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Yoga & Meditation, Women at 40, Good health

Yoga for Healthy Liver

The liver has many functions; stores certain vitamins, minerals and sugars for use as fuel, cleanses/filters the toxins out of your blood and controls the production/excretion of cholesterol. Your overall health and vitality, to a great extent, depends upon the health of your liver. The thousands of enzyme systems that control virtually every body activity are created there. If your liver fails to create even one of these enzymes, overall body function is impaired, creating greater metabolic stress on your body.

Keeping the liver in proper working order is essential because one role of the liver is to break down excess estrogen. Poor diet, alcohol, and medications including pain relievers (ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, etc.), cholesterol lowering drugs, Rogaine (minoxidil), and steroids can damage the liver.

Fresh food gives lightness, happiness, joyfulness and increases intelligence. The food should be suitable for the mind, body, intelligence and soul.

The relationship between exercise and liver health is not so clear, however, yoga for liver problems is an effective way of maintaining and enhancing the health of this vital organ. Purpose of practicing yoga is to stimulate, regulate and enhance the functioning of liver.

Asanas a group of easy to get to in healthy desires are vajraasana, shalabhasana, halasana, padahastasana, belly raise and abdomen lifts. These asanas sensitises lymph nodes bartering liver, removes the toxins in the abdominals and hepatic region.

Certain yoga poses for liver health are the Diamond Pose, the cow pose, the cat pose, the Locust Pose, the Plow Pose, and the Standing Forward Bend to name a few.

Vajrasana (Diamond Pose)

Sit with legs extended together, hands by the side of the body, palm resting on the ground, fingers of the hands together pointing forward.

Fold the right leg at the knee and place the foot under the right buttock. Sole will remain inside.

Similarly folding the left foot, place it under the left buttock.

Hands resting on the respective thighs.

Sit erect, gaze in front close the eyes.

While returning to the original position, bend little towards right side take out your left leg and extend it.

Similarly extend your right leg and return to the original position.

Bitilasana (the Cow pose)

The overall functioning of your liver can be improved significantly by relaxing the back muscle.

Start on your hands and knees in a "tabletop" position.
Make sure your knees are set directly below your hips and your wrists, elbows and shoulders are in line and perpendicular to the floor.
Center your head in a neutral position, eyes looking at the floor. As you inhale, lift your sitting bones and chest toward the ceiling, allowing your belly to sink toward the floor.
Lift your head to look straight forward. Exhale, coming back to neutral "tabletop" position on your hands and knees. Repeat 10 to 20 times.
This pose is often paired with Cat Pose on the exhale for a gentle, flowing vinyasa.

Bidalasana (the Cat pose )

The liver is located in the abdomen; the cat stretch massages the stomach and the spine, both areas that protect the liver.

Start on your hands and knees. Position your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your knees directly beneath the hips. Have your fingers fully spread with the middle fingers pointing straight ahead. Make your back horizontal and flat. Gaze at the floor. This is your "neutral" positioning. When your pelvis is in neutral, your spine will be at full extension, with both the front and back sides equally long.
As you wait for the inner cue, do not sag into your shoulders . Instead, create a line of energy through each arm by pressing downward into your hands and lifting upward out of your shoulders. Go back and forth like this several times to make sure you understand the movement. As you exhale, sag into your shoulders and do the incorrect action; as you inhale, lengthen the arms, lift out of the shoulders and do the correct action.

Shalabha asana (the Locust pose)

The locust brings flexibility to the cervical (upper back) region and strength to the lower back. Brings a rich blood supply to the spine and the whole upper area. Favorably activates the kidneys, liver and all the organs of the lower part of the body. This asana stimulates panic breeze in the liver and maximizes use of all nutrients, aftermath physique heat.

Lie on your belly, with the chin on the floor, legs together and arms alongside the body, with the palms down.
Rock the hips from side to side to walk the arms underneath your body, so that the forearms are on the inside of the hip bones and the hands are under the thighs.
Inhale and lengthen the legs, reaching the toes away from your body. Pull up the knee caps, squeeze the buttocks and engage mula bandha. Press the arms down into the floor and slowly lift the legs up towards the ceiling.
Breathe and hold for 2-5 breaths.
To release: exhale and slowly lower the legs to the floor. Turn the head to one side, slide the arms out from under your body and rest.

Halasana (the Plow pose)

This asana activates the body’s digestive system and improves the efficiency of all the abdominal organs including the liver, kidneys, spleen and pancreas.

Lie down with your back on a mat.
Your shoulders should lie on the edge and your head rests on the mat. Your legs are drawn in and still stand on the mat.
Lift your hips off the floor and bring your legs up, over and beyond your head.
At this point, lift your back and move your legs further beyond your head.
Straighten your spine and keep your back straight. Move your hands toward your back.
Place your arms against your upper back and try to place your hands as near as possible to the shoulder blades. Try to place your elbows at shoulder-width. If you cannot do this, put them at a somewhat wider distance from each other.

Ardha Navaasana (Half Boat pose)

This asana works on liver and helps to strengthen belly muscles.

Come into Dandasana (Staff Pose).
Interlock the fingers behind the head.
Exhale and lift the legs up.
Exhale and concave the trunk, reaching the waist back. Lower the legs so that the toes are at eye level. Hold this position.
Exhale and either lower down to the floor with control or come back to Dandasana (Staff Pose).

Exercise caution when practicing yoga however, as failure to follow rules or misinterpreting them can also cause an injury. Best to learn under the guidance of an experienced yoga instructor.

Dated 18 August 2011

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fitness articles

Yoga for Healthy Liver

Asanas a group of easy to get to in healthy desires are vajraasana, shalabhasana, halasana, padahastasana, belly raise and abdomen lifts. These asanas sensitises lymph nodes bartering liver, removes the toxins in the abdominals and hepatic region.

Sit with legs extended together, hands by the side of the body, palm resting on the ground, fingers of the hands together pointing forward.

Fold the right leg at the knee and place the foot under the right buttock. Sole will remain inside.

Similarly folding the left foot, place it under the left buttock.

Hands resting on the respective thighs.

Sit erect, gaze in front close the eyes.

While returning to the original position, bend little towards right side take out your left leg and extend it.

Similarly extend your right leg and return to the original position.

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Bitilasana (the Cow pose) The overall functioning of your liver can be improved significantly by relaxing the back muscle.

Start on your hands and knees in a "tabletop" position.

Make sure your knees are set directly below your hips and your wrists, elbows and shoulders are in line and perpendicular to the floor.

Center your head in a neutral position, eyes looking at the floor. As you inhale, lift your sitting bones and chest toward the ceiling, allowing your belly to sink toward the floor.

Lift your head to look straight forward. Exhale, coming back to neutral "tabletop" position on your hands and knees. Repeat 10 to 20 times.

This pose is often paired with Cat Pose on the exhale for a gentle, flowing vinyasa.

Bidalasana (the Cat pose ) The liver is located in the abdomen; the cat stretch massages the stomach and the spine, both areas that protect the liver.

Shalabha asana (the Locust pose)

Lie on your belly, with the chin on the floor, legs together and arms alongside the body, with the palms down.

Rock the hips from side to side to walk the arms underneath your body, so that the forearms are on the inside of the hip bones and the hands are under the thighs.

Inhale and lengthen the legs, reaching the toes away from your body. Pull up the knee caps, squeeze the buttocks and engage mula bandha. Press the arms down into the floor and slowly lift the legs up towards the ceiling.

Breathe and hold for 2-5 breaths.

To release: exhale and slowly lower the legs to the floor. Turn the head to one side, slide the arms out from under your body and rest.

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Halasana (the Plow pose) This asana activates the body’s digestive system and improves the efficiency of all the abdominal organs including the liver, kidneys, spleen and pancreas.

Lie down with your back on a mat.

Your shoulders should lie on the edge and your head rests on the mat. Your legs are drawn in and still stand on the mat.

Lift your hips off the floor and bring your legs up, over and beyond your head.

At this point, lift your back and move your legs further beyond your head.

Straighten your spine and keep your back straight. Move your hands toward your back.

Place your arms against your upper back and try to place your hands as near as possible to the shoulder blades. Try to place your elbows at shoulder-width. If you cannot do this, put them at a somewhat wider distance from each other.

Ardha Navaasana (Half Boat pose)

This asana works on liver and helps to strengthen belly muscles.

Come into Dandasana (Staff Pose).

Interlock the fingers behind the head.

Exhale and lift the legs up.

Exhale and concave the trunk, reaching the waist back. Lower the legs so that the toes are at eye level. Hold this position.

Exhale and either lower down to the floor with control or come back to Dandasana (Staff Pose).

Related Links

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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly about Cholesterol

Top 10 tips for a Healthy Liver and Lymph

Improve digestion with yoga

Bitilasana (the Cow pose)

The overall functioning of your liver can be improved significantly by relaxing the back muscle.

Bidalasana (the Cat pose )

The liver is located in the abdomen; the cat stretch massages the stomach and the spine, both areas that protect the liver.

Halasana (the Plow pose)

This asana activates the body’s digestive system and improves the efficiency of all the abdominal organs including the liver, kidneys, spleen and pancreas.