A Holistic Approach to Treating Asthma Through Yoga, Pranayama and Meditation

 

In simple words, asthma is a condition which a person is not able to breathe normally due to constriction of air passage. This condition can arise due to a number of reasons, some of which are pollution, climatic conditions, allergies, endocrine factors and emotional factors. People prone to asthma can also have the asthmatic attacks which can happen suddenly. The treatment for this condition is generally done through inhaling medicine which provides instant relief. This approach is not complete in itself since it provides temporary relief until the next attack happens. Further, there are adverse effects of using these medicines over a period of time. For this reason, there is a need for adopting a more holistic approach by incorporating Yoga Asanas, Pranayama and Meditation relevant for treating this disease in daily life.

Yoga asanas, pranayama and meditation have been found to be effective in treating this condition. The only requirement from the patient is to practice these on regular basis with strong will power. Which yoga asanas for asthma or pranayama for asthma shall be done are given in separate posts, the purpose of this article is to explain what yoga and breathing exercises can do to provide relief in this condition.

The practice of relevant asanas, breathing exercises and meditation techniques help in following ways-

1.  Reduction in rate of respiration- People with asthma have high respiratory rate which is 2-3 times more than normal, due to which the carbon dioxide is reduced from our body. In response the body slows down the rate breathing which leads to asthma attack.

With regular practice of yoga asanas the respiratory rate of the asthma patients is reduced due to release of stimulants endorphins, which prevents the occurrence of attacks substantially.

2.  Increases the adreno-cortial functions- As corticosteroid release increases with the practice of yoga poses, the instances of attack and their severity both are decreased significantly.

3.  Reduction in efferent Vagal reactivity- Vagus nerve is one of the most important nerves in body and holds a great importance in yoga. Asanas help in reducing stress levels which prevents constrictions of bronchial airways. This helps in cases of asthma.

4.  Reduces the metabolic rate- Yoga decreases catecholamine secretion and depresses sympathetic function. This, in turn, slows down the metabolic rate of the body.

5.  The breathing exercises help in reducing the rhythm of breathing by prolonging inhalation and exhalation phase. Once done regularly, this change sets in and there is no need to make any conscious effort to this end.

6.  Gentle sine wave diaphragmatic breathing exercises brings balance to the carbon dioxide levels.

7.  Meditation, particularly mindfulness meditation, affects the psychological and emotional balance. It works to reduce the stress hormones and sympathetic over activity. Further, it improves the airflow in lungs due to reduced stress levels.

Therefore, yoga provides a natural way to relieve from asthma by reducing or removing the underlying conditions which lead to the asthma attacks.