, or rotated stomach pose, is a gentle twist of the spine. It relaxes the neck and vertebrae, opens the chest and lengthens the spine. (Note: Always consult your physician before undertaking any new exercise program.) |
"Even someone with severe loss of function
can practice yoga," she says. "If a person
is propped properly with blankets, bolsters and
straps, you can set them at an angle so that tension
can be released in the spine."
Physical constraints don't pose as many limitations
in yoga as they do in other types of exercise regimens.
All anyone really needs before starting yoga, Senecal
says, "is the desire to learn what it is and
if it's appropriate for them."
Getting
Started With Your Own Routine
As always, anyone considering a new exercise
program should consult with a physician first.
Once you've gotten approval from your doctor,
however, it's easy to get started.
Suitable exercise wear, mats and other props
designed for yoga practitioners can be purchased,
but none of them are necessary for the beginning
yoga student.
A wide range of books, audio CDs and DVDs
(see “Yoga Resources”) make it
easy to learn poses and breathing techniques,
which you can then practice from the comfort
of your living room floor, from a chair on
a patio, or from your very own bed. If exercising
alone isn't what you're looking for, or if
you want more interactive instruction, you
can sign up for classes in a gym and or studio.
If physical limitations are a concern, you
can enlist the aid of a yoga therapist for
specialized, one-on-one instruction and assistance.
Always remember to stop exercising if it
hurts -- you should never "exercise through
pain." Don't do anything that leaves
you hurting long after a session, and don't
exercise to exhaustion.
Most importantly, have fun while you're doing
it. Yoga as a form of exercise is meant to
be relaxing and fun. So set some time aside
to learn the basics, then get out there and
stretch, breathe, relax!
|
Benefits
of Yoga for Both Body and Mind
Physical Benefits
- Decreased pulse rate, respiratory rate
and blood pressure
- Increased cardiovascular and respiratory
function
- Improved posture, balance, dexterity and
flexibility
- Increased engery and greater endurance
- Decrease in pain
Mental/Emotional Benefits
- Improved mood
- Greater sense of well-being
- Enhanced sense of inner peace and awareness
- Decreased feelings of anxiety and depression
- Improved attention span, concentration,
memory and focus
|
Yoga
Resources
ORGANIZATIONS
American Yoga Association
(941) 927-4977
www.americanyogaassociation.org
International Association of Yoga
Therapists
(928)-541-0004
www.iayt.org
National Center on Physical Activity
and Disability
(800) 900-8086
www.ncpad.org
Yoga Alliance
(877) 964-2255
www.yogaalliance.org
Yoga Research and Education Foundation
www.yrec.org
EQUIPMENT
Wai Lana Yoga
(800) 228-5145
www.wailana.com/yogastore
Yoga Props
(888) 856-9642
www.yogaprops.net
BOOKS
The American Yoga Association's Easy
Does It Yoga: The Safe and Gentle Way to Health
and Well-Being
Alice Christensen, 1999, Fireside
Dr. Yoga: A Complete Guide to the
Medical Benefits of Yoga
Nirmala Heriza, Dean Ornish and C. Noel Bairey
Merz, 2004, Penguin Tarcher
Gentle Yoga: A Guide to Low-Impact
Exercise
Lorna Bell, R.N., and Eudora Seyfer, 1982,
Celestial Arts
Om Yoga: A Guide to Daily Practice
Cyndi Lee, 2002, Chronicle Books
Recovery Yoga: A Practical Guide
for Chronically Ill, Injured, and Post-Operative
People
Sam Dworkis, 1997, Three Rivers Press
Yoga for the Young at Heart: Accessible
Yoga for Every Body
Susan Winter Ward, 2002, New World Library
Yoga in Bed: 20 Asanas to do in Pajamas
Edward Vilga, 2005, Running Press
Yoga in Bed: Awaken Body, Mind &
Spirit in Fifteen Minutes
Naomi Call, 2005, Findhorn Press
Yoga Therapy: A Guide to the Therapeutic
Use of Yoga and Ayurveda for Health and Fitness
A.G. Mohan, 2004, Shambhala
Yogafit: The Program for a More Powerful,
Flexible, and Defined Physique
Beth Shaw, 2000, Human Kinetics
DVD
Chair & Standing, Ageless Yoga
- Exercise for All, Including for Seniors
& for Arthritis & Disabilities
With John Schlorholtz
Sitting Fit Anytime: Easy and Effective
Chair Yoga
With Susan Winter Ward, 1999
Yoga in Bed
2006, Goldhil Home Media
Yogability and You
Shelley Sidelman, 2003
VHS
Armchair Fitness Yoga Health
2001, CC-M Productions
Seated Yoga
Carol Dickman, 1999, Yoga Enterprises
AUDIO CD
Chair Yoga: The Sitting Mountain
Series
Lakshmi Voelker, 2004, Lakshmi Voelker
Yoga From Your Chair
With Maureen Lewison, 2004
AUDIO CASSETTE
Bed Top Yoga
Carol Dickman, 1999, Yoga Enterprises
Rest and Recovery With Healing Yoga
Kelly Piper, 1998, Audio Literature
|
|
