Yoga Cures: Simple Routines to Conquer Over 50 Common Ailments and Live Pain-Free (31 page)

Gently come onto all fours. Relax your hips and sit back on your heels. Rest your forehead on the ground and

breathe deeply into your back. Stay here for five long, deep breaths.

Bridge

Lie down on your back. Bend your knees and press the bottoms of your feet into the ground next to your body so your knees point straight up. Press your arms down by your sides and lift your hips and chest up. Stay here for five long, deep breaths.

Hot Flashes

Either caused by hormonal conditions, or most usually menopause, hot flashes are a sudden, intense hot

feeling, possibly followed with sweating, anxiety, weakness, and an increased heartbeat. Not something

that we would wish upon ourselves for sure!

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester enrolled 110 women

with at least five or more bothersome hot flashes each day. The women were assigned to two groups.

One participated in weekly two-and-a-half-hour mindfulness classes focused on body awareness,

meditation, and stretching. Women in the second group were put on a wait list with no intervention. By

the time the women in the first group had finished the mindfulness program they were less stressed and

anxious and were no longer considered out of the normal range for those symptoms. They also slept

better, rated their quality of life higher, and were less bothered by their hot flashes. In 2002, the

Women’s Health Initiative study found that hormone therapy used to relieve menopause symptoms

increased women’s risk of stroke as well as breast and ovarian cancers, so looking to alternative means

for a cure is a good idea.

THE HOT FLASHES YOGA CURE

To cool it down and ward off hot flashes, try this routine at least three times a week. The routine will bring
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your body back to a neutral, chilled-out state.

Low Lunge, Back Knee Down Arch

Come into a low lunge with your right leg forward and your left leg back. Sink your hips low toward the ground.

Take three long, deep breaths here. Gently lower your back knee to the floor. Walk your fingertips back so they are under your shoulders. Sink your hips forward, drop your tailbone down, and arch your chest up. Stay here for five long, deep breaths.

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Low Lunge, Back Knee Down, Twist

From your previous pose, twist your torso to your right. Press your left hand on your right thigh and rest your right hand on your back leg. Open your chest toward your left side and look over your right shoulder. Stay here for three long, deep breaths.

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Single Leg Forward Bend

From the last pose, press your fingertips into the floor by either side of your legs. Step your left leg back a couple feet behind your right leg. Straighten both legs and fold your torso over your front leg. If your front leg doesn’t straighten easily, bend it enough so your fingers can press into the ground. Stay here for ten long, deep breaths and then repeat on the other side.

Child’s Pose

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Gently come onto all fours. Relax your hips and sit back on your heels. Rest your forehead on the ground and

breathe deeply into your back. Stay here for five long, deep breaths. Perform the routine on the other side.

Jiggly Thighs

Jiggly thighs may not be the most severe medical condition to be cured by yoga, but toning up makes

you stronger, leaner, lighter, and more efficient. It just feels better. When you practice regularly, yoga

has a way of sculpting a fantastic, healthy body from the inside out, leaving you with a “firm

foundation,” and a vibrant body to live in.

THE JIGGLY THIGHS YOGA CURE