Over the last few weeks, we’ve explored a number of “alternative therapies” that work with the energy of the human body to assist the body in healing itself.   Yoga is a prime example of a practice that engages the mind and the body for health and healing.  Last week I highlighted how Thersa at Yoga on the Ridge uses Yoga for an application of physical therapy for Parkinson’s patients.  But Yoga has many applications.

Yoga is a practice that strengthens every part of our body: muscles, bones, circulatory system, lymphatic system, heart, lungs, and brain.  As you stretch, the fibers of your muscles expand and separate a bit which allows blood to flow through the muscle and clean out toxins that have accumulated from exercise, common use, stress, or ailment. As the brain is focused on proper breathing and stretching, even an ADHD mind finds focus and can begin to relax.  Then the brain produces ‘happy chemicals’, circulation increases, blood pressure decreases, oxygen is delivered throughout the body.

But Yoga is far more than just stretching. Each asana is said to have a physical and mental benefit.  Stretching certain muscles is not only good for the muscle itself, but also has a connection to the mind.    

There is a profound connection between muscles and the brain. As a massage therapist, I once had a client who had been raped.  I did not know this until one time I began to work on a knot that I felt in her wrist and suddenly she jumped up,  ripped herself out of my grasp and began to cry.  What I found out is that her wrists had been bound during the experience and “for some reason” when I began to work on them a vivid memory of the trauma came to mind. 

This is an overt example of something that happens on a microscopic level all the time.   If your mind is stressed, it wreaks havoc on your body as it creates chemicals for fight or flight.  It sends those chemicals to the organs and muscles to do certain jobs for fighting or fleeing. 

If the energy is not used by muscles for strenuous job of fighting or fleeing, then these chemicals and hormones are left just ‘hangin out’ in the organs and muscle tissue; and our immune system is compromised.  There are hundreds of small toxic waste dumps in our bodies that we call “acupoints” or “trigger points” or “pressure points”.  When an acupuncturist or acupressurist works on these points, built up toxins release back into the blood flow, and the “energy flow” through the area is restored. 

When this happens, the muscle memory may be triggered and certain thoughts may come to mind.  They may be as traumatic as my client who had been raped, or simply an issue that a person has been grappling with.  But either way, the work done in or around a muscle, triggers the mind to think about particular things because the mind deposited toxins there that were related to those particular stresses. 

There is a modality of Yoga called “Therapeutic Yoga” that works with this mind-muscle connection.  Theresa of Yoga on the Ridge is a licensed Yoga Therapist who offers   one-on-one sessions.  The Yoga Therapist will assist the client in holding various asanas.  Then after a few minutes she will ask, “What is going on for you here?”  The answer can be as simple as “I feel you stretching my hamstrings” or as profound as, “I’m thinking about how I feel impotent at work.  My boss is micromanaging me and I have so much I can offer to the company, but I’m being held down …”

Therapeutic Yoga can be a very effective tool for bringing issues to the forefront of your mind that need attention.  Then, as you stretch, breathe, and meditate, the body begins to ‘heal itself’.  Toxins that were stored and trapped in the muscle tissue are released back into the blood stream for elimination, and a sense of release or well being can ensue. 

Sometimes, people find that even after they have talked their issues to death, they still feel stuck.   Why is this?  They may have figured out who harmed them in their past, or how they misinterpreted events in this life, or what their actions should be … yet they are still stuck.   Then, when they have a couple acupuncture appointments or Yoga Therapy sessions, suddenly the issue seems to dissipate.  Somehow they don’t feel stuck anymore and they can move forward in freedom. This can prove to be a powerful tool for dealing with the stresses of life, or an incredible compliment to seeing a personal counselor for the traumas of life.