Living with diabetes is a challenge, but certain yoga asanas are effective in lowering blood sugar levels and improving circulation, making it an excellent way to manage the disease. These guided Yoga asanas by Sneha Desai make tackling diabetes easier.
Yogic practices can make managing diabetes easier. By balancing blood sugar levels, lipid levels and body composition, it tackles the disease at a macro level. It also helps to lower stress and blood pressure and reliance on medication and artificial insulin to control the sugar levels.
How does Yoga help in managing diabetes?
Yoga postures for diabetes switch back and forth between asanas (poses) that contract specific areas of the abdomen and asanas that relax those areas. This alternation between abdominal contractions and release stimulates the pancreas, increasing blood and oxygen supply. As a result, the pancreatic cells, buffeted by nutrients and fresh blood flow, undergo a rejuvenation that improves the organ’s ability to produce insulin. Yogic breathing practices also work in a similar way to stimulate healthy pancreatic function.
In addition to postures that directly stimulate the pancreas and aid in insulin production, the exercise yoga provides reduces blood sugar levels and helps relieve one of the main symptoms of diabetes: hypoglycaemia. Yogic exercise has also been shown to reduce bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels, both of which are often accompanying symptoms for diabetes.
The yoga routine below focuses on conducting Kapalabhati in a series of kriyas to massage the pancreas and increase immunity.
Namaste with Kapalabhati
In a standing position on a yoga mat, keep your hands folded with your palms joined together. Breathe in and out vigorously for five counts.
Raise your hands over your head and stand tall with your back straight and repeat for five counts.
Twist to one side and stretch your hands over your head, keeping your head angled down towards the floor for five counts.
Repeat on the other side.
Kapalabhati with forward bend
Bend knees and keep your hands on your thighs. Breathe in and out for five counts.
Kapalabhati with forward bend and twist
Bend your knees and back. Keep your hands resting on your thighs and twist to one side, with one hand on your waist. Stretch out the other arm towards the floor and look down breathing vigorously for five counts.
Kapalabhati with Sarvangasana
Lie down flat on your back and raise your legs straight up in the air. Keeping your hands on your waist, raise your upper body as well up to your shoulders off the yoga mat and hold. Practice Kapalabhati for five counts in this position.
Kapalabhati with Naukasana
Sit down on the mat. Raise your one leg and your upper body off the floor resting only on your hips. Twist while keeping one hand on your knee. Hold this pose and practice Kapalabhati for five counts.
How does Kapalabhati help in diabetes?
- In Kapalabhati, rapid movement of the abdomen pushes the internal organ in and out including the pancreas. Such movements function as a massager which further helps in the secretion of insulin.
- Kapalabhati increases the blood flow to the cellular communities, which further increase the metabolism.
- Due to its vigorous physical activity, it burns the extra fat in the form of calories and helps in reducing the overweight BMI range. In this way Kapalabhati makes a practitioner perspire to eliminate factors responsible for insulin inactivity in the form of toxins.
Tune in to the ThinkRight.me app to watch the entire guided routine and get your diabetes under control.
Read more: 6 Happiness Boosting Things To Do For A Wonderful New Year
Like & Follow ThinkRight.me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Telegram to stay connected.
