| An ancient Hindu system of exercises or posture, | | | | Yoga will help you to ease your asthma and allergies in |
| called asanas, yoga unlocks tension and brings about | | | | all kinds of ways, by relieving stress and tension, and |
| physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. The word | | | | by regulating your breathing. It teaches you how to |
| derives from the Sanskrit meaning union. There are | | | | relax and not to panic and it will increase your strength |
| many different types of yoga, some of which have | | | | and stamina. Practitioners who teach yoga to people |
| been practiced for more than five thousand years. In | | | | with asthma say that it can strengthen the respiratory |
| the West, however, the most popular types are hatha | | | | muscles and tone the lung tissues. |
| yoga, which consists of a series of gentle exercises | | | | Learning breath control and relaxing the chest so that |
| and postures, and iyengar yoga, which is more | | | | you breathe fully in and fully out will make your lungs |
| advanced and physically rigorous. | | | | less sensitive to allergens. If you practice yoga |
| In addition to the postures, yoga incorporates | | | | regularly you can see an improvement within weeks, |
| meditation, breathing exercises, relaxation and diet. By | | | | not only for asthma but also for skin conditions such |
| practicing yoga regularly, not only do you tone your | | | | as eczema. Use your bronchodilator is, and only if, you |
| muscles, strengthen your spine and become suppler, | | | | feel tightness in your chest. If you want to adjust your |
| but you can also achieve a heightened awareness | | | | steroid dose do so in consultation with your doctor. |
| through control and discipline of your mind. Yoga was | | | | Focus on breathing less and not more. Stifle the desire |
| originally developed as a way of achieving heightened | | | | to gulp at air. |
| spiritually. | | | | |