Yoga for Vertigo
Written by Dr. Minakshi Welukar.
Yoga is a wonderful remedy that can overcome symptoms of vertigo, which is a type of dizziness. If you are concerned about vertigo, then stretching your body and meditating can help bring you back to balance.
Vertigo is an abnormal sensation when you feel as though your surrounding environment is continuously spinning, whirling or moving. You can also experience a loss of balance and feeling of nausea. Severe vertigo may be incapacitating and prevent you from carrying out day to day activities. This results in loss of productivity and poor quality of life.
Yoga, a practice of a healthy way of life, has been known to cope with the undesirable outcomes of vertigo.
Why you Feel Dizzy
A sense of body balance depends on the functioning of different organs. Eyes, fluid in the inner ear, skin sensation, muscles and joint position and various parts of brain all work in coordination to maintain body balance in dissimilar situations.
Whenever there is an abnormality in the functioning of these organs, you will feel dizzy spells. Ear infection, vision problem, head trauma, anemia, calcium disorder, motion sickness, insufficient blood supply to brain, and high blood pressure can all cause vertigo.
Yoga Addressing Symptoms of Vertigo
Here is why yoga is the answer when symptoms of vertigo strike.
Stimulate Nervous System
Yoga stimulates the nervous system and improves functioning of different parts of the brain. This helps to sense and process all signals received from eyes, ears or skin and alleviate dizzy spells.
Meditation, a state of abiding calm, helps to lower stress response and induces the relaxation response. This process rejuvenates the mind and takes out any negative thoughts. Pranayama (breathing exercises) increases the amount of oxygen concentration in the blood. Such oxygen enriched blood is supplied to every single part of the brain so that it can function at it's best.
Improve Blood Circulation
Good blood circulation is the key element of a well-functioning body. Yogic asanas and breathing techniques facilitates a flow of blood to and from each single part of the body. Improved blood circulation to the vital body organs enhances their function, builds body stamina and enhances overall health.
Yoga increases blood supply to extremities, especially to muscles and joint, which play major role in maintaining body balance.
Enhance Sense of Body Balance
Yoga poses demand your full presentation and concentration on what is happening. Each pose is performed with purity and contentment. This creates a state of self-awareness about your body, which is one of the ways for enhancing a sense of body balance. Consciousness and self-awareness are the intelligent principles of yoga, that can bring coordinated movements and improve balance and stability. This helps to minimize the chances of fall and injury associated with vertigo.
Recommended Yoga Poses for Vertigo
A framework of recommended asanas with regular practice will give excellent results for those with vertigo. To achieve expectant results, it is imperative to ensure proper asanas are performed under a trained instructor only.
Here is the list of asanas beneficial for those dealing with vertigo:
- Malasana (Garland pose)
- Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half spinal twist)
- Halasana (Plough pose)
- Savasana (Corpse pose)
- Paschimottanasana (Back bends)
- Pranayama (Breathing exercise)
- Sunmukhi Mudras
Pose to Avoid
Not all asanas are suitable for vertigo. Some asanas can put risk for vertigo, especially those requiring bending over or hanging with your head low. Standing forward bends and downward facing dog pose are contraindicated in such cases.
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