Stroke of Yoga

Precautions to be followed

2009-04-23T21:58:00.003-05:00

I came across an article by Baxter, Bell http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/967 where he talks about the important points and adaptations to be kept in mind when applying yoga with stroke clients. I list few here and welcome any more that you can draw from your working with stroke clients.
1. Duplicate standing pose in lying down with feet against the wall (if standing not possible at the time).
2. Avoid head below waist as with forward bends.
3. Avoid extreme neck twisting as there may be possible carotid artery occlusion.
4. Holding breath would be unadvisable especially for those with hypertension.

Thank you
Rashmi

Asanas= Exercise + A LOT MORE!!!

2009-04-13T21:56:00.002-05:00

As I read all the post, I refer back to wonderul article by Brownstone, A (see links for detailed reference). Asanas are described as rich "proiprioceptive" food for the central nervous system/ CNS and thus a catalyst to normalization of tone and movement pattern. Another idea that is stressed is how emotional reactivity influences muscle tone and thus the underlying premise of training mind and creating minfulness. Kinesthetic, proprioceptive, and vestibular feedback is deemed very important for CNS organization and all asanas have adundant of that.
Please share from your experience and expertise what those "a lot more" are that give yoga its healing power. What makes asana application so potent opposed a similar exercise or pose performed?
Rashmi

Acute care issues: awareness and concept of laterality

2009-04-07T22:34:00.004-05:00

Mr M Taylor's post evokes an important issue of how "old life dies" and new issues surface after a stroke and how those yield best to yogic intervention. Stroke leads to disintegration of the concept of wholeness and induces asymmetrical body image. Patricia Burke in her article (http://www.byregion.net/articles-healers/Road_Rage.html) talks about laterality as a relationship between the hemispheres. She also list alternate nostril breathing and breathwalk techniques as some of the integrative exercises. She states, "We can increase our energy, control our moods, refine our mental quality, and experience connectedness in our lives using very simple breathing techniques combined with focus and gazing exercises for the eyes, lateral movement, and sound. Because these movements recruit all the quadrants of the brain, they are integrative systems."
So in simpler terms, as we approach a stroke client in acute phases, we want to be mindful of the deeper signs of resultant disintegration and deeper needs of reconnecting with the wholeness that one is. Simple breathing techniques to increase awareness and deliberate attentiveness to the affected limbs are vital. I found information at http://www.holisticonline.com/Yoga/hol_yoga_breathing-ex-nadisodh.htm to be helpful about alternate nostril breathing.
I see this intervention approach complicated when severe cognitive and visuo-perceptual deficits accompany the post-stroke motor deficits.
Please share any tried methods and approaches.
Thanks

How is yoga applied with stroke cases?

2009-03-10T21:43:00.005-05:00

Does the concept of yoga relate to the diagnosis of Stroke? Does yoga as used with post-Stroke clients, complements their health care process? I invite a discussion to explore these questions as they relate to application and adaptation of yoga for the stroke population.