Guide to Acu-Yoga for Beginners
As its name suggests, Acu-Yoga is a combination of two traditional Eastern healing methods acupressure and yoga. This unique self-healing technique can be mastered by anyone and by proper and regular practice it will undoubtedly regulate the flow of your chi energy and improve the quality of life.
Acu-Yoga was actually developed by a Westerner Michael Reed Gach, a best-selling author and an expert in the field of acupressure and other Asian bodywork. In order to better understand the concept of this technique, you should know a thing or two about acupressure.
Acupressure is derived from the same principles that acupuncture follows but without the use of needles. Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches us about key points on the human body which, when manipulated, can relieve one of pain and discomfort. These key points are located on the paths where the body energy, known as chi flows through the body. When the chi is flowing freely, the body and the mind are in balance. But, sometimes when chi gets clustered or blocked in certain areas, it needs to be stimulated. In acupressure this is achieved by applying pressure to these key points with the use of fingers and palms.
What Michael Reed Gach understood is that you can use some of the common positions and exercises in yoga to affect these same key points on the body and thus Acu-Yoga was created. With Acu-Yoga you can decide which exercise you will do in order to address your problems such as pain, discomfort, but also to get rid of stress and muscle tension.
One of the key features and advantages of Acu-Yoga is that it is a self-healing method which you can use daily and your benefits from it only depend on how much you master the skills in question. Now we will look at some problems which can be addressed and solved with the proper usage of Acu-Yoga.
As far as the equipment is concerned, you will only need some comfortable clothes and an ordinary yoga mat. One interesting product that can also be used for Acu-Yoga is the acupressure mat. Its surface is covered with small plastic flowers that will stimulate some of the key points discussed earlier and additionally help with back pain and blood circulation.
If you are experiencing these problems, Acu-Yoga suggests that you practice the knees to the chest’ position regularly. You should lie down on you back with your legs bent. Simply bring up your knees and pull them to your chest with your hands. Repeat the motion while controlling the rhythm of your breathing.
This kind of problem is one of the most common in modern working environments where we’re used to sitting in front of the computer for long hours. The position that effectively solves this issue is the bridge pose’. You should lie on your back with knees bent and the soles of your feet flat on the floor. Put your arms above your head on the floor behind you. When you inhale, raise your pelvis up with the help of your legs. When you reach the limit, hold for several seconds, and exhale deeply while coming down. Repeat the exercise multiple times.
All Eastern healing methods can apply to more than ordinary physical problems. As the chi energy is responsible for the balance between physical, emotional and spiritual, its control can affect any of these areas. If you’re experiencing symptoms of insomnia and hypertension, do the following exercise.
While lying on your back, bend your legs up and bring your feet close to the buttocks. Bring your hands around your chest and hug’ yourself by grabbing your shoulders. Arch your pelvis upward and start to rock from side to side gently. You will feel the pressure points being stimulated between your shoulder blades. After couple of minutes, return your body in the starting position and the exercise is over.
You can remain in the same position from the exercise before and continue onto the next one. Clasp your hands behind the neck and interlace your fingers. Very slowly push your head forward and up and at the same time bring your elbows together in front of your face. When you get to the furthest possible position hold it for a couple of minutes. It is vital in all of these exercises to breathe properly and deeply in every position that you hold.
These are only some of the basic Acu-Yoga exercises that you can easily learn how to perform. As you can see for yourself there is nothing hard or complicated in this self-healing methods but the benefits can be very rewarding. Just be patient, exercise whenever and wherever you want and your chi energy will run smoothly and keep your body and spirit in balance.
