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Chapter 8. Asthma, Bronchitis, And Hay Fever

INVARIABLY the first question I am asked about Yoga is, 'Do you stand on your head every morning?' To the uninitiated this standing on the head represents the sum total of Yoga, and it is thereupon dismissed as a foible of cranks and crackpots. Not one person in a hundred asks me why I stand on my head. In fact it does not cross the mind of the average person that it could possibly have any therapeutic value or indeed any value at all except to establish one as an eccentric. But if radiant good health is the lot of those who practise this Headstand, then 'long live eccentricity' say I.

But the Headstand or Sirshasana has not been called 'The King of Asanas' for nothing. You may wonder why I have waited until I reached more than half-way through this book before introducing you to this best known of all Yoga postures. Simply for the very good reason that it is difficult for the beginner to master and I wanted you to limber up with some easier exercises before attempting to balance on your head. I place the 'King of Asanas' in this chapter on disorders of the respiratory tract because in the relief and cure of such ailments as asthma, bronchitis, hay fever, nose troubles, and sinus troubles it has no equal.

Sinusitis, and allied complaints, often produce severe headaches and acute discomfort in the cavities of the nose and face. It is difficult for doctors to reach these sinuses except by painful and unpleasant means and nasal sprays are of little use as the openings of the cavities are on the upper side and can only be drained when the body is inverted. This is where Yoga, and particularly the Headstand, is of great help.

So now let us try the preliminary stages.

The Headstand

1. Kneel down, sit back on your heels with your hands on your knees and then bend forward until your forehead touches the floor just in front of your knees. Remain in this position for a few moments and then slowly straighten up. The purpose of this simple exercise is to accustom the head to being lower than the body. If you experience any dizziness please straighten up immediately and proceed with extreme caution until you are able to remain with your head down without experiencing the slightest discomfort. When you wish to go a stage further proceed as follows.



2. Kneel down as before, lace your fingers together and clasp your hands round the back of your head. Bend forward until your forehead touches the floor, approximately twelve inches away from your knees as in figure 24. Press the upper part of your body forward a few times, which will gradually accustom your head and neck to the unfamiliar pressure. Do not attempt the next stage until you can perform stage 2 without any discomfort.



3. In stage 3 you bring a little more of your weight on to your head and arms by straightening your legs with your heels off the ground as I have demonstrated in figure 25. Remain in this position for as long as you comfortably can and under no circumstances remain so if you are still experiencing any dizziness. Caution in the early stages of the Headstand will put you safely, and confidently, on your head.



4. After practising the first three stages carefully you are now ready to let your feet leave the ground. I always advise beginners to the Headstand to practise this, and the following stages, in a corner so that you have the support of the two walls. When you gain in confidence you can practise it against one wall and after that in the middle of the room. Meanwhile, let us return to stage 4.1 advise you to put down a small pad or folded blanket for your head from now on. The pressure on the crown of your head is going to be considerable, especially in stages 5 and 6, and while Yoga asanas can sometimes be undeniably strenuous, even the most stoical of Gurus (Yoga Masters) would not wish to inflict any physical suffering on you. So I will wait while you bring that pad for your head.

Ready? Right, now kneel down in your corner with your hands laced behind your head. Adopt the position in figure 24. Raise yourself on to your toes but without straightening your legs. Walk on your toes for a couple of steps to bring your knees nearer to your face and then, with your knees bent give a little hop off the ground with both legs. You will find that your feet will leave the ground easily but they will also drop back

Figures 24. 25. 26. 27 HEADSTAND

equally easily. Be patient, you are more than half-way there. Make no attempt to go farther as this is the stage in the proceedings when students try to achieve too much in a hurry with sometimes unpleasant results. So perform this hopping off the ground three or four times and then straighten up for a rest.

There is an alternate way of performing stage 4 which some of you might find somewhat easier. Proceeding from the position in figure 24, rise on to your toes without straightening your legs and bring your knees nearer to your face as before. But this time, instead of trying to hop off the ground, very slowly press your body forwards until you can feel your toes leave the ground. Keep your body hunched up in a ball whichever method you adopt. If you do not you will be almost certain to overbalance at this stage. Practise stage 4 until you can make your toes leave the ground three times in succession. You will then, I hope, feel confident enough to proceed to stage 5.

5. This stage is an intensification of the last one. While I told you in stage 4 not o attempt anything beyond getting your toes to leave the ground for a brief instant, in this stage I would like you to increase the effort which you put into he whole movement until very gradually your body becomes less likely to drop back immediately. Proceed very slowly at this stage and remember at all times to keep your body rolled up into a ball with your knees well bent. Practise this stage frequently but do not prolong your efforts to the point when you begin to tire. It is far better to practise stage 5 only half a dozen times at once. You can go back to it later when you have had a short rest.

Stage 5 may be frustrating in the extreme to you when you are impatient to rise into the Headstand but I assure you that if you have been practising the preliminary stages properly, in a shorter time than you imagine you will find that your body does not drop back to the ground as you expected, but remains poised at the half-way mark. Your knees will sail up right past your head and you will find, if you keep perfectly still (and don't jerk about in sheer surprise), that you will be able to remain so for a few seconds. Now you are really getting somewhere. But again I must ask you to be patient and not, please not, to try and straighten your legs. Be content, just for a little while longer, to keep your knees bent and your body rolled up into a ball and to aim for this all-important and controlling halfway position. You will not find it particularly comfortable but you will feel safe and confident if you practise in a corner so that there is no danger whatever of you overbalancing or falling. The pad under your head will add greatly to your comfort.

6. When you are able to remain immobile at the half-way point for a second or two, proceed as follows. When you either take your jump off the ground or press your body forward to make your feet leave the ground do so with more force than you have hitherto been using so that instead of stopping at the half-way point you will swing your legs right over and with your knees still bent your feet will touch the wall as I have demonstrated in figure 26. You will find this stage very easy if you have been practising properly, and you will be able to remain in this position for a full minute or more without the slightest effort or discomfort. Come down, please, as soon as you feel the slightest strain on your head, neck, or shoulders.



7. In this last and final stage of the Headstand you have three alternatives, according to your individual capabilities.  I will describe first what is generally considered to be the easiest method. While balanced as in figure 26, very gradually tuck in your buttocks, bring your feet away from the wall, and at the same time very slowly straighten your legs. Your feet will swing right back to the wall at first but do practise straightening your legs even if at first you cannot manage without resting your feet against the wall. Having got so far with the Headstand you will find that this final stage is the slowest of all. I know it is frustrating, but once you can do the Headstand you will have it for life, so it is worth a little of your time and patience now, is it not?

The second method is as follows. Proceed from the position in figure 26, but this time straighten your legs while keeping your feet against the wall. You will be in a kind of Headstand at once by this method but why I do not favour it as much as the other one is that in this position your spine is uncomfortably arched instead of being held naturally and because it shows quick results students tend to rely on this method and become so used to the support of the wall that they have difficulty, afterwards, in doing the Headstand without it. So really this second method takes more time in the long run.

The third method is as follows. Proceed from the hunched up half-way position and, instead of swinging your feet over to touch the wall, very slowly, half-inch by half-inch straighten your legs. You will wobble, you will fall all over the place, you will drop back to the ground like a stone and you will probably become convinced that you will never make it at all, but again take heart and keep practising. Patience is the only way and one day you will find that, instead of bouncing back to the floor as you expected, you will remain poised on your head and arms with your body as straight as a candle, as in figure 27.

I must warn you that, like so many others, when you first find that you can do the Headstand, you will be so surprised that you will probably overbalance and have to come down quickly out of sheer amazement. It is rather like learning to ride a bicycle. When you finally find yourself gaily pedalling along without someone propping you up, you look around, find you have left your friend far behind and promptly fall off in sheer horror. So while you are still flushed with your first success, try your Headstand again. This time you will find that you can control your muscles to such an extent that you will be able to rise slowly into a beautiful Headstand. There you are. You finally made it. Congratulations!

Remember that when you are practising do keep your body rolled up into a ball with your knees near your face both going up and coming down. When you can do a perfect Headstand it will be of more benefit to you to perform it several times a day for short periods, say five or ten minutes at a time, rather than to indulge in long spells of half an hour or more. There is some controversy on this point but I favour the 'little and often* method as being not only more beneficial but also more practical for the business person or busy housewife. Hatha Yoga is nothing if not down to earth and practical.

The variations of the Headstand are many and the adventurous among my readers might like to try a few, though please apply the same care in each case when coming down. Roll your body into a ball and so avoid spills.

Variation 1. Your hands, instead of being laced behind your head, are kept separate. As you rise into the Headstand the hands should be fiat on the floor, palms downwards, about six inches on either side of your head. While in this position you may either straighten your legs as already described or bend your knees and place the soles of your feet together. This stretches the muscles of the shoulders and thighs.

Variation 2. In the above position the legs are crossed at the knees and again at the ankles. This tones and stretches the muscles of the thighs and legs and helps to relieve varicose veins.

Variation 3. Again in the above position with the hands on either side of the head, stretch your legs as wide apart as possible until you are doing the splits upside down.

Variation 4. Here the hands are in a different position. Before you rise into the Headstand, raise your arms above your head with the elbows bent, with your hands grasping the opposite forearms. Now rise into position and keep your legs straight up in the air.

Variation 5. Perform the classical Headstand with the hands laced at the back of the head and then, with your feet together, bring your legs forward until they are at right angles to your body.

Variation 6. This is one of the most advanced Yoga asanas called Oorhwapadmasana or the HEADSTAND LOTUS POSE. While in the Headstand fold your legs into the Lotus Pose and remain thus for as long as you can. This one is not for the beginner but the practised student will find it surprisingly easy.

Variation 7. If you can perform the Headstand Lotus Position you can proceed a step farther. While in this position twist the body from the waist to the right, to the left, and so on from side to side. This exercises the muscles of the waistline and sheers off fat in this area.

Variation 8. Still in the Headstand Lotus Pose bring your crossed legs down until your body is bent double. This needs especial care when you are coming out of it. Do so as follows. Straighten your body first, uncross your legs, stretch them up in the air, bend your knees, and descend with safety.

Variation 9. Though I could take up a whole chapter on describing the many variations of the Headstand I will make this the last one because I would like you to go on to something else which many of you will find a little easier. In this variation of the Headstand the first and last variations are combined. Here the hands are placed on either side of the head, the legs are then crossed in the Lotus Position and the legs are brought down until the body is bent double. Again please take care when coming out of the position.

Benefits of the Headstand

This asana affects four of the most important endocrine glands —the pituitary, the pineal, the thyroid, and the parathyroids. The regular practice of the Headstand helps to relieve insomnia, tension, nervousness and anxiety, poor circulation of the blood, asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, hay fever, headaches, female disorders, and lack of energy. It is because of its many benefits and because it affects the most important gland in the body, the pituitary, that the Headstand has been called 'The King of Asanas'.

A word of warning, though. If you suffer from high blood pressure, palpitations, chronic constipation, chronic nasal catarrh, or weak eyes, please do not attempt the Headstand. Cure your complaints by other Yoga exercises first, but in the case of high blood pressure I do not recommend it under any circumstances.

Having just described, in this chapter on disorders of the respiratory tract, one of the most difficult of the Yoga asanas, I will now describe a really easy one, which will present not the slightest difficulty. It is an invaluable exercise for sufferers from these complaints because it allows full expansion of the lungs while doing deep breathing and at the same time the inverted position helps to drain congested cavities.  It  is called THE LETTER   L   BREATHING   EXERCISE.

Letter L Breathing Exercise

Facing a convenient wall, lie down on your back and place your feet as high up the wall as you possibly can, keeping your legs straight. Stretch out your arms above your head, without joining the fingers, and hold them palms upwards and elbows straight. Your body is now in the shape of a letter L as in figure 28.

Perform the deep slow Complete Breath while in this position. Take as many breaths as you have time for, but not less than ten at a time. Do not use force and at the end of each exhalation pull in your abdomen slightly to expel the last small amount of air from your lungs. This exercise will not only help to bring relief from asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, and hay fever, but the inverted posture will bring calmness to your mind.

Having had an easy time of it with the Letter L Breathing Exercise, try now another exercise which incorporates breathing, stretching, and in its advanced stages, a high degree of balance. It is the beautiful MOUNTAIN POSTURE or PARVATASANA in Sanskrit.

Mountain Posture

There are four variations of this posture and I will describe them in order of difficulty.

Variation 1. Kneel down and hold your body straight up from the knees to the top of your head. Raise your arms above your head and hold them palm-to-palm while keeping your elbows as straight as you can. Practise the Yoga Complete Breath while in this position and remember not to let your body sag and to keep your tummy muscles pulled well in.

Variation 2. Sit down in the Lotus Pose, raise your hands above your head with your fingertips touching as in figure 31. Holding your body very still, and without letting your arms sag, again practise the Yoga Complete Breath. Keep this up for as long as you can but if you feel any discomfort in your legs please undo them.

Variation 3. This increases the stretch of the dorsal muscles while you are performing the deep breathing. While seated in the Lotus Pose lace your fingers together and turn them palms upwards. Now raise your arms as far above your head as you can and you will feel a powerful stretch along your sides. This intensifies the benefits of this asana. I have demonstrated the correct position in figure 30.

Variation 4. This is one of the most spectacular of the Yoga asanas and is for more advanced students. Although this is primarily a book for beginners to the subject I did not want to leave out this fourth variation of the Mountain Posture in case some of you might feel up to trying it. It is not easy but the practice of it will help you to acquire balance and patience. While sitting in the Lotus Pose with your hands above your head with the fingertips touching as in figure 31, raise your buttocks off the floor and remain balanced on your knee-caps as 1 have demonstrated in figure 29.

To the adventurous among you who attempt it I would say please go carefully and do not strain any of your muscles. You will achieve nothing by forcing your unwilling muscles where they would rather not go. Your best way to master Variation 4 is to practise the other three until perfect and then, while supporting yourself with a conveniently placed chair or low table you can gently pull yourself on to your knee-caps, and then let go of the chair or table. It will tax your sense of balance to the utmost but practice will be the answer. While poised on your knee-caps with your arms above your head practise the Yoga Complete Breath. The effort needed for the perfection of this advanced posture will greatly improve your powers of concentration and in addition to the benefits to the muscles of the arms and torso the deep breathing will help congested lungs and bronchial tubes and the posture tones up the entire nervous system.

Fig 28 Letter Exercise	Fig. 29 Advance Mountain Posture
FIGURES 30, 31 MOUNTAIN POSTURE

In a chapter devoted to complaints of the respiratory tract one would expect that most of the exercises would be breathing ones and so they are. Here is one, which is called THE BELLOWS BREATH, or BHASTRIKA.

However deeply we inhale and however thoroughly we exhale, there always remains in the lungs a residue of stale air. It is vital to clear this out to ensure a complete renovation of air and Yoga's unique method of doing this is this exercise.

1. Sit down on a hard chair with your feet flat on the floor, your hands on your knees palms down and your spine erect. Do not let your tummy muscles sag. While sitting up straight, slowly and deeply inhale.



2. When you have completed your inhalation suddenly bend forward from the waist until your head touches your knees or as near to them as you can get and at the same time exhale with as much force as you can. This is one of the few times in Yoga that you should use force.



3. The bending forward movement will squeeze every bit of stale air from your lungs.



4. As you slowly straighten up begin inhaling again and complete your inhalation while sitting up straight. Then exhale with force once more and at the same time bend your body forward until your head touches your knees.

Perform the BELLOWS BREATH only twice at first but gradually increase the number of breaths you take until you are doing it twelve times a day. Add one extra breath per week. After every fourth inhalation retain the breath for up to six seconds and then exhale immediately while bending forward once more. Do not perform the Bellows Breath to excess. Twelve times is enough even for the advanced student.

The benefits of this exercise, apart from cleansing the lungs and bronchial passages, are the toning up of the whole lung action with highly stimulating effects on the entire body. The bending forward and straightening movements help to relieve constipation, and as you know by now, anything that is an enemy of constipation is a friend of the body. So this exercise is as useful as it is simple to perform.

And now for something more difficult but equally beneficial. This is another asana with an animal name, called MATSY-ASANA or the FISH POSTURE. In this exercise the chest is allowed to expand fully during deep breathing, and it also removes stiffness of the neck and shoulders and so is a useful exercise with which to follow the Shoulderstand described in chapter four. It also strengthens the thyroid and parathyroid glands and tones up the circulation of the blood. If you suffer from excessive cold in the winter this is a good exercise to warm yourself. There are three variations of THE FISH POSTURE and I will start with the easiest for all beginners.

Variation 1. Lie flat on your back with your legs outstretched and feet together. With the help of your elbows raise your chest and bend your head as far back as you can until the crown is touching the floor. Try to hold this position for thirty seconds, and then very slowly lower your body to the floor. Relax for a few moments before proceeding to:

Variation 2. A little more difficult, this one. Sit down in the Lotus Pose, and with the help of your elbows bend your body backwards very slowly. Bend your head back as far as you possibly can until the crown is resting on the floor. Grasp your toes with your fingers and arch your spine as fully as you possibly can. Remain thus for up to thirty seconds and then relax. (See Fig. 32)

Variation 3. Proceed as above but instead of grasping your toes with your fingers place your hands behind your head with your arms crossed or else with your fingers laced together and placed just behind your neck.

If you are still having difficulty with the Lotus Pose, and I know that many of you will take quite some time to master it as it is very difficult for the average Westerner, then perform the easiest of the variations of this posture until you can go a stage farther. In all three of the variations practise the Yoga Complete Breath and it is a good place here to remind you that this Complete Breath should be performed slowly and fully. There should be no rushing over it. It is far better to take two or three really deep breaths than half a dozen shallow ones. All you hurried business people take note! The Yoga Complete Breath while performed when the body is in the Fish Posture helps to remove the spasm from the bronchial tubes and also helps to relieve asthma.

As with many of the Yoga asanas, this posture has a variation for advanced students only. I include it here for the sake of interest and in case there may be some readers adventurous enough to attempt it.

Variation 4. Begin in the Lotus Pose once more but this time instead of levering yourself backwards on your elbows bend forward very slowly until your face is touching the floor. You will feel considerable pressure on your hip joints so please be careful not to strain yourself. Remain thus for a few seconds only and then straighten up immediately. When you can perform this variation with ease, and it can be done easily with patient practice, gradually extend the period when your face is touching the floor, and then try to practice the Yoga Complete Breath. After this variation lie fiat on your back and relax for a few minutes.

I will end this chapter with the joker of the pack so far as Yoga is concerned. Although a highly effective and useful exercise, it entails pulling a grotesque face, however, as Yoga is best done in solitude there should not be anyone around to take fright! Hatha Yoga being a complete science no part of the body has been overlooked, including the throat and tongue, and there is a unique exercise for this area known as SIMHASANA, the LION POSTURE.

Figure 32. Fish Posture

Method. Kneel down on the floor, hands on your knees palms upwards, and then sit back on your heels. Very slowly inhale, and when you have completed your inhalation hold your breath for an instant and then exhale through the mouth with as much force as you can. At the end of your exhalation stick out your tongue as far as you possibly can to the point of gagging. At the same time tense every muscle in your body including your arms and fingers, pop your eyes and generally make yourself look like a gargoyle. The more gruesome the face the more benefit you will derive from this exercise. Retain this unaesthetic posture for as long as you comfortably can without inhaling and then relax and breathe naturally for a few seconds. Then repeat the LION POSTURE up to six times in every practice session and particularly if you suffer from any form of chronic condition of the throat or tongue. You will find that the practice of Simhasana will relieve a sore throat more quickly than the most powerful drugs or lozenges, as it supplies the throat and tongue with a richer supply of blood, which is nature's own cure. The LION POSTURE is beloved of singers and actors whose voices are part of their livelihood and I recommend it to anyone who has any public speaking to do.

Ideally all Yoga asanas should be performed in the open air in order to draw into the lungs the maximum amount of fresh air. However, not everyone is lucky enough to have a garden in which case you should always practise before an open window. In the case of exercises for asthma, bronchitis, and allied complaints mentioned in this chapter, this is a vital necessity.

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