Relaxation:

Relaxation is not as simple as it sounds! It involves mind and body both. It helps in all walks of life! But what does it mean what we have to do to achieve that?

Is it really as simple as going down to a beach and having bath and some change in physical activities? Or is it adventurous like going to mountain and trekking? Is it like sleeping till noon?

All these may be a parts of your relaxation program, these activities might give you idea what relaxation can do to our body- mind complex. Still it is not all. We are actually managing health related problem which is free from all commonly known conditions. Irrespective of economic class and country we face this dreadful situation which is so common and can recur though we take proper treatment. 

Mind-body complex is responsible to create a disease or vice a verse. In my practice what I find is when we are running against time in situation like completing some report in a few minutes or achieving sales target in so many days or something like that. This gives tremendous stress on the mind and our normal rhythm gets affected. No doubt stress is essential part of life to keep it moving, just like friction. If friction is not there, movement will not take place! But when stress is overwhelmed the body-mind complex is burdened and show signs of fatigue. It reacts through minor complaints like aches and acidity. When those early signs are ignored we may come across complaints like headache, constipation, disturbance in sleep, etc.

Many a times body is affected due to mental causes it is also termed as psycho-somatic disease.  At this stage both, body and psychology are to be treated with proper care. Otherwise physical problems are not solved correctly. Yoga takes care of mind and body both. Yoga helps to relax mind and vitalize body.

Mind loses its normal strength when it is entangled in various afflictions[1] like wants and greed. Our varied interests and daily routine do not match and produce lot of irregularities in natural rhythm of the body which over period of time turn in to toxins. Some changes at physiological level bring about changes in behavior pattern and body functions. So we need remedy which act on both the levels.

This needs further elaboration. Ashtanga Yoga explained by Sage Patanjali will give us knowledge about controlling mind. This will take us to unravel the technique to attend difficult and recurring problems like constipation.

In next we will elaborate on how yoga helps mind to have its balance back....

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[1]  Right knowledge, indiscrimination, inference, verbal delusion, sleep and memory – Patanjali Yogasutras

Yoga and Ayurveda For Constipation

Yoga and Ayurveda For Constipation 

Constipation is not limited to caste, creed or not even a country related phenomenon. It is a problem seen in all ages. It is in all economical classes. What we discuss here is the management. Ayurveda has a peculiar way to handle this. In last post we discussed about two geographic patterns according to which the management changes. One who stays in the atmosphere where humidity is more, they should avoid or curtail wheat and frequent heavy meals. And people who live in dry climate should add some ghee or olive oil or sesame oil to their food. Regular exercises are necessary for both the groups. One more factor we will focus upon in this post is "stress".

Today life may be technologically advanced but people are stressed at different levels. In office and in personal life also we carry lot of stress. Interpersonal relationships and familial relationships are creating problems at psychological and emotional planes. All together culminate in health problems. Sometimes the advancement of technology itself is responsible to reduce physical stress and increase mental stress. Nowadays we work till late hours, we take important decisions but all are intellectual activities. Work remains sedentary and our eating habits accumulate calories as there are no physical activities involved. Obesity is increasing, lipids and sugar levels are increasing. We are ready to take pills though they have many adverse effects on the system but we do not exercise regularly. Constipation is the condition which arises due to over eating and wrong eating also.

Over eating clogs intestines and finally the system also. We try to find solution after problem occurs.

 

It is not easy to control our taste buds and craving for eating. It needs constant watch on our eating habits. If we are sincere and serious about health, things are not difficult. But yoga helps if we practice it regularly. Doing yogic postures and breathing practices regularly, our mind becomes more and more receptive and we really can sense and stop overeating. Yoga takes little longer to reduce accumulated fat but regular practice gives strength to the mind to say ‘no’ to even favorite food. But nothing happens overnight. But it certainly changes.

 Relaxation of mind, body and the system is very much necessary. When we relax we have different ideas about relaxation. We take rest which includes more sleep. Sleep may be necessary if we are tired. But we need maximum eight hours of sleep. Oversleeping results in gaining weight. As such we are eating more in the mood of relaxation. And finally our idea of relaxation is generally a failure and results in putting on little more weight. 

Reducing thoughts is the relaxation of mind. Sleeping and physical rest is relaxation for over working. Fasting is relaxation for stomach and digestive system and detoxification is relaxation for the whole system.

We must practice Ashtang Yoga system. It is a must in modern life. Otherwise we can never be out of this cycle of demand and fulfilling different things to the body and mind. Asthang Yoga is the basic system of yoga which proves itself in life. 

Management of Constipation

We are not recommending any medicines here as they are meant for clearing the obstacle developed by the fecolith. But food habits, daily physical activities and managing stress will help to cure constipation. There may be a hard stools or there may not any residue produced in process of digestion. So there is very little to move. In such cases husk provides bulk which gives satisfaction. In elderly people taking warm water helps as a simple remedy. As such it is a good habit to drink a glass of warm water immediately after rising from the bed. the idea of bed tea must have evolved from the same principle.

In the last post we discussed few points related to food. There we talked about the climate where moisture is more. Now we think about the area which is far away from the sea and climate is extreme. Climate is dry.

In the area of dry and extreme climate management of constipation changes. We can have wheat in such area if you are not allergic to gluten. We also encourage taking some fats with the food if you are not having high lipids in the blood. If you have fats in normal limits then you may have little butter just before food. Cheese may not help here. 1 teaspoonful of warm olive oil may be taken 15 minutes before food with a pinch of salt, will help to cure constipation with hard stools. In the areas like in India olive oil is not common. Here we can take sesame oil, ground nut oil or ghee in the same way suggested earlier. Sprouted grains are not advised according to Ayurvedic texts. But legumes like green gram(Mung) or horse gram (Kulthi), moth beans (Math), Chana may be taken after soaking for 8 to 10 hours. It may be consumed raw or after boiling a little with turmeric powder. After that you may eat with some pepper powder, ginger, cinnamon bark powder, fresh garlic leaves or onion leaves with some onion also. These stuff can add flavor and anti oxidant properties to the food. It also can be taken with green salad. This food is sumptuous and also give lot of nutritive values. Adding mint leaves and coriander leaves to improve taste.

These measures will not only improve the bowel movements but they will add to nutritive value to the food. Digestion and assimilation will be enhanced. Taking Ragi, Juwar will give variety in taste and some fiber also. Single polished rice may be taken instead of polished white rice. Bran contains nutrients. 

Along with the food we must have regular physical workout. it may be running, jogging, brisk walking or whatever suits you in the present condition. Yoga provides support to the system. It will improve function of the intestines and helps to move bowels. There are many postures in yoga which can help bowel movements but certain postures help more such as these given over here.

 These postures will help to evacuate. These may be learned from a master. Along with these postures. Vakrasan, Pavanmuktasana, Halasana and many others, will also help to reduce and finally eradicate constipation from the system. Sun Salutation postures or Suryanamaskar will help the whole body. Whole body will be charged with energy. 

One thing is very important that all these principles must be practiced very regularly. Diet, exercises and daily routine must be very regular then the body system will also function correctly. Famous oncho-surgeon Dr. David Agus writes in his book 'End of illness', " Keep a strict and practicable schedule 365 days a year that has you eating, sleeping, and exercising at about the same times day in and day out." (page 258)

One more factor we need to discuss is relaxation. That we shall cover in next post!

Constipation of the blog was too hard to resolve!! Due to travel it was not possible. We are sorry for the delay!

Understanding constipation is important as it may be difficult to give various combinations and treatments on this platform. It is an individualistic treatment. Again it is a recurring problem. So underfstanding will help more than giving ready made solutions.

Physical activity is vital in the treatment of constipation. In modern life style physical activities are minimised. Sports are limited to certain age and exercising is also not very regular activity in the life. Competition is tremendous even sportsmen also face tough competition. They get constipation despite physical activities. So understanding about constipation is a combination of physical inactivity, mental stress and eating habits; all contribute to the constipation. Problems with central nervous system and bowel obstruction due to some tumor or some other surgical conditions which are rare and those conditions are not topics to be discussed here.

Management of constipation:

Food and food habits:
According to Ayurveda main meals to be taken twice daily. According to the tradition and Indian conditioning we incorporate all pulses cereals, fat and have together. This system is being changed now. This is mandatory as the life pattern is changed in many ways and drastically.
One thing is certain that one must eat when we feel hunger. Unless you have proper feeling for eating or to drink something, one must not  take anything orally. This must be mentioned because we eat according to the time and convenience. This habit of eating invariably disturbs digestion in long run. It may be important that you should not have feeling of hunger during important meeting or you should not be disturbed due to bowel motion, to have your presence in the meeting. But to have this comfort having belly full just before meeting though you are not hungry or moving bowel in morning with the help of strong purgative or with lot of straining is harmful.

If you are having constipation with sticky stools you should see the doctor to treat or rule out amebiasis and other conditions. But measures we are suggesting here may be useful for you. You should plan the treatment by a Friday considering you have a weekend to start with. Here we are doing two groups according to the place where we live. Either there the place is with lot of moisture due to rains, forest or due to coastal area. If moisture is high in the climate there are more chances that one has constipation with soft and most probably with sticky stools.

In such a climate physical activity is more important. Wheat may be a problem in this area not just because of Gluten but wheat itself can make constipation if not digested properly. Brown bread is an alternative but multi-grain or whole wheat bread maybe a better option. In coastal area in India grains like Ragi or Juwar may be the better choices. One must eat with fresh mint leaves, ginger and garlic. Green salad is important in coastal area or in humid climate. Taking small quantities of food and waiting for  hunger is more important. When digestion is complete body naturally discards the waste if we allow time for that. If we eat something then it gets postponed. Taking some water about two hours after lunch can help digestion. Taking water sip by sip along with food can control quantity of the food at the same time helps digestion. Taking large quantities of water with the food can hamper digestion. Quantity and bulk of the fecal matter depends upon the fiber content of the food.

 

Papaya, pomegranate, pineapple apples, pears, guavas may be some of the useful fruits. Black currants are important and may be taken regularly to have smooth bowels. 10 -20 per day must be taken to have its effect. Dried figs are also helpful in constipation. Eating spicy food in morning might prove useful in some people if we do not have hyper acidity or piles and fissure in ano.

Understanding Constipation-3

Constipation may be caused by various reasons. There may be improper development of nerves in the intestines, there  can be hypothyroidism and so many uncommon conditions in children also. We are not considering such conditions over here.

When natural urge to evacuate is neglected then one can evacuate after you finish what you are doing. It must be consciously done. But if you do not do it then muscles get message, 'this is not a right way and time' and they stop giving alert! 

There is another common deliberate mistake (For knowing this term see the previous posts no 5) is eating again and again. If one keeps munching every now and then the indigestion becomes a cause for constipation. Even if you have received an alert  from your neuro-muscular system and you decide to evacuate after taking food. it is quite likely that the alarm stops. When there is an indigestion it is likely that the stools are not hard but sticky. This condition must be treated correctly. 

It is a common myth that water relieves the constipation. If it is taken in right quantity it will help otherwise it can spoil the system. Sometimes taking lot of water creates new disorders in the system. Anything that goes in and travels gastro-intestinal route, undergoes the digestive process. Taking banana, taking warm milk and ghee at bed time are also means to manage constipation. These measures may work for certain people in certain physical conditions. That is why Ayurveda treats the condition at individual level. Having apple is cause for constipation, is also a myth. Coffee or tea can make bowels constipated. Not only that these have capacity to hold back the toxins in the body. But Some have another effect on the bowels. Many of people get motions after taking tea in the morning. Here some other mechanism in the body that works i.e. gastro-colic reflex. Some get this action triggered by smoking. Because these stimulation stomach is exited and it gives some push to the large intestine. So the large intestine is set in action immediately. For such people even hot water also  should work but they are habituated to caffeine or nicotine so they need those drugs to help to evacuate bowels.

Eating stale food, stuff containing white flour, cheese, paneer, regularly and other fats in large quantity can slowdown bowel motions. It is mandatory that quantity has to be controlled properly.  Freshly prepared food taken when you are hungry then it will help the bowels to get organised. After proper digestion of food there has to be natural evacuation. Previously taking proper food twice spaced correctly was the way of eating. But it changed as per our modern routine.That used to be adjusted according to season and daily routine, was the proper way to eat. But now it is observed that some get acidity with this way. If one can tolerate this the problem can automatically be solved. But again this may not work for all. However it is logical that if one has food say around 10-12 in morning and by 7 to 8.30 in evening will help bowels.

Now we will discuss the management of constipation. But the effect will not be lifelong. One has to make essential correction according to the routine, season, etc. The figure above can be a guideline but we will discuss it in details in the next post!

Till then we can enjoy and relish our taste buds with festival special food. Happy Deepawali !!

Reasons for constipation

Constipation is a worldwide complaint and it is experienced in all ages and both the sexes. Market for new laxatives and purgatives is always there. New products are always launched. New formulas are introduced but really speaking, do we help the person or weaken the person? Do we ever give any thought to this question? Addressing to a basic problem like constipation properly is very much necessary. Chronic constipation causes acidity, headache, piles and disturbances in normal routine. Taking laxatives and purgatives weaken the muscles of large intestine and using strong purgatives becomes a habit. Finally nothing works. It is the most difficult condition to treat.

There was patient in the clinic and with complaint of lost taste sensation. Naturally he was investigated for many conditions and all reports were normal. Feeling no taste is one of the effects of chronic constipation. He was treated for constipation and after he was relieved of this long standing complaint. Large intestines have a large capacity to store garbage for a long time. But it is also overloaded sometimes.

As I said in last post it is a lifestyle disorder. One of the commonest cause is we do not respond to the natural call of nature. We try to postpone it to our convenient time. When we suppress the natural urge for evacuation of bowels we neglect it for some reason. Intestinal muscles and sphincter muscles get used to this when it becomes a habit. Then there is beginning of problem. Cleanliness of a toilet, unfamiliar place, travel, attending important meeting, engrossed in some work, etc. can be the commonest reasons to avoid or postponing the evacuation. If it is not a common condition, it streamlines easily. But if it is a habit or a regular feature then one day it becomes a problem.

When we suppress this urge hard, the movements of the large intestine change and they are reversed. Because of that material is pulled inside. Because of the fecal matter remains inside for longer time then the liquid content is reabsorbed more. Then it becomes dry and hard then it becomes an additional problem.

Some drugs reduce secretions in the gut and constipation may be the result. Sometimes you get constipation during fever or immediately after fever. 

Ayurveda clearly instructs that hunger, thirst, sleep, urge for evacuation of bladder and bowels, yawn, vomiting, sneeze, cough and breathlessness after heavy work etc. should never be suppressed.

We will continue the same topic in next post...

Preventive Ayurveda - Constipation

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constipation

We are discussing about constipation in this post which is a common complaint in the society. It has no discrimination of country, age, sex, etc. of any sort. Every body including an infant to elderly can have this condition. 

We are thinking in terms of prevention. treatment of constipation in Ayurveda is a separate entity by itself. It is a beginning of most of the conditions. However indigestion or low digestive power is the main cause behind the condition but generally it goes unnoticed and what we first experience is constipation. It can be of two types; it may be with hard stools or may be with sticky stools. Both conditions are the results of irregularities in digestive power. 

If one has constipation he feels sick. He feels down, does not get good appetite. Lack of enthusiasm is there. When this becomes a habit he may complain abdominal pain, acidity, gas, occasional headache etc..Many a times these complaints are treated individually and underlying constipation remains untreated. Generally prescribing laxative is the treatment given to the person. Ayurveda has different way to handle it. But it is always better to get treated at earliest as many a times old complaint is followed by many other complaints like pain in chest (not related to heart), piles or hemorrhoids or fissure due to habit of straining. Sometimes constipation is a cause for burning urination. In short constipation becomes a base for many complaints. 

This condition is a gift of the lifestyle we have. Very rarely there is a problem with the organs involved. We will not discuss any medication here but we will see if it can be prevented.
To be continued in the next post.... preventive measures and some ways out ....