HEALTHY DIGESTIVE AND CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

Articles In This Section:

· YOGA POSTURES

· MUDRAS YOGA POSTURES

· HEALTHY DIGESTIVE AND CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

· PRANAYAMA PRACTICED BENEFITS TO THE LUNGS

· FILLING YOUR MIND WITH PEACE AND SERENITY

Only a healthy digestive and circulatory system can do the work of breaking down the foods we eat and so supply the tissues with the proteins, fats, minerals, sugar and carbohydrates we require. But civilized man's physical deterioration begins early in life and the processes necessary to keep the body in condition tend to slow up all too soon. Moreover, since we were once quadrupeds, the architecture of the human body is quite ill-adapted to our upright position. We simply aren't built to last and wear well. So it is that with the years our back stiffens or develops curvatures; internal organs drop; women's breasts sag and men have a tendency to hernia. All this is the result of our walking upright. In addition we face such problems as middle-age fat due to uneven metabolic action, calcium deposits in the joints producing arthritis and a number of other by-products of the aging process—conditions already mentioned earlier.

As you know, the digestive organs—the stomach, small intestine, pancreas and liver—depend for health in part at least on the proper functioning of the abdominal muscles, specifically of the diaphragm. For as the diaphragm rises and falls with breathing, the organs in the upper abdominal cavity receive regular massage at the rate of some forty to fifty strokes a minute. But the average city dweller's breathing is so shallow, his abdominal muscles so flabby, that the massage does not really accomplish what it is supposed to. Stomach acid is then secreted improperly and digestion suffers. This in turn may result in minor disturbances such as gas or "acid stomach," or it may lead to more serious disorders. But with the regular practice of appropriate asanas the abdominal muscles readily regain their elasticity and tone. Other asanas will have a similarly beneficial effect on the muscles of the back and on the internal back muscles within the abdominal cavity. Between them, these will restore the over-civilized stomach to proper functioning. Naturally, asanas begun while the body is perfectly healthy will be insurance against future trouble.

In addition to promoting proper digestion, asanas designed to strengthen the abdominal walls also keep the internal organs within the abdomen in their proper place. In this way prolapsed of the stomach, intestines, kidneys, uterus or male reproductive organs may easily be avoided. An added benefit which we certainly must not minimize is that strong abdominal muscles add to the beauty and grace of the human body: and who wouldn't rather achieve a good figure by this pleasant means than with the help of tight girdles and surgical belts!