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As a stress management technique yoga is superb; it promotes relaxation, reduces anxiety, improves sleep patterns, and – you knew it was coming - helps stabilize digestion, including Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms. "I've been practicing yoga for just four months, and my constipation is gone!" Monique Spencer, age 25, British Columbia, Canada, IBS sufferer since early childhood, undiagnosed until age 19. "I've been sick from IBS since I was a young child. When I was 13 years old, I had to take a year off of school because I was hospitalized for 6 months of tests in the hopes that someone would figure out what was wrong with me. I never did graduate because I missed so many days and fell too far behind. By the time I was about 18, I suffered from diarrhea constantly, and this went on for almost 2 years. I suffered from dehydration and made numerous trips to the hospital. Then, very quickly, that diarrhea turned to constipation. This was even worse because along with the constipation came EXTREME bloating (to the point where I was rushed to the ER for the pain the pressure caused), nausea (so bad that I feared any movement at all would cause vomiting), gas cramps (excruciatingly sharp pain), and acid reflux. These symptoms lasted for about 5 years, though I saw just about every specialist, gastroenterologist, and took every test available. In the last eight years I tried over 35 different medications that I can remember, in the hopes of controlling the pain and nausea. IBS caused so much stress in my life that for many years I was suicidal. I simply did not want to live like this. Also as a direct result of IBS, I developed a severe case of agoraphobia. Just thinking about leaving the house caused severe panic attacks. I have learned how to control this now, for the most part, but there are still times when, if I'm not feeling well, just going to check the mail is something I have to work up the courage to do. During this time my weight dropped to 90 pounds. Since I could not get to the grocery store, I could not eat. I could not keep a job. Living a life like this prevented me from getting any exercise (all I could do was sleep and cry), and as a result all of my muscles began to hurt. To try and remedy this, and hoping to regain some sanity as well, I turned to yoga. I started practicing at home by watching a local television show called Breathingspace Yoga. I followed the program each night at bedtime. I've been practicing yoga for just four months now, and since I started I have gained back about 20 pounds, which means my weight is once again normal. This is because my appetite has GREATLY increased. Also, my constipation is gone! When I eat right, my bowel movements are now more regular and normal (which is something they never were before). In the past, eating made my constipation worse, so when I had no money and was too afraid to go to the grocery store, I found to my surprise that this actually helped the pain, because if there was no food for me to digest, there was no constipation. This vicious cycle has ended, though diet can still be a big issue. I do sometimes have to be careful so as to prevent another attack. When I first started yoga, there was a 4 or 5 day period where I had to urinate constantly. As it turned out I was retaining a TON of water from all of my constipation and bloating. This is no longer the case. My skin now looks healthier, too, and I think I have released a lot of toxins from my body. One more thing...I have a disorder with the level of bile produced by my liver. When I am constipated, I can get very jaundiced. Since I started practicing yoga, this is no longer a problem. I now practice yoga every night before I go to bed, and sometimes in the morning. I also do stretches and certain positions throughout the day as I feel they're needed. For example, if I am having a particularly bad stomach day or cramps, I'll do some positions that are good for the digestive system. I've found that yoga is best done on an empty stomach, and quite often, it stimulates my appetite. This is very good, as I am still almost always nauseous. My typical bedtime routine lasts anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes, and sometimes an hour. It helps me sleep, and when I have a more restful night, I generally feel better the next day. This is a cycle that I now find essential to my daily life. I feel the effects of my yoga practice immediately if I'm having an attack (it is SO relaxing), but it also works as a preventative measure. I do it mostly to relax and because I KNOW that if I do yoga the night before, I'm almost guaranteed to have a better day the next day than if I didn't do any yoga. If I miss a day or two, my IBS attacks seem to be worse, especially the back pain associated with my bowel cramps. If I'm feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, or if I'm in the middle of a panic attack, any of the inverted yoga positions almost immediately wipe that feeling away. There's something about placing the crown of the skull against the floor that is totally grounding. Letting the blood flow back to the brain is so... I can't even think of the right word...It's pretty amazing. It can just snap me into a good mood and expel my anger and sadness. I am still working at regaining my health overall, but yoga has made a world of difference so far." Like meditation, though yoga produces measurable physiological changes in the body, and an alteration in brain-wave activity reflecting an induced state of deep relaxation, science cannot yet explain exactly why this is true. Though the beneficial effects of yoga are undisputed, no one quite knows what produces them. Practice may promote the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, or many of the benefits may be the result of physical and mental stress relief. There are currently several studies in progress by the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health that hope to produce some clear answers on the subject. For people with IBS, yoga is perhaps most beneficial for its ability to reduce the stress, anxiety, and pain of chronic illness. Regular practice will indisputably improve your physical and mental fitness, promote relaxation, and give you a sense of control over your health and well-being. As with other stress management techniques, the more your practice, the greater your improvement. Click here to continue reading First Year: IBS. All content is copyrighted by Heather Van Vorous and MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED without permission. |