Regular yoga practice can help reduce the sugar levels in the blood, along with keeps track of your weight, lowering blood pressure, reducing the severity of the disease. It also minimizes the possibility of complications moving further.
Stress is the main reason for diabetes. It increases the secretion of glucagon in the body because glucagon is responsible for the increase of glucose levels in blood. We can save our mind from being subjected to stress through constant practice of pranayama, yoga asanas and meditation on a daily basis. Therefore you can protect your body from the adverse effects of stress. This eventually reduces the secretion of glucagon and improves the insulin levels. Kapala bhati and surya namaskara are considered the most effective asanas for losing weight. Thus practicing yoga in order to manage your weight is the key to control diabetes as obesity is the major contributing factor for diabetes. The yoga teacher training in India conducts special sessions for diabetic patients. Following are few asanas we train those sessions.
1. Pranayam:
Inhaling and exhaling deeply helps oxygenating your blood as it improves the blood circulation. It is also helpful in relaxing your mind and proving the needed the rest.
Procedure
Sit down on a yoga mat on the ground. Sit cross legged or fold your legs and sit in padmasana. Now keep your back straight and chin parallel to the ground. Keep your hands over your knees. Keep your palms facing the sky. Now close your eyes. Breathe in deeply and hold your breath for five seconds. Breathe out slowly. Repeat this process for at least ten times. When you are done, rub your palms together until they are warm, and keep them over your eyes. Now gradually open them and smile.
2. Setubandhasana
Apart from controlling blood pressure, this asana also aids in relaxing the brain, improve the functionality of the digestive system, stretches neck and spine and relieves women from menstrual related issues.
Procedure
Lie down flat on your yoga mat on the floor. Keep your feet flat on the ground. Now exhale and push your trunk upwards off the floor balancing with your feet. You must raise your body such that your head and neck are flat on the mat while the remaining portion of your body is up in the air. You can use your hands to add support. You may even clasp your fingers below your raised back if you are flexible in addition to the stretch. Be cautious to not to hurt yourself.
Precautions
If you have a neck or back injury, you must avoid doing this pose.
3. Balasana
Balasana measn the child’s pose. This is one of the best stress busters. It gently stretches the ankles, thighs and hips. It calms down your mind and helps in relieving fatigue and stress. It also constitutes a great remedy for that lower back pain which might have resulted due to long hours of sitting.
Procedure
Sit on the floor on your knees. Now flatten your feet onto the ground. Then sit on your heels. Spread out your thighs a little apart. Exhale deeply and bend forward through your waist. You should rest your stomach on your thighs and extend your back. Then stretch out your arms forward in order to elongate the back. You may also rest your forehead on the ground. This might require flexibility, so don’t force your body to stretch beyond its limits. You shall improve with time.
As it is a resting posture you shall ideally breathe at normal pace. You can stay in this posture for as long as three minutes or as little as five seconds.
Precautions
This asana should be avoided in case of pregnancy, diarrhoea or knee injury.
