Dear friends, my wife had a fit / convulsion 8 years ago and has been on constant medication for the past several years now, a fit attack had happened couple of days ago and teh dosage of sodium valporate has been increased.
I am curious to know if Yoga can help in any way and if it does any suggestions are welcome.
Please let me have your thoughts
Difficult question. I don’t know of any conclusive studies on the treatment of epilepsy (is this your wife’s diagnosis?) with yoga. I don’t know whether or not yoga can help.
However, relaxation does help people to deal with the distress of suffering from any condition. It is also known that relaxation may help to reduce the frequency of seizures. So your wife could try a very gentle yoga class aimed at relaxation. i.e. very gentle poses (pavanmuktanasana series), abdominal breathing, long guided progressive relaxation in savasana. Risks are low and any benefits will appear within a few weeks. The yoga teacher needs to be informed of your wife’s condition.
I think it’s great that you’re seeking alternative approaches to help your wife. Of course, no one can guarantee if yoga will help directly with seizures. However, I’d like to offer you the following as my opinion and instinctive thoughts as a yoga instructor.
Meditation, mindful breathing, and increased circulation through optimal alignment have all been proven time and time again to support every system in the body and help people find relief from pretty much every ailment under the sun. Because yoga can benefit every single system in the body, it’s calming effect on the nervous system could be very helpful. I actually did one of my teacher trainings with a friend who experienced seizures, and she has found yoga of incredible value in her life.
It’s important that your wife seeks out a skilled instructor and appropriate class. I don’t know her age or any other information, but my instinct is to incorporate more relaxation, breath work, and meditation. For this I would suggest a restorative class, or a gentle class led by an instructor with a good understanding of alignment.
At the same time, having strength in the body is important for good health, so I wouldn’t entirely rule out a class that develops strength as long as it is not fast paced and alignment is emphasized along with an uplifting philisophical approach. Strength and integration can help her build a more grounded and capable foundation in her body and mind as long as it is developed with kindness.
Consult the instructor first to see if the class is appropriate, and, above all, have your wife use her own discernment as to if the class feels safe, if the movements leave her feeling good, and if the instructor and the style resonate with her. If she does not feel safe or nurtured, find a different teacher.
A good resource for finding highly skilled instructors who can help you seek an appropriate class in your area is Anusara yoga’s website Anusara .com. Go to the Teacher’s Directory to see if there is a teacher in your area. There are also skilled instructors teaching other styles of yoga, I simply offer you this option of a place to look because I know every instructor who teaches Anusara yoga is highly trained in alignment and yoga therapy.
As Willem suggested, make sure your wife let’s the instructor know of this and any other conditions so they are better able to help her.
Also, remember that smiling is good yoga, and simply being relaxed and happy can go a long way! 