THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, when Hindu priests first developed yoga, they weren't setting out to find a magic bullet, just a ritual to invigorate the mind and body in their quest for spiritual enlightenment. So, they would probably be quite surprised to see what's on tap for the National Institutes of Health's first annual Yoga Week (May 19 to 23): Five full days devoted to the science behind the practice.
'This idea came out of the desire to create something free to learn about the benefits,' says organizer Rachel Permuth Levine, who's presenting the public event through a partnership of several institutes and offices. In particular, the aim is to showcase recent data about yoga's ability to treat various ailments.
'Part of it is palpable. Try it for two minutes and you'll feel it even if you have no experience or don't believe in it,' promises Timothy McCall, a physician who serves as the medical editor of 'Yoga Journal' (he'll be speaking Wednesday).
Keep it up, and the results are bound to be even more profound, according to Sat Bir Khalsa of Harvard Medical School, who has been studying yoga's effects on insomnia (and will be speaking Thursday). His test subjects were prescribed a daily 45 minute practice that relies on four meditation and breathing exercises. 'It definitely works. Its efficacy is similar to sleeping pills,' he says.
But before mainstream medicine will accept ancient Eastern wisdom, Khalsa and others need to continue to provide meaningful stats.
That's what Lorenzo Cohen, director of the Integrative Medicine Program at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, is hoping to do. In his studies using yoga to help women undergoing breast cancer treatment, he has noted improvements in sleep quality, physical function and overall quality of life. In the next round, he's adding a group doing simple stretching instead of a hatha yoga practice.
'One aspect of yoga is stretching, but if the purpose of yoga is to understand our real conditions and get connected with others, that goes beyond being physically fit and able to relax,' says Cohen (speaking Tuesday).
An obstacle in developing this research is defining what exactly yoga is. The term is an umbrella that covers a range of styles, from the ultra physical variety that's high on sweat but low on philosophy, to ones that are essentially meditation without any posing at all.
McCall believes 'there are many gurus, many systems, and there's healing in every one.' But which one is the right one for each medical condition? It's an issue that remains to be addressed.
In Kimberly Williams' case, a yoga injury eventually led her to studying yoga and lower back pain at West Virginia University. 'If you're off by a small amount in a pose, it can be aggravating,' admits Williams (speaking Thursday).
There's also the matter of side effects. McCall notes that beyond its clinical applications, a regular practice seems to encourage people to become more self aware and kick bad habits, quit smoking and drinking, eat healthier food, treat others more compassionately. Over time, these changes can have a dramatic impact on health. 'But although it's strong medicine, it's slow medicine,' he adds.
Or, to put it another way, it's preventative medicine. And although it's unlikely yoga will ever replace drugs and conventional therapies completely, it seems smart to save some space for it in the medicine cabinet.
By readexpress.com
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
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