For those who suffer from type 2 diabetes, it is a life changing situation. Diabetes can cause heart disease, stroke, amputations, kidney failure, blindness etc and it can remain undetected for years. If you are overweight, pregnant or over 50, it is important to get checked for diabetes.Type 1 diabetes develops due to a diminished production of insulin. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and was previously known as juvenile diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar (glucose), starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.
Type 2 diabetes develops due to resistance to insulin effects and is mostly associated with obesity. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy.
Yoga can help to regulate your mind and body while cleansing your system. Yoga has several parts- asana, pranayama and shatkarma. Asanas (postures) and Pranayama (breathing techniques) are quite popular and widely practiced but today only a few people practice Shatkarmas (Yoga cleansing practices).
By taking up yoga your quality of life can vastly improved. If you dedicate yourself to the daily practice of yoga, the practice can help to reduce your stress hormones, bring a feeling of calm and relaxation and at the same time help to reduce the effects of type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes can be prevented. It is not a foregone conclusion to get the disease or to fall victim to its effects once contracting it. The best method of prevention is a balanced diet and exercise program that regularly cleanses your system and lowers your stress level.
Yoga provides a stress reducing regimen and a vigorous exercise program that can reduce your fat level and strengthen your body. If you become a serious practitioner, you can master the ancient cleansing arts. In order to perform these rituals, you should find an accomplished yoga master.
There are six practices used in Yoga cleansing; they are Dhauti, Basti, Neti, Tratak, Nauli and Kapalbhati.
Dhauti is an important yoga system of cleaning. It has four distinct types.
Antar (internal) Dhauti - This further divided into Vatsara Dhauti (Expelling air through the anus).
Varisara Dhauti (Purging water through the bowels).
Vahnisara Dhauti (rapid expansion and contraction of the abdomen).
Bahiskrita Dhauti (washing the rectum in the hands).
Hrida (cardiac) Dhauti - It has three kinds of practices Danda Dhauti (Inserting soft banana stem in the stomach).
Vastra Dhauti (Swallowing a long thin strip of cloth) Vaman Dhauti (Regurgitating the contents of the stomach).
Basti - This practice of colon cleansing has two parts Jala (water) Sthal (Dry) basti (Air is sucked in this case).
Neti - this yogic nasal irrigation technique is of four types Jala (water) Neti (passing warm saline water through the nose) Sutra (thread) Neti (passing a soft thread through the nose) Ghrita (ghee) Neti (passing clarified butter through the nose).
Dugdha (milk) Neti (passing of milk through the nose.
Tratak - A yoga exercise for the eyes, it involves steady and continuous gazing at a point of concentration. It is further subdivided into:
Hantar (internal) Trataka, and Bahir (external ) Tratak.
Nauli - A yoga abdominal cleansing technique which serves to massage the internal organs of the body. In this the abdominal muscles are isolated and churned. It has three parts akshin Nauli (when muscles are isolated to the right).
Vama Nauli (left) Madhyama Nauli (middle).
Kapalbhati - this mind detoxification technique of yoga has three components Vatkrama Kapalbhati (similar to bhastrika pranayama). Vyutkrama Kapalbhati (sucking water in through the nose and expelling it through the mouth) Sheetkrama Kapalbhati.
Using yoga to reduce your stress, cleansing your body and mind as well as building your body is a great way to stave off the effects of diabetes. If you are working pro-actively to reduce your chances of contracting Type 2 diabetes, cleansing and working out regularly can help you to combat the disease.
