Yoga: Old Cure for New Ailments

Yoga, an effective carpal tunnel exercise, is actually an ancient form of meditation that has its roots in India. Yoga in India is a reference to a mental and physical meditation method. It also refers to one of six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy. To understand the practice it is helpful to understand the meaning of the word. In verb form, it means to control, join, yoke and unite, while the noun form means control, conjunction, means and union. As you can see the definition of the word, Yoga is complex. There are five major branches of yoga, Raja, Karma, Bhakti, Hatha and Jnana. There are other branches, but these are the main schools of thought. Following that idea, that yoga is not simply exercise but a thought process it appears often in classical Indian literary works.

There are many branches of yoga, but only five of them are considered major. They are the Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Hatha Yoga. Owing to the fact that it is a school of thought and not just a set of exercises, yoga appears frequently throughout the classics of Indian literature. Outside of India though, the word “yoga” is used to refer to the exercises derived from the traditions of Hindu Philosophy. These are stances known as Asana, and they involve putting the body into different positions and to hold them in such ways for periods of time. Ironically perhaps, the word “Asana” means to sit, whereas sitting, in the most straightforward sense, is the least that you will do in yoga exercises. Yogis, or practitioners of yoga, practice these positions, ideally as meditation aids in addition to the health benefits associated.

When you remove the Hindu philosophy, you will find that yoga is not all about these contortionist poses. It is about moving your body into positions that are most beneficial to mind and health. Some of the wonderful things yoga can do for the body includes improving muscle and tendon strength. In addition, the tensing and stretching will make you much more flexible, all good things for your body. Yoga aids in increasing stamina, which will help you if you are seeking to diet and lose weight. Empiric evidence shows a link between yoga practice and lower blood pressure, one possible answer is the fact that yoga reduces stress in the human body but no one is exactly sure of how it works. When you hold some of these yoga poses you must concentrate intensely this translates to better concentration in many other areas of your life. A final side effect of yoga is in the area of your sex life, but the how is better left to your own thoughts.

Yoga may be an ancient practice but it can and is used to treat a variety of contemporary health problems in the world today. People as a whole have become much more sedentary than a few years ago and this has led to a host of new problems. Most people did not sit at a desk for hours at a time even 20 years ago so now you have back injuries, lack of strength and a host of other issues. People who type for a living or use their hands in a repetitive manner have found an additional horror called Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The wrist and hand becomes unusable if this goes unchecked. Yoga can ease the pain and inflammation through stretching and relaxation techniques.

It can never be known if the ancient Hindu would have predicted carpal tunnel syndrome, however we do know there is no better cure for the problem. It is amazing that such an ancient exercise could still be relevant in treating modern ailments.

Because carpal tunnel syndrome limits the range of motion and causes such pain and numbness in the hand and fingers, many CTS patients avoid doing exercises that may reduce their suffering because they feel intimidated. Tom Nicholson has read abouted a series of yoga-like carpal tunnel exercises that are so simple to do they can be done by anyone. Click on the link to read about easy ways to treat your CTS right in your own home.