Yoga

Yoga and HIV/AIDS
It takes a great deal of courage to face a disease that seems to have no cure as yet. Many people with HIV experience intense feelings of fear, hopelessness, anxiety, loneliness, and depression. Yoga cannot take the place of professional counseling in dealing with severe distress, but Yoga techniques can do much to help you reduce excessive fear and anxiety, learn stress-coping skills, and build inner strength through the relaxation and self-awareness training of meditation. Yoga makes the most of the physical capabilities that you have.

Yoga consists of three parts: exercise, breathing (Pranayama), and meditation. Yoga exercises are simple movements that stretch and strengthen the nervous system and the major muscle groups, improve circulation so that the brain and all vital organs receive fresh blood and nutrients, and press on glands and organs to stimulate the hormonal system. A regular daily program of even a few Yoga exercises will increase your energy levels and feelings of well-being.

Breathing exercises are your best tool for learning to cope with stress and anxiety. By concentrating simply on the sound of the breath, you build concentration, willpower, and the ability to reduce the harmful effects of a stress reaction. Breathing techniques also strengthen all the respiratory muscles and improve vital capacity.

Relaxation training teaches you to be more aware of your body so that you can release muscle tension before it causes pain and stiffness. A complete relaxation always precedes meditation, which is simply a technique of trying to stop thinking for a few minutes at a time. This gives tremendous strength; it teaches you to rely on the experience of the present moment, free from the anxieties of past or future; and it helps to relieve loneliness. Regular practice of meditation can help you to realize that there is a part of you that never becomes ill or dies, and that can be a constant source of personal power and strength for daily living. Yoga gives you a deeper connection to your real self - not just the physical body which is always transient and fragile.

YOGA POSTURES

The sequencing of postures is important. Below are two sequences of postures for HIV/AIDS. We intend to add links to complete instructions and step by step illustrations for each of the postures. For now, the lists may be useful for Yoga teachers, and for students familiar with the poses or who wish to learn them from classes, books, or videos. Inverted poses may be of particular benefit to the immune system. The remaining poses generally produce a relaxing and restorative effect. Please heed the following cautions; they are for your benefit!

Cautions for PLWHA students with HIV/AIDS

Please consult with your health care provider before beginning a Yoga practice.
Fatigue can only further weaken the immune system. Do not overexert yourself. Avoid overheating in any of the poses.
If you have a red rash or itching or redness of the eyes, avoid overheating, the full inversions (handstand, peacock pose, headstand, unsupported shoulder stand), and backbends (staff pose and unsupported backbends).
Students with CMV retinitis should avoid the full inversions.
If you have recently had a bout of pneumocystis, you should probably avoid unsupported backbends and staff poses, as they may be too stressful for your lung tissue.

General Cautions/Instructions

You should practice with an empty stomach, and preferably with empty bowels and bladder. Wait 4 hours after a heavy meal, or two hours after a light meal, to practice.
Wear non-restrictive clothing while practicing. Do not wear shoes or socks.
Students with back or hip discomfort, displaced vertebrae, spurs, arthritis, or other physical limitations should consult their physicians before beginning a Yoga practice.
Breath normally while in all of the Yoga poses. Relax the eyes, ears, throat, and abdomen.
Avoid exerting yourself beyond your capacity. Any pain or discomfort in a pose should be mild and temporary. Sharp or persistent pain is a sign of a physical problem or incorrect practice; consult your physician and/or a qualified Yoga instructor.
During menstruation, women should avoid the inverted poses.
Pregnant women should consult their physician and obtain instruction from a qualified Yoga instructor before beginning a Yoga practice. Avoid deep forward bends or other poses that constrict or twist the abdomen.
Do not do the inverted poses if you have high blood pressure, heart problems, detached retina, or ear problems. If you have neck problems, consult a qualified Yoga instructor.
Obtain assistance to go up into the inverted poses if you are not familiar with them.
Remember: no book, video, or other written instruction can take the place of personal instruction from a qualified Yoga instructor who can teach you the poses, make adjustments to the poses for any physical limitations you may have, and make corrections as you perform the poses!

Primary Sequence of Poses for HIV/AIDS

Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana). click here --->
Peacock pose (Pinca Mayurasana) (optional pose, to be done only if student is strong enough and can perform other poses). click here --->
Supported downwards dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) (with head supported by a block). click here --->
Headstand (Sirsasana) (students with neck problems or weakness may try "chair headstand." click here --->
Inverted staff pose (Viparita Dandasana) (supported with chair). click here --->
Supported bridge pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) (supported by setu bandha bench or blocks). click here --->
Simple cross leg pose (Sukhasana) (leaning forward, head supported by chair). click here --->
Supported shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana) (use chair under buttocks for support). click here --->
Supported plow pose (Ardha Halasana) (use chair or halasana bench for support). click here --->
Legs up the wall (Viparita Karani)(with buttocks supported by blankets or bolsters).click here --->
Supine bound angle pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)(with back and head supported by blankets or bolsters). click here --->
Supported relaxation pose (Savasana)(with back and head supported by blankets or bolsters). click here --->

Alternate Sequence of Poses for HIV/AIDS

This sequence is for students who should not perform the full inversions, but it can be done by others as well (see cautions above).

Supported downwards dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) (with head supported by a block).
Supported head/knee forward bend (Janu Sirsasana)(support head with blankets or bolsters).
Three part forward bend (Triang Mukhaikapada Pascimottanasana) (support head with blankets or bolsters).
Supported half bound lotus forward bend (Ardha Baddha Padma Pascimottanasana)(support head with blankets or bolsters).
Seated forward bend, or West stretch (Pascimottanasana)(support head with blankets or bolsters).
Supported plow pose (Ardha Halasana) (use chair or halasana bench for support).
Supported shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana) (use chair for support).
Supported bridge pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) (supported by setu bandha bench or blocks).
Legs up the wall (Viparita Karani) (with buttocks supported by blankets or bolsters).
Supine bound angle pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)(with back and head supported by blankets or bolsters).
Supported relaxation pose (Savasana)(with back and head supported by blankets or bolsters).