[QUOTE=The Scales;34652]If your only practicing Asana without the other componets of the system it will be tough, i think, to remedy any issues…[/QUOTE]
What other components you mean? You mean “limbs of yoga”?
[QUOTE=bklynjames;34593]How about with breathing issues like asthma. Has anyone had any luck with it…??[/QUOTE]
No luck with asthma. I got a bout of it a couple of years ago and tried breathwork and asana practice, but the lung spasms won over. Quiet rest and meditation helped a bit, a tough go at the best of times.
[QUOTE=Pawel;34654]What other components you mean? You mean “limbs of yoga”?[/QUOTE]
Yes.
Also Diet and Lifestyle factors are quite important factors to consider for some.
I just came across this quote:
“Other research has found that chronic pain problems are more prevalent among those lacking vitamin D. For instance, in a Univeristy of Delaware study, vitamin D deficiency doubled womens’s risk of serious lower back pain.”
It really helped me with my stress and a little bit with my weight. I don’t know if it is because I do hot yoga but it definitely left me feeling re-energized. I know for sure that the hotness and types of poses that I do, do help significantly with weight but I didn’t have too much to lose!
- K
Not saying Vitamin D is a panacea. It’s a fat soluble vitamin.
It is manufactured by the amazing body from a precusor created by
the skins exposure to Sunlight.
Being a fat soluble vitamin, excessive amounts of it are not excreted like the Bs and Cs through the urine so any supplementation in excess will build up in the Fat storage sites of the body.
Overdosing on the supplemental form of Vitamin D can lead to toxicity - which is bad.
From sunlight, when the body has enough of the readily available form of D it will shut off the conversion process. Therefore no toxicity. How amazing?
D is thought to have a possibly Anti-inflammatory effect among its other very important functions
So simply if you take the readily available form of D in supplements toxicity could occur. Whereas with sunlight Toxicty from D does not occur.
Do you get plenty of Sun? Around 15 minutes a day they say is plenty.
Do you eat a nutrient rich diet from a variety of whole food sources?
If your in the cave all day and you need to take the D in supplemental form. The recommended Daily Adequate Intake is 5 mcg. Tolerable upper daily intake level is 50 mcg.
[QUOTE=YogiAdam;33698]Just wondering if anyone has had any significant improvements from Yoga practice, in regards to physical conditioning?
If so, what was it? -Weight loss, Muscular tone, Posture?
How did you do it? -What form of Yoga, did you combine it with Pilates?
And equally, I’d be interested to know if anyone has done a lot of Yoga, and notice no changes.[/QUOTE]
Hey Adam,
Yes! Doing yoga 1.5 hours a day, 4-6 days a week tremendously makes a difference in my mind and body (still working on the spirit part).
I’ve been doing yoga pretty regularly for that past year and my body has shown posture improvement: a fit body with defined arms, legs, torso, everything. I feel physically stronger and obviously much more flexible. Cardio-wise too! My heart races during some poses and I sweat when I am doing yoga, therefore I know not only is my body toning, but my heart is too.
Mentally, I’ve shown improvement too. I used to be impatient, anxious and moody. Not all the time, but I would say at least everyday I would find something or someone to complain about :rolleyes: After doing yoga my anxiety has improved almost to the point where I don’t think anything can stress me out (that’s taking it a bit too far, but I hope you get my point that I really do rely on yoga to keep my mind in good shape) I wake up everyday in a pretty decent mood that carries on throughout the day…I would say I have always been a genuinely happy kind of person, however yoga emphasizes this and a sort of euphoria has taken over my view of the world. I’ve never believed in any religion or hokey pokey kind of things – I do believe in yoga though because I can feel it working…I’m a gotta see it to believe it kind of person. I see yoga.
I practice mostly on hatha and vinyasa style yoga but occasionally try new kinds to expand my knowledge and perhaps find a new style to love. I’ve never tried Pilates because I’m too much in love with yoga…maybe one day. My latest yoga adventure is “hot yoga”. It’s interesting and I’m still figuring out exactly what my opinion is on it…I have a monthly unlimited pass so I’m definitely will be taking these classes as much as possible. Kind of stupid to chose August…but I got the package at a good deal 
Hope this helps.
Peace,
Sarah
[QUOTE=The Scales;34665]Yes.
Also Diet and Lifestyle factors are quite important factors to consider for some.
I just came across this quote:
“Other research has found that chronic pain problems are more prevalent among those lacking vitamin D. For instance, in a Univeristy of Delaware study, vitamin D deficiency doubled womens’s risk of serious lower back pain.”[/QUOTE]
Then I do practice most of the limbs. Except Pranayama (I just do controlled breathing during asanas) and Samadhi.
On vitamin D - I live in Australia and cycle to work every day so I guess on average I have enough sun exposure. Thanks for info though. I had a look on the study and its interesting (but it seems its only applicable to older women - there was no effect in men group).
[QUOTE=Pawel;34711]Then I do practice most of the limbs. Except Pranayama (I just do controlled breathing during asanas) and Samadhi.
On vitamin D - I live in Australia and cycle to work every day so I guess on average I have enough sun exposure. Thanks for info though. I had a look on the study and its interesting (but it seems its only applicable to older women - there was no effect in men group).[/QUOTE]
R u a Boy r a girl?
lol
You didn’t answer about the diet.
Do you smoke?
Drink booze?
any other so called bad habits?
It could be an issue with Dirty blood. If you sleep on a soft comfy bed the blood will have a tendency to pool in the lower back / kidney areas. If the “dirty” blood pools and stagnates in the area the impurites will affect the lower back and kidneys over time.
I feel this is a major cause of lower back problems for most people. Its a big problem in the states because people will forsake good nutrition for convenience.
If your diet is high in fruits and vegetables and greens and whole foods and you avoid garbage food. Every thing should be copecetic.
Your body needs all the vitamins and minerals and so on from whole food sources to manufacture everything it needs to maintain good health.
Good health primarily being superb working order of all the organs and in particular the elimination and fighting systems.
Also the Pranayamas you skip is one of the more potent practices to purge impurites from the viscera, channels and organs and so ons…
[QUOTE=The Scales;34720]R u a Boy r a girl?
lol
You didn’t answer about the diet.
Do you smoke?
Drink booze?
any other so called bad habits?
It could be an issue with Dirty blood. If you sleep on a soft comfy bed the blood will have a tendency to pool in the lower back / kidney areas. If the “dirty” blood pools and stagnates in the area the impurites will affect the lower back and kidneys over time.
I feel this is a major cause of lower back problems for most people. Its a big problem in the states because people will forsake good nutrition for convenience.
If your diet is high in fruits and vegetables and greens and whole foods and you avoid garbage food. Every thing should be copecetic.
Your body needs all the vitamins and minerals and so on from whole food sources to manufacture everything it needs to maintain good health.
Good health primarily being superb working order of all the organs and in particular the elimination and fighting systems.
Also the Pranayamas you skip is one of the more potent practices to purge impurites from the viscera, channels and organs and so ons…[/QUOTE]
Hi Scales,
To start: I’m a boy 
I try to eat healthy and avoid sweets and processed food. But I have no knowledge to assess value of my diet. I was even thinking recently whether there is some software on internet to check it. To put all you eat and see what are potential deficits.
No smoking or drugs, occasionally wine.
Interesting concept about this dirty blood. I heard it few times and I’m confused. I thought all blood is pushed through circulation system (and thrombus if forming otherwise). How come then there are areas with blood not moving through? Or maybe its about lymph fluid?
In my case the problem is most probably chronic inflammation after injury that didn’t heal properly (its very responsive to anti-inflammatory medicine).
[QUOTE=Pawel;34721]Hi Scales,
To start: I’m a boy
I try to eat healthy and avoid sweets and processed food. But I have no knowledge to assess value of my diet. I was even thinking recently whether there is some software on internet to check it. To put all you eat and see what are potential deficits.
No smoking or drugs, occasionally wine.
Interesting concept about this dirty blood. I heard it few times and I’m confused. I thought all blood is pushed through circulation system (and thrombus if forming otherwise). How come then there are areas with blood not moving through? Or maybe its about lymph fluid?
In my case the problem is most probably chronic inflammation after injury that didn’t heal properly (its very responsive to anti-inflammatory medicine).[/QUOTE]
I’m not a doctor but I believe there are two circulatory systems that are connected. One with the lots of the pressure the other significantly less.
I believe the “comfy” bed creates pressure points along with the various positons that the body gets into during sleep that impair free circulation.
You mention Inflammation. Garbage food causes inflammation. Alergic reactions cause inflammation. This is a case by case thing.
You should maybe try to remember what you ate or consumed before (how long whos to say) but you should look at if what you eat or consume is triggering inflammation.
Say you eat something and then awhile later your back flares up. If its not a chronic incessant thing and flares up occasiounally you should look for the root cause.
I would try and root out a cause.
I would try to incorporate as much of a variety of fresh organic fruits, vegetables and greens as I could humanly stand… I am no big fan of vitamins although I do occasionaly take a so called “high qualtiy” multivitamin on occasion.
If its incessant then God bless you. I would keep up what ever amount of asana practice you enjoy and during the sitting bring awareness and intention into the area for like a month straight to see if that helps.
[QUOTE=The Scales;34725]I’m not a doctor but I believe there are two circulatory systems that are connected. One with the lots of the pressure the other significantly less. [/QUOTE]
Ok, so what you say would correspond with lymphatic system. I just read some on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphatic_system. Its just mind blowing how complex our body is!
[QUOTE=The Scales;34725] You mention Inflammation. Garbage food causes inflammation. Alergic reactions cause inflammation. This is a case by case thing.[/QUOTE]
I heard from physiotherapist that also injury causes inflammation which sometimes locks and becomes chronic (inflammation itself becomes a cause of inflammatory response). I’m not sure if its diet in my case - few years ago I moved to Australia from Poland and totally changed my diet and situation didn’t change much. But I will search for root cause of “flaring”. I will also try this “awareness bringing” exercise. I read your post on other thread about it and sounds interesting.
[QUOTE=Pawel;34727]Ok, so what you say would correspond with lymphatic system. I just read some on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphatic_system. Its just mind blowing how complex our body is!
[B]and how it all operates usually unbeknownst to our conscious will. We, and myself included have at one time or another been guilty of taking it for granted! [/B]
I heard from physiotherapist that also injury causes inflammation which sometimes locks and becomes chronic (inflammation itself becomes a cause of inflammatory response).
[B]Hmmm. I dunno know if I buy that or not. The body is constantly renewing itself. Perhaps your holding on to your problem? Why not try to let it go? Maybe that could be your intention in the sitting? I dunno… The Will. The Mind. It is so strong. So very powerful. It can hold onto something that it should let go. But it can also transform if you wish. If you believe that there is no fix. Then there won’t be a fix. [/B]
I’m not sure if its diet in my case - few years ago I moved to Australia from Poland and totally changed my diet and situation didn’t change much. But I will search for root cause of “flaring”.
[B]Does it flare up? Is it worse sometimes and not others? Is it something you ate? Is it the weather? Maybe your just holding on to it? [/B]
I will also try this “awareness bringing” exercise. I read your post on other thread about it and sounds interesting.[/QUOTE]
Sure yes. Try out the internal exercise. But also try just letting it go away. If you want to be done with it, be done with it. Why not be rid of it?
As it is said in the first sutra of the Dhammapada . . .
“mind is the forerunner of all dharmas (things, states)”
[QUOTE=The Scales;34728]Does it flare up? Is it worse sometimes and not others? Is it something you ate? Is it the weather? Maybe your just holding on to it? [/QUOTE]
It’s difficult for me to find a pattern. My diet is stable and weather here in Adelaide is pretty gentle.
Could you please write some more about this holding on? What you mean by that? And how do you perform it in your practice releasing - what exactly you do and what sort of circumstances you create? ( sort of emotional surrender or act of will?)
its something like this
Get comfy. Sit for a bit.
Still sitting? Good.
Make your intention known. Declare silently to your self and to all those who can hear you in the inner space that you’d like to be rid of this. Your tired of it. You don’t want it anymore. You’ve had enough. Then you begin focusing on what you would like to happen. This is the more important part. Spend very little energy thinking about the negative injury, and start focusing mind around what you do want. This is the most important part. Visualize, describe, imagine, fashion it into a mantra if youd like -, what you want to happen. [B]Be very clear but also very simple. [/B][B]Then just sit without trying to do or control or think. Just sit. Wait. Patiently. [/B]
If logical rational mind comes in and says: “This can’t work.” Tell it that the body is constantly renewing itself and that your ridding your mind of to attachment to this pain and instructing the body through the will and intention to repair. - and that you’d like it to put a sock in it . . .
Keep sitting. Wait Patiently. Don’t try to control. Don’t try to visualize and control the body to do something. ALLOW the body to start to work. Don’t try to control the body to work at this particular time. Make the session last as long as is comfortable.
Alternate between “the doing nothing” and “doing the body scan technique / internal exercise” in the session or break it up.
Declare and imagine and visualize then do nothing for 15 minutes. Just sit.
Then body scan technique for 15 minutes.
or break it up through the day.
Eat gobs and gobs of fresh whole fruits, veg, and greens, nuts, fish, and whole grains. If not allergic to them. and if you like them…
That will be 5,000 dollars. Lol. Ha. Playing…
Thanks Scales, I appreciate your reply. I will have a go with that for some time. I like to make such experiments - try new approach and see how/if it works. Sometimes answer is surprisingly simple.