Yoga for Pain Relief

Yoga has been known to treat several kinds of pain including carpal tunnel syndrome, knee pain, back pain and other pain conditions which are chronic in nature. Yoga uses restorative poses and breathing exercises to treat pain. Pain is a learned response the body has towards trauma, and this can be unlearned through relaxation techniques. Through relaxation, the body’s energy is channeled towards growth, repair, digestion, immune function and other processes of self-regulation. Through relaxation, mind-body psychological imprints are unraveled, which usually contribute to pain, and the foundation for healing habits is laid down. As one practices relaxation consistently, the mind is taught how it can rest in a state of safety instead of chronic emergency.

A person may first begin by practicing breathing with the whole body. This is a visualization practice which is done in a relaxed pose such as the corpse pose. The hands are placed on the belly and the movement of air in and out of the body felt as the belly rises and falls. The person then imagines that they can exhale and inhale through any part of the body, and when they reach that part of the body that hurts, they should not ignore it but rather direct their breathing to that region by imagining that their breath is expelling all the pain and discomfort by massaging or dissolving the tension. They may also try to imagine that the tension or solidity of the pain is softening. After that, they may try and move their attention from the area experiencing the discomfort to other areas where there is no discomfort. They should breathe in and out several times while in their zone of discomfort and do the same over their comfort zones and by going back and forth in this manner, the mind is trained to give less priority to those areas where the body is feeling pain. This is a practice in healthy distraction whereby the individual shifts his or her focus intentionally while maintaining their presence of mind and body. After working through the entire body, the person may now visualize themselves breathing through the normal faculties, and think as though the whole body was gently expanding and contracting with each breath taken in and out respectively. They may imagine and actually feel as though there was energy flowing through their entire body.

Conscious breathing and gentle yoga poses are used in restorative yoga routines. Restorative yoga is very relaxing because each restorative pose takes ten or more minutes and there are several breaths in between. In this stillness, the body is allowed to get rid of even the deepest lying tensions. Restorative poses also utilize props which support the body. These props can be chairs, walls, pillows or any other object that may make the pose feel effortless and allow the body to fully let go. There should not be too much stretching or strengthening like in normal yoga poses. These are forms of tension which should be avoided because restorative yoga is about relaxation where the body rests but the mind is engaged.