Yoga for healthy bones
Many of us have heard of yoga and that it is good for our health and well being. But how does the practice of yoga correlate to bone health? The word yoga meaning union can be interpreted on many levels such as: union with God, connectedness with others, ourselves, and our very bones that hold us up and give us support. Muscles move us through space but it is the bones that support us and hold us in position. Bone is a living tissue which supports our skeletal system, providing strength to support and protect our organs and flexibility for movement. The hard outer cortex of bone is composed of minerals, calcium and phosphorous, collagen and protein, making the bones the storehouse for calcium. Calcium is vital for proper brain function, blood clotting, muscle contraction, etc. When blood calcium levels fall, special hormones and glands respond immediately by withdrawing whatever is needed from the store house of the bones. This means while calcium plays a major role in bone strength, it is essential for maintaining other systems in the body.
The practice of yoga has simple means to help balance these systems, and promote healthy bones.
In practicing the postures we emphasize alignment so the skeleton is weight bearing in its natural position. Many of the postures are weight bearing on the pelvis as well as the shoulder girdle to increase strength, flexibility, and stimulating bone development evenly in the upper and lower body. Postures fully rotate the joints and spine, create symmetry left to right, and balance front to back. We aim to work with muscles in lengthened position and discourage tight, bunched muscles that cause compression around joints and reducing flexibility. We create inner body space and softness but support and stability from the outer body. The postures improve balance, coordination, focus and concentration.
Sudden or chronic stress leeches calcium from the body and over stimulates the nervous system. In yoga we place emphasis on rest and relaxation reducing stored up tension and stress in the body and mind for an overall feeling of well being.
The movements encourage a balanced harmony between the glands responsible for estrogen, progesterone, calcium, and adrenaline levels . Ensuring that the body receives a steady supply of the right hormones to maintain bone strength and maximum health and well being. Hormones make us who we are, affecting moods, sleep patterns, energy levels, appetites, sexuality, focus and concentration.
We encourage attention to the breath and circulating it throughout the body. We learn to exhale more completely thus reducing toxic wastes in the body. The inhale lengthens and increases the amount of oxygen circulating in the body for repair and regeneration. Every organ, cell and tissue of the body breathes. Breath is Life!
The yogic diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and high protein foods with moderate amounts of dairy will provide the calcium, vitamins and other important minerals to both prevent and reduce the development of osteoporosis. In particular add fruits that are high in vitamin C, dark green vegetables, omega-3, vitamin E rich nuts and seeds and vitamin D.
How we approach our health and yoga practice is vital. We come to it with a holistic understanding that we open and stretch the body in a natural way. Yoga is always new, in every moment, in the now and not a mechanical repetition of exercise. The power of self-defeating, self-deprecating thoughts can undermine this process. Fixed mental images and perceiving the practice as a chore will interfere practicing with joy and openness, experiencing this moment to the fullest. As we grow older and our bodies change, so should our relationship to our exercise and yoga practice. Let that relationship allow you to approach your yoga with wisdom, gentleness, and acceptance.
5 tips for healthy bones:
1) 15 minutes of alert resting (Savasana) every day to reduce stress and tension in the body
2) breathe consciously – focus on the exhalation, take an extra breath when you can
3) sufficient intake of Vitamin C, D, E and calcium – see yogic diet
4)practice 30 minutes of yoga 5 times a week
5)walk a total of 50 minutes 5 times a week
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Acidic & Alkaline Foods |
Our body is about 20% acidic and 80% alkaline; therefore it is recommended that we consume approximately 20% acidic foods and 80% alkaline foods
Sadly, most people eat far too many acidic foods and not enough alkaline foods, which eventually takes their body out of balance. Having stress will make the body even more acidic.
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Ranked Foods:
Alkaline to Acidic
Here's a chart that ranks foods from most alkaline to most acidic. Extremely Alkaline Lemons, Watermelon Alkaline Forming Cantaloupe Cayenne Celery Dates Figs Kelp Limes Mango Melons Papaya Parsley Seaweeds Seedless Grapes (sweet) Watercress Asparagus Fruit Juices Grapes (sweet) Kiwifruit, Passion fruit Pears (sweet) Pineapple Raisins Umeboshi Plums Vegetable Juices Moderately Alkaline Apples (sweet) Alfalfa Sprouts, Apricots Avocados, Bananas (ripe), Currants Dates Figs (fresh) Garlic Grapefruit Grapes (less sweet) Guavas Herbs (leafy green) Lettuce (leafy green) Nectarine Peaches (sweet) Pears (less sweet) Peas (fresh, sweet) Pumpkin (sweet) Sea Salt (vegetable) Apples (sour) Beans (fresh, green) Beets Bell Peppers Broccoli Cabbage Carob Cauliflower Ginger (fresh) Grapes (sour) Lettuce (pale green) Oranges Peaches (less sweet) Peas (less sweet) Potatoes (with skin) Pumpkin (less sweet) Raspberries Strawberries Squash Sweet Corn (fresh) Turnip Vinegar (apple cider) Slightly Alkaline Almonds Artichokes (Jerusalem) Brussels Sprouts Cherries Coconut (fresh) Cucumbers Eggplant Honey (raw) Leeks Mushrooms Okra Olives (ripe) Onions Pickles (homemade) Radishes Sea Salt Spices Tomatoes (sweet) Vinegar (sweet brown rice) Chestnuts (dry, roasted) Egg Yolks (soft cooked) Essene Bread Goat's Milk and Whey (raw) Mayonnaise (homemade) Olive Oil Sesame Seeds (whole) Soy Beans (dry) Soy Cheese Soy Milk Sprouted Grains Tofu Tomatoes (less sweet) Yeast (nutritional flakes) Neutral Butter (fresh, unsalted) Cream (fresh, raw) Cow's Milk and Whey (raw) Margarine Oils (except olive) Yogurt (plain) Moderately Acidic Bananas (green) Barley (rye) Blueberries Bran Butter Cereals (unrefined) Cheeses Crackers (unrefined rye, rice and wheat) Cranberries Dried Beans (mung, adzuki, pinto, kidney, garbanzo) Dry Coconut Egg Whites Eggs Whole (cooked hard) Fructose Goat's Milk (homogenized) Honey (pasteurized) Ketchup Maple Syrup (unprocessed) Milk (homogenized) Molasses (unsulferd and organic) Most Nuts Mustard Oats (rye, organic) Olives (pickled) Pasta (whole grain) Pastry (whole grain and honey) Plums Popcorn (with salt and/or butter) Potatoes Prunes Rice (basmati and brown) Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower) Soy Sauce Wheat Bread (sprouted organic) Extremely Acidic Artificial Sweeteners Beef Beer reads Brown Sugar Carbonated Soft Drinks Cereals (refined) Chocolate Cigarettes Tobacco Coffee Cream of Wheat (unrefined) Custard (with white sugar) Deer Drugs Fish Flour (white wheat) Fruit Juices with Sugar Jams Jellies Lamb Liquor Maple Syrup (processed) Molasses (sulphured) Pasta (white) Pastries and Cakes from White Flour Pickles (commercial) Pork Poultry Seafood, Sugar (white) Table Salt (refined and iodized) Tea (black) White Bread White Vinegar (processed) Whole Wheat Foods Wine Yogurt (sweetened) |
