Can yoga reduce inflammation?
Can yoga reduce inflammation?
When I was first diagnosed with autoimmune disease (Crohn’s Disease), exercise wasn't something I had the energy for, and when I did, I pushed myself so hard because that's what every marketing message out there told me to do.
But is that what our 'autoimmune' bodies thrive on?
This is what I will cover in this article:
Is yoga good for inflammation?
Can you exercise with an autoimmune disease?
How yoga has changed my life.
How to start your at-home yoga practice.
Is yoga good for inflammation?
Yes, studies show that yoga is a viable intervention for reducing inflammation across multiple chronic conditions.
My own inflammatory markers have decreased significantly, and although I don’t think Yoga is the only reason for it, I know that it’s had a role to play.
Yoga integrates both breathing and movement and in doing so, it calms and restores us. It gives us the space to disconnect from the outside and reconnect with the inside.
Breathing is an incredible tool to relieve stress and calm our sympathetic nervous system, so a 30-day journey centered on it did me a world of good. Enter, Yoga with Adriene’s 30 Day Breath Journey!
Can you exercise with an autoimmune disease?
Yes, you totally can, but there's a caveat. We need to remember that exercise is a stressor on our bodies. Albeit a good stressor for most people, our bodies are already under stress because of our autoimmune disease.
Fighting inflammation is a significant stressor.
So even though we can absolutely exercise, we need to find what feels good for us because we don't necessarily thrive on what others do.
Experimenting with different forms of exercise and learning to listen to our bodies is a skill worth nurturing. It will allow you to lean into what types of movement your body needs and thrives on during different moments in your day.
Shifting your mindset from exercise to simply moving your body
When you hear the word 'exercise' you probably get images of an intense workout, where you're sweating bullets and you can hardly breathe by the end of it.
When you hear the words 'move your body', what comes to mind then?
When we shift our mindset, and we tell ourselves that all we need to do is simply move our bodies every day - that pressure we place on ourselves gets released.
We permit ourselves to move in a way that feels good every day.
The 'way' may change from day to day, but all we know is that we should move.
We give ourselves the choice of how we want to move.
We give ourselves permission to choose the amount we want to move, too.
Yoga has changed my life
I know that that sounds like a very bold statement, but it truly has.
I'm writing this article outside at one of my favorite coffee shops in Stockholm and as I sit here I am filled with gratitude. I thank my body every day for the healing it's gone through in the last two years.
The weather has warmed up in Stockholm, and I can finally combine two of my loves: yoga and nature, and practice outside in a park. I've started the last two mornings this way.
The lessons I have learned through yoga
I have practiced yoga almost every day in 2021 and it’s given me so much.
To check-in and connect with my body, every day.
To be patient with my body on the days when a pose feels and looks different.
To be still and slow down - we are always rushing from one thing to the next.
To fall - to give myself permission to stumble and to smile as I do. Self-compassion is a gift my body and heart has thanked me for.
To inquire - each morning I ask myself ‘what do I need today?’ ‘how do I feel?’: based on the answers to these questions, I choose a time and practice. Whether its 10minutes or 35minutes I give my body what it needs.
To feel deeply into my practice - to come back to my breath, to breathe deeply and to notice.
To watch in awe as my body moves and flows with me - my body has become stronger over time and I am more aware of it.
How to start your at-home yoga practice
Tip #1 Start with a challenge with a theme that speaks to you
I started my daily yoga journey on January 2, 2021. I committed to Yoga with Adriene's 30-day breath challenge, which gave me a slow and easy transition to start with.
I loved that the practices varied in length and how breath was an integral part of each session.
Tip #2 Don’t wait till Monday
Start. What are your reasons for starting this practice? Remind yourself of all of them when you decide to begin. Because your mind will (try) get in the way on some days.
Tip#3 Please be kind to the one person who needs it most - YOU
Be compassionate with yourself - allow yourself the grace to fall, tumble off balance, and smile as you do.
Allow your mind to go to the places it does during your practice, and bring it back to your breath with compassion and without judgment.
Tip #4 Decide on your minimum
There are days when I only have the energy for 5 minutes on the mat, and there are days when I have the energy for 35 minutes.
Decide on your minimum each day and choose to show up for it.
Download FWFG's monthly calendar so you can have practices ready to go each day - the less obstacles in your way, the better.
In January 2021, I chose to show myself some love by showing up on the mat almost daily, and my body has thanked me for it in so many ways.
Yoga has given me a moment to check in with myself every day. It allowed me the space to build my strength up - slowly. I’ve developed a deeper connection with my body both on, and off the mat.
Yoga is one of three things that I have added to my healing journey in 2021. The second is therapy, and I'll dive into that in my next blog post.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
References:
