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Thriving in Healthcare: How Pranayama, Asana, and Dyana Can Transform Your Practice

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Thriving in Healthcare: How Pranayama, Asana, and Dyana Can Transform Your Practice Thriving in Healthcare: How pranayama, asana, and dyana can transform your practice Melissa Lea-Foster Rietz, FNP-BC, BC-ADM, RYT-200 Presbyterian Medical Services Farmington, NM [email protected] Professional Disclosure I have no personal or professional affiliation with any of the resources listed in this presentation, and will receive no monetary gain or professional advancement from this lecture. Talk Objectives Provide a VERY brief history of yoga Define three aspects of wellness: mental, physical, and social. Define pranayama, asana, and dyana. Discuss the current evidence demonstrating the impact of pranayama, asana, and dyana on mental, physical, and social wellness. Learn and practice three techniques of pranayama, asana, and dyana that can be used in the clinic setting with patients. Resources to encourage participation from patients and to enhance your own practice. Yoga as Medicine It is estimated that 21 million adults in the United States practice yoga. In the past 15 years the number of practitioners, of all ages, has doubled. It is thought that this increase is related to broader access, a growing body of research on the affects of the practice, and our understanding that ancient practices may hold the key to healing modern chronic diseases. Yoga: A VERY Brief History Yoga originated 5,000 or more years ago with the Indus Civilization Sanskrit is the language used in most Yogic scriptures and it is believed that the principles of the practice were transmitted by word of mouth for generations. Georg Feuerstien divides the history of Yoga into four catagories: Vedic Yoga: connected to ritual life, focus the inner mind in order to transcend the limitations of the ordinary mind Preclassical Yoga: Yogic texts, Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita Classical Yoga: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the eight fold path Postclassical Yoga: Creation of Hatha (willful/forceful) Yoga, incorporation of the body into the practice Modern Yoga Swami (master) Vivekananda speaks at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. In 1920 Paramahansa Yogananda arrives in Boston and establishes the Self-Realization Fellowship Indra Devi, also known as the “First Lady of Yoga”, brought Hatha Yoga to her Hollywood Yoga studio in 1947. Yogi Bhajan broke with tradition in 1969 and began to teach Kundalini Yoga to students in the United States. Yoga is not restricted by Religion and includes number of leaders who champion nonviolence and peace; including the Dalai Lama. Last year India’s prime minister Narendra Modi declared June 21st International Yoga Day, 190 countries agreed to recognize the day, highlighting the popularity of the practice. Three Areas of Wellness: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Mental: our ability to open our minds up to new ideas and experiences, to improve skills and seek challenges. The World Health Oranization defines mental health as, “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” Social: our ability to relate and connect with others, to establish and maintain positive relationships Social health involves your ability to form satisfying interpersonal relationships with others. It also relates to your ability to adapt comfortably to different social situations and act appropriately in a variety of settings. Physical: our ability to move through our day without undue fatigue or physical stress, recognizing that our daily habits have a significant impact on our level of wellness. Components of physical health include activity, nutrition, substance use, rest, and sleep Pranayama "Your breath is the bridge that leads you into the vibrational dimension of your being. When things get challenging, stop, slow down and breath." ~Panache Desai “Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh EBP Impact on Wellness Studies have demonstrated that pranayama practices may: Decrease anxiety and depression Increase happiness Improve overall quality of sleep Improve our response to traumatic events Activate the parasympathetic nervous system leading to enhanced mental health Cardiovascular health Increase in diaphragmatic excursion Nadi (channel) Shodhana (cleaning) 1) Sit comfortably with your spine erect and shoulders relaxed. Keep a gentle smile on your face. 2) Place your left hand on the left knee, palms open to the sky or in Chin Mudra (thumb and index finger gently touching at the tips). 3) Place the tip of the index finger and middle finger of the right hand in between the eyebrows, the ring finger and little finger on the left nostril, and the thumb on the right nostril. We will use the ring finger and little finger to open or close the left nostril and thumb for the right nostril. 4) Press your thumb down on the right nostril and breathe out gently through the left nostril. 5) Now breathe in from the left nostril and then press the left nostril gently with the ring finger and little finger. Removing the right thumb from the right nostril, breathe out from the right. 6) Breathe in from the right nostril and exhale from the left. You have now completed one round of Nadi Shodhan pranayama. Continue inhaling and exhaling from alternate nostrils. 7) Complete 9 such rounds by alternately breathing through both the nostrils. After every exhalation, remember to breathe in from the same nostril from which you exhaled. Keep your eyes closed throughout and continue taking long, deep, smooth breaths without any force or effort. http://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/ yoga/nadi-shodhana-pranayama/ Studies Demonstrate… Decreases blood pressure Increases skin conduction Enhances immune function Improves simple problem solving skills IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF ‘NADI -SHODHANA PRANAYAMA’ ON SOME SELECTED PARAMETERS OF CARDIOVASCULAR, PULMONARY, AND HIGHER FUNCTIONS OF BRAIN N.K. Subbalakshmi1, S.K. Saxena2, Urmimala2, and Urban J.A. D’Souza Department of Physiology, Kasturba Medical College, (MAHE) Mangalore, India,2Department of Physiology, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, Gangtok, India, and 3Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University Malaysia Sabah, 88999 Kapalabhati (cleaning breath) 1) Sit comfortably with your spine erect. Place your hands on the knees, palms open to the sky. 2) Take a deep breath in. 3) As you exhale, pull your stomach. Pull your navel in back towards the spine. Do as much as you comfortably can. You may keep your right hand on the stomach to feel the abdominal muscles contract. Pull the navel in. 4) As you relax the navel and abdomen, the breath flows into your lungs automatically. 5) Take 20 such breaths to complete one round of Kapal Bhati pranayama. 6) After completing the round, relax with your eyes closed and observe the sensations in your body. 7) Do two more rounds of Skull Shining breathing technique (Kapal Bhati pranayama). http://sadhukalayoga.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Kapalbhati-2.png Studies Demonstrate Reduction of perceived stress Beneficial effect on cardiovascular parameters Reduction in body mass index Improvement in pulmonary function testing (see study below) EFFECT OF 6 WEEKS OF KAPALABHATI PRANAYAMA TRAINING ON PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE IN YOUNG, HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS Dinesh T 1, Gaur G S2, Sharma V K3, Madanmohan4 , Harichandra Kumar KT 5, Grrishma B6 1Dinesh T, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Vinayaka Mission’s Medical College, Karaikal- 609605 2Gaur G S, Additional Professor, Department of Physiology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, Puducherry- 605006 3Sharma V K, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, Puducherry- 605006 4Madanmohan, Professor & Head, Department of Physiology, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry - 607 402 5Harichandra Kumar KT, Lecturer, Department of Biostatistics, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, Puducherry- 605006 6Grrishma B, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Yenepoya Medical College, Mangalore-575018 Ujjayi (victorious) “Ujjayi Pranayama is a balancing and calming breath which increases oxygenation and builds internal body heat.” —Krishnamacharya 1) To begin your practice, find a comfortable seat. Lengthen your spine and relax your shoulders. 2) Inhale through your nose, then open your mouth to exhale slowly as if you’re trying to fog a mirror. Try to create a slight contraction at the back of your throat and listen for a long "HA" sound. 3) Try this several several times, in through your nose and out through your mouth, before you try closing your mouth and exhaling through the nose with the same effect. Begin to direct the breath slowly across the back of your throat for both your inhale and exhale. Ideally, this will create a soft and audible hissing sound as you breathe. Studies Demonstrate Decrease heart rate Decrease systolic and diastolic blood pressures Increase oxygen saturation Reduces anxiety CARDIOVASCULAR AND RESPIRATORY EFFECT OF YOGIC SLOW BREATHING IN THE YOGA BEGINNER: WHAT IS THE BEST APPROACH? Heather Mason,1 Matteo
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