Bikram Yoga: It’s Hot!
By Jackie Christensen, BS, HHP, NC, MH
Faculty Member of GCNM
A man named Bikram Choudhury developed Bikram Yoga over 30 years ago. At the age of 13 Bikram won the National India Yoga Contest. He then went on to pursue an athletic career as a marathon runner and a champion weightlifter. Then at the age of twenty Bikram experienced a serious knee injury while weight lifting. European doctors told Bikram he would not walk again. In disbelieve he made his way back to India and his yoga guru, Bishnu Ghosh. After six months of yoga therapy his knee had totally recovered and through his own healing regime Bikram Choudhury created Bikram Yoga.
Bikram Yoga is a series of 26 postures conducted over 90 minutes; it begins with one warm up breathing exercise, then progresses through 24 asanas or postures and finishes with one toxin eliminating breathing posture. The series of postures has been systematically formulated to work through the entire body. Each posture is completed twice and prepares the body for the next pose. The asanas and sequencing are designed to warm up and stretch every joint, muscle, ligament, tendon, vertebrae and organ of the body down to the cellular level. By moving fresh blood and oxygen to all areas of the body, all of the systems of the body are restored.
Bikram Yoga is also known as "Hot Yoga" because one of the requirements is for the room to be heated to be between 95 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The idea is that the higher temperatures will help the muscles to loosen more quickly therefore it making for a "deeper" practice with greater flexibility. Bikram yoga teaches you to control your thoughts and emotions in times of high pressure. The hot temperatures also cause students to sweat profusely during practice. All the sweating can help with weight loss and will increase metabolic rate. It also boosts the immune system, by indirectly purifying the blood and circulating the lymph system. Along with the recommended eight-to-ten glasses of water daily, yogis practicing this form should be mindful to consume enough water to replenish the body. Practitioners are advised to drink up to 16 ounces of water two hours before a Bikram yoga session and up to 40 additional ounces during and after the session. The room in which Bikram is practiced is mirrored to allow for greater body awareness and to refine and deepen our postures with easy self-correction. Students are encouraged to look at themselves in the mirror while practicing so they can see if any posture adjustments need to be made.
Bikram started opening yoga schools, firstly in India and then around the world. In Japan, Bikram researched with doctors at the Tokyo University Hospital and was able to prove the medical benefits of his yoga system. These findings were presented in 1972 at the International Medical Conference in Kyoto.
Within reason, anyone at any age can perform the poses, but this style of yoga does require the practitioner to be in better physical condition and have a high tolerance for heat. While the practice is somewhat controversial due to a number of injuries sustained by class patrons, it’s still a popular and beneficial exercise choice.
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Book Review
Understanding the Messages of Your Body: How to Interpret Physical and Emotional Signals to Achieve Optimal Health
By Jean-Pierre Barral, D.O.
Jean-Pierre Barral is a Doctor of Osteopathy and the Director of the Department of Osteopathic Manipulation at the University of Paris School of Medicine in France. He is also currently the Medical Director of the Barral Institute, and Academic Director of the International College of Osteopathy in St. Etienne, France. His extensive experience also includes teaching spinal biomechanics at the European School of Osteopathy in Maidstone, England.
D. Barral’s approach to optimal health and healing focuses on what he describes as our "weakest link", the parts of our bodies that are less than healthy at birth. Certain organs in which we are most vulnerable are more likely to manifest functional imbalances as we accumulate stresses, emotional traumas and physical damages throughout our lives. Through examining the tendencies and indications of specific organs dysfunctions we can identify our own weakest link, which type of "organ person" we are, and become more aware of when the organ becomes imbalanced.
In this insightful book he takes us through a study of each of our organs and their physiology, explaining how physical pain can be caused by our emotions, "the echo of our emotions", resulting in imbalances in organ function, reflected in different aspects of our behavior. Alternatively, an imbalance in our organ function can manifest as an imbalance in our emotions and psychology, "the echo of our organs". The body has a memory of its own, retaining memories of trauma, whether physical or emotional. Our brain retains the memory of physical pain and the emotions that came with it in our "psychological and physical unconscious mind".
The right-side parietal area of brain records and preserves memories of our emotional past, but before being stored here, they pass through the Limbic system of the brain, our most primitive part that controls and processes our emotions. Emotions and instinct preceded thought in terms of our development; therefore the limbic part of the brain can react before the cognitive "reasoning" part of the brain can intercede. The limbic system includes the amygdala which governs our survival instinct, the hippocampus which governs our learning processes, and thalamus which is our sensory relay in communications between the brain, organs and body.
Our emotions affect our respiratory rhythm because they are controlled by our emotional brain, specifically the thalamus and the limbic system. Lung-Bronchial people will have difficulty hiding the effect of this organ’s dysfunction as it will show in their posture, skin color, and sweatiness and noise their breathing makes. Lung people may have an ambiguous attitude, fluctuation from "too much" to "not enough".
The heart is the first organ in the human body to begin functioning. Cardiac rhythm is directly influenced by our emotions, anxieties and stresses. Heart people will have difficulty suppressing the effect of this organ’s dysfunction. For heart people their need to be loved is as important as the air they breathe.
Breast people, primarily women, experience emotional upheaval through damage to their breasts. They need stability and solid anchorage. Psycho-emotional trauma such as loneliness, solitude, loss of relationships, betrayal and violence will cause a sense of feeling lost and an inability to get back on track. The breast will retain the memory of emotional pain and develop tumors or other problems. Problems with the breast are a cry for help.
The gallbladder is connected to the rest of the digestive system by a network of tubes to transport bile that is secreted by the liver. Gallbladder people will experience dysfunction with negative thoughts and emotions such as annoyance and irritability, worry about mundane matters, fear, conflict, and be hypersensitive.
The liver is considered to be one of the key organs in our emotional life. The liver is the main organ representing our inner being and "I" self, the receptor of family guilt and concerns of our deeper self. The dysfunction of this organ can manifest as lack of self esteem, fear of the future, pessimism, being a prisoner of our routines, lack of a fighting spirit, insecurity, anger, phobias and depression.
The stomach represents appearance, reacting to our social life, the image we project to others. The duodenum represents our true being and is affected by intense emotional upheaval. In Stomach people dysfunction is related to loss of social stature or support, pressured to be constantly productive and creative, and can manifest as intolerance to frustration, low self-esteem, and lack of self-confidence in childhood, instability, seduction for personal gain, inability to bear failure, and spontaneous anger.
Pancreas-Spleen people react to serious events that can affect them from childhood to old age. Dysfunction can be caused by unbearable stress, bereavement, natural catastrophe, meeting with their own mortality, physical violence, an unsatisfying life, deep pessimism or sadness, despair and inconsolable sorrow, and may cause various types of diabetes, poor regulation of blood sugar, insufficient secretion of insulin, inability to properly use insulin and hyperglycemia.
The intestines are a hypersensitive transmitter–receiver of emotions with a hundred million neurons linking it to the brain, and are more sensitive in women. The emotions are linked to physiological reactions such as constipation and diarrhea. This is one of the organs most prone to psychosomatic mind/body reactions, representing our need for security and protection, noted for extreme faithfulness, being meticulous, obstinate, a need to convince others, hypochondria, slightly obsessive, rigidity, mood swings, great generosity, sensitive and thin-skinned, and an inclination towards paranoia.
The kidneys each perceive different emotions and deal with them differently. The left kidney echoes our sexuality, sexual instinct and satisfaction, and our sensuality, our attachment to pleasures of the senses and erotic sensations. The right kidney helps to rid us of the psychological overflow from the liver and has the same emotional characteristics as the liver. When both kidneys are dysfunctional the individual will have great difficulty balancing the psychological and emotional imbalances and overcoming the sense of being extremely worn out.
The bladder emotions are closely linked to the genital organs, especially in women who were raised with strict discipline, prohibitions and old-fashioned beliefs and who developed fears and guilt feelings, fear of their body and of not being clean, bringing greater tension on the bladder. Bladder people will tend to have control issues, difficulty letting go, being discrete, shy and often obedient and submissive.
Genital people of both genders will express a need for shelter, a need to shelter others, the need to give and receive love, fear of abandonment, and fear of not doing well and being judged. In women there is a need for motherhood, fear of cutting the umbilical cord, and a need to sacrifice oneself for a mission. In men there is a fear of losing their social position, not seeing a future for themselves, uncertainty of what to do for the rest of their lives, fear of expressing things, and a need to draw attention to themselves.
Skin people seem to be a paradox, wanting to hide in their own skin, but it reflects everything they feel. When we are in good physical and psychological health the skin is clear and luminous, glowing. There is a direct mind/body emotional connection to the skin as it spontaneously reacts to emotions. When we are not psychologically comfortable in our skin it can erupt in psoriasis, pimples, red blotches, and dry patches.
Dr. Barral provided these clues to indentify and interpret the signals sent to us from the organs as well as sound advice on nutritional, psychological and physical exercise strategies for how to restore and maintain balance for optimal functioning of the organs. I also found his presentation and discussions regarding the powerful healing effects of visceral manipulation techniques to balance and correct organ function very exciting as another holistic approach to understanding natural healing interventions.
Reviewed By Moira Khouri NC, MH, HHP, CCP
Faculty Member of GCNM
Exercise of the Month
Exercise Description: Standing Side Legs Pull-ins
Target Muscle: Hip Adductors
Instructions:
Begin the exercise by standing up tall and holding onto the top of a chair or bench with one hand. Feet should be hip distance apart. Shift the weight of the body to the supporting foot. Keeping both legs slightly bent, raise the non-supporting leg forward approximately a hand’s length and move the non-supporting leg across the body. **Make sure to keep the hips as square as possible to avoid any injuries to the supporting leg.
Additional Article
Traditional Herbal Medicines: Coriander (Coriandrum Sativum)
By: By Moira Khouri NC, MH, HHP, CCP
Faculty Member of GCNM
Ancient Roots
Coriander is in the Apiaceae family (formerly umbelliferous), and is an herb that has been cultivated over thousands of years throughout the ancient world. Common names include Cilantro, Chinese parsley and Japanese Parsley. Coriander is native to Southern Europe and the Middle East. It is mentioned in the Bible, and was a favorite of the ancient Greeks, Romans and Hebrews. It is called Yan Shi in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the leaves are also called Wuh Seui or Yuen Sui and the seeds are also called Heung Seui and Hu Sui in China. The plant is called Dhanyaka in Sanscrit, the language of the ancient Ayurvedic Tradition of India, and Kuzhbare in modern Arabic. Its many medicinal uses have been documented by the Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks, Chinese and Indian healing traditions.
The name is thought to derive from the Greek koros for insect or bug, probably due to the appearance of the small light brown seeds. The Ebers Papyrus from 1550 BC references Coriander, and Hippocrates writes of it in 400 BC. Coriander was introduced to Britain by the Roman legions that carried the seeds with them. Pliny The Elder, the Roman who authored Naturalis Historia circa 77-79 AD praised Egyptian Coriander as the best and an antidote for the poison of the snake amphisbaena, and for healing sores, burns, carbuncles, sore ears, fluxes of the eye, cholera and intestinal parasites. It is believed to have been grown in the hanging gardens of Babylon. Charlemagne had it grown on the imperials farms in central Europe and it was used for love potions in the middle ages. It is even mentioned in the One Thousand and One Nights as an aphrodisiac.
Properties, Actions and Uses
In the Ayurvedic tradition, Coriander has a bitter, pungent taste with an astringent quality, and a cooling energy. It is tridoshic, being beneficial for balancing Pitta dosha (fire & water), Kapha dosha (water & earth), and Vata dosha (air & ether). The essential oil consists of the linalol called coriandrol (60 to 70%), geraniol, borneol and terpenes.
Coriander works on the digestive, respiratory and urinary systems. It is strengthening for the urinary tract and enhances digestion without aggravating Pitta. It strengthens liver function as a detoxifying herb. Coriander is antimicrobial and antibacterial, alterative, diaphoretic, carminative, diuretic, and stimulant, with a detoxifying and chelating effect, helping to remove heavy metals such as mercury and lead. Coriander seeds appear in herbal tea remedies for stomach ailments. The leaves known as Cilantro are juiced and taken internally for allergies, hay fever, and applied externally for itch, inflammation and skin rashes.
Cilantro may be prepared as a puree (like a raw Pesto sauce) by blending the Cilantro leaves, olive oil, ground almonds, fresh lemon juice and garlic in a blender. Take at three teaspoons a day to stimulate and cleanse the digestive system. It makes an aromatic addition to salads and is good added fresh to hot spicy dishes such as in Peruvian, Mexican, Asian, North African and Indian cooking and is one of the basic ingredients in Indian curry dishes. The ground seed balances the sweet and pungent spices in blends. This herb grows well in the temperate zones of the world. It is best used as finely ground dried seeds or fresh leaves, as the aromatic properties are reduced by drying. The leaves and stems may be chopped and frozen in ice cube trays or small containers for future use.
Nutrients
Coriander contains Vitamin C, and small amounts of Vitamin E, Calcium, Iron and Niacin (B3).
Sources:
The Yoga of Herbs, by Dr. David Frawley and Dr. Vasant Lad
Planetary Herbology, by Michael Tierra, CA, ND
An Ancient Egyptian Herbal, by Lise Manniche
The Spice and Herb Bible, 2nd Edition, by Ian Hemphill
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Search online for values in the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
