How to Control diabetes from Yoga?

Dr. Rajesh Jain February 22, 2020 85

How to Control Diabetes from Yoga?

If you are a diabetic person. It may have many reasons; some are given below:

Do not exercise in proper time
Do not take proper Water
Do not take proper Diet
Weight gain
Create tension in mind
depression
anxiety

To overcome this problem and modern medicine, it is also essential to bring changes in your lifestyle. In this modern society where life is constantly moving, it can be difficult to change your lifestyle. Adding yoga, pranayama, and meditation to your lifestyle is the right step to cure diabetes completely. Make the following yoga activities part of your lifestyle and face diabetes.

To get good results, you have to make yoga an integral part of your life. For this, you have to be in constant discipline. You can do this yoga in the morning or evening, at whatever time you feel right. Be disciplined towards whatever time you have set for doing your Yogasanas. You will see excellent results on time.

Diabetes Controlling Yogas

To Controlled diabetes, you must have followed these yogas:

Kapalbhati Pranayam
dhanurasana
Supta Matsyendrasanas
Paschimottasana
Ardh-Matsyendrasana
Shavasana

Patanjali’s writing defined an Ashtanga or “Eight-Limbed” Yoga in Yoga Sutras 2.29. They are:

Yama (The five “abstentions”): Ahimsa (Non-violence, non-harming other living beings), Satya (truthfulness, non-falsehood), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (celibacy, fidelity to one’s partner), and Aparigraha (non-avarice, non-possessiveness).
Niyama (The five “observances”): Śauca (purity, clearness of mind, speech and body), Santosha (contentment, acceptance of others and one’s circumstances), Tapas (persistent meditation, perseverance, austerity), Svādhyāya (the study of self, self-reflection, the study of Vedas), and Ishvara-Pranidhana (contemplation of God/Supreme Being/True Self).
Asana: Literally means “seat,” and in Patanjali’s, Sutras refers to the seated position used for meditation.
Pranayama (“Breath exercises”): Prāna, breath, “āyāma,” to “stretch, extend, restrain, stop.”
Pratyahara (“Abstraction”): Withdrawal of the sense organs from external objects.
Dharana (“Concentration”): Fixing the attention on a single object.
Dhyana (“Meditation”): Intense contemplation of the nature of the object of meditation.
Samadhi (“Liberation”): merging consciousness with the object of meditation.

An asana is a posture, whether for traditional hatha yoga or modern yoga; the term is derived from the Sanskrit word for ‘seat.’ While many of the oldest mentioned asanas are indeed seated postures for meditation, asanas may be standing, seated, arm-balances, twists, inversions, forward bends, backbends, or reclining in prone or supine positions. The asanas have been given a variety of English names by competing schools of yoga.

The traditional number of asanas is the symbolic 84, but different texts identify different selections, sometimes listing their names without describing them. Some names have been given to different asanas over the centuries, and some asanas have been known by various names, making tracing and the assignment of dates difficult. For example, the name Muktasana is now given to a variant of Siddhasana with one foot in front of the other but has also been used for Siddhasana, and other cross-legged meditation poses. As another example, the headstand is now known by the 20th-century name Shirshasana, but an older name for the pose is Kapalasana. Sometimes, the names have the same meaning, as with Bidalasana and Marjariasana, both meaning Cat Pose.

Exercise for Diabetes mellitus

Physical Activity for Type 2 Diabetes mellitus

Because of the poor efficacy of insulin, there is an inability of glucose to enter into the cell. Therefore, glucose remains high in the blood.
To make this insulin more efficient, exercise is the best way because the existing, even poorly effective insulin, is good enough to transport glucose from the blood.
Therefore, when we do the exercise, we create a better gradient without demanding more insulin.
Exercise helps in reducing obesity and, therefore the insulin resistance.
Exercise is also useful in presenting and delaying diabetes in high-risk people.
Research has shown that moderate physical activity performed regularly for 120-200 minutes per week helps people prevent diabetes.

Yoga for Diabetes mellitus

Yoga is the spiritual science of self-realization. It is an art of healthy living, which focuses on bringing perfect harmony between body and mind.
Yoga is popular worldwide because of its spiritual Value, therapeutic credentials, role in the prevention of disease, promotion of health, and management of lifestyle-related disorders.
The word Yoga has two meanings; the first comes from the root ‘Yujir’ or union, the second is derived from a different root, ‘Yuja,’ which means ‘Samadhi’ – the highest state of mind absolute knowledge.
There are many methods of yoga catering to the needs of different persons in society to bring about the transformation of the individual.
According to Maharshi Patanjali, Yoga is defined as the process of sublimation of all mental modifications in the mind through a systematic process of yamas (moral doctrines), niyamas (disciplines), āsanas (postures), Prānāgāma (regulated breathing/breath control), pratyahara (introspection/drawing the mind away from perceptible external sensory stimuli), dhãrana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and finally to attain a state of Samadhi (absorption).
Attainment of such a contemplative absorptive state has been elucidated to confer a blissful state of mind and body.
Apart from this ashtanga Yoga, there are many more Yogic methods, which prescribes different practices such as Satkriyas (Six Cleansing Techniques), śithilikarana Vyāyāma (Loosening Exercises), Bandhas and Mudras, Suryanamaskara (Salutations to Sun), Yogic Diet, Karma Yoga (Path of Action), Bhakti Yoga (Path of Devotion), Jnana Yoga (Path of Knowledge) and Raja Yoga (Path of Psychic Control).
Each step of Yoga enlightens the soul, increases physical strength, endurance, and power of the mind, and establishes emotional stability and social security.
Yoga practices lead to the promotion of health, prevention of disease, effective management of all mental disturbances, and a better understanding of a higher level of Consciousness.

Śithilikarana Vyāyāma (Tanaumukt Kriya/Sukshma Vyayama) and Suruanamaskãra

In this Yoga module, we have included Sithilikarana Vyayama at the beginning of the one-hour program, which has this exercise effect.
Though they resemble that of exercise, they are not exercising. They are performed with awareness and breathing.
This Sithilikarana Vyayama or loosening exercise includes simple trunk movements, which prepares the body with better flexibility to move on to Suryanamaskara. Sithilikarana Vyayama followed by Suryanamaskara offers the workout effect, which is necessary to burn the calories and transport more glucose from the blood to the cells so that the muscles can healthily utilize this glucose.
Three important points to remember while doing Sithilikarana Vyāyāma:
1. The rhythmic movement starts slowly and becomes faster to prepare the body for the risk-free practice of further Yogic programs.
2. Movements combined with breathing and
3. The deep internal awareness of the parts that are stretched or Contracted during the practice of a particular Vayama or asana.

Suryanamaskara is an exciting program that is a bridge between loosening exercise and the yoga asana. Suryanamaskara is a combination of 12 postures but done like an exercise. During Suryanamaskara three important points to be remembered and they are:

Suryanamaskara is done initially with fast movements. Then do it slowly. The idea is when we do fast, it will burn out calories involving all the muscles all over the body, and then when we move on to the slower pace, we start developing deeper awareness.
The combination of breathing with body movements is the most important component, promoting concentration and complete body awareness.
Suryanamaskära involves mind and emotion through devotion to Sun. In mind, you have a continuous divine mood that” am offering salutation to the divine source, the Surya, the Sun’. Therefore, in the mood of offering the ‘self, our mind gives up stiffness & rigidity and becomes soft and gentle.

Satkriyas-Six Cleansing Techniques

These are cleansing techniques using “external objects. These are 6 types and therefore termed as ‘shat’kriyas. Shatkriyas bring control to different reflexes and establish psycho-physiological balance. The main effects of kriyas are:

Cleansing, activating, and revitalizing the organs.
Tones up the functions of the organs.
Desensitization.
Development of deep internal awareness.

Asanas for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Now coming to yogasanas, in this first module, the very simple but effective asanas have been included.
Asanas are not really exercised, although they look like exercises.
They use the body, but the principle of using the body movements in yogasana is totally different.
What is the definition of yoga asana?- It is defined as sthira sukham asanam. Maintained in the final posture for a long time, it should become easy, effortless and enjoyable.
They do not burn out calories, but help to conserve calories, conserve energy.
Therefore, it works in harmony with nature and rests on the body’s local stretched part.
So there are three outcomes, which one would like to remember when practicing asanas.

There are 3 steps while you do the asanas.

Step 1-Prayatna: it means trying to come to the final position; here you have pain, you feel like giving up; with your willpower, you are fighting to continue to stretch; you feel tired in the process. You are putting in a lot of effort. So, with full effort, with full prayatna you are trying to reach the final posture ignoring the pain.
Now the real effect of yoga starts. So you have made an effort. You have tried your best. You have come to a position that may not be the final position as per the final position in the model. The stretch will improve, and you will be able to reach the position as recommended by sages. But today, when you have reached Your maximum possible range of movement without severe pain, you start doing the next step that Patanjali describes in two words prayatna Saitilya and ananta samapatti. Now effort (prayatna) should go away. While you are maintaining the final position, scan the whole body once from top to bottom. Recognize the parts of the body you are keeping tight or stiff with unnecessary extra effort. Now release the unnecessary extra effort and let go; relax those body parts that are held tight. Thus, you relax all other parts of the body, except the stretched part, to maintain the final position. This makes you feel a lot better;
Expansion (Ananta samāpatti): Now, focus your mind on the point that is being stretched. Take the example of Vajrayana or ardhamatsyendrasana, the spinal twist in sitting position. Here you have twisted the spine; there is one spot in the upper part of the lumbar region where you can really feel the strong stretch. Bring your mind completely focused to this point; no other thoughts in mind; when you focus intensely on that area (pradesa) of your back where there is an enormous amount of strain, your mind enters into the state of dhārana. Now, go on releasing the effort involved in that stretched part. This ‘let go’ is called prayatna Saitilya in the spot where you are focusing your mind.
Now defocus your mind focus-defocus; Constrict and expand; start experiencing ananta samapatti, a limitless expanded feeling from that point of stretch. Feel the release of the energy blockage in the body structures around. Moving further, observe the whole body and be in this posture with one point being stretched and all other parts completely relaxed. Now allow your mind to diffuse into the vast space all around the body; start seeing your body from that vast space all around; this is called ananta samápatti – i.e., to merge in the unlimited expanse. This results in the experience of sukha, the joy of maintaining the final posture; thus, enjoying the final posture with ease and effortlessness is called thiram sukham āsanam.
When you maintain deeply relaxed in this position for a long time, it is neither isometric nor even isotonic contraction; it offers deeper and deeper rest to every part of the body, including the part that is being stretched. In vakrasana the part that is being stretched is the upper part of the lumbar region; your pancreas is seated just under this spot; so your mind is completely focused on the pancreatic area where the insulin-producing cells are sitting. Over a period of time, when your concentration and internal awareness improves, you will actually feel the deep rest in the internal organs, including the pancreatic cells. We have seen earlier that deep rest to the sick organ is the healer. So consciously bringing the mind to that particular point in the final position of vakrasana and just concentrating on the zone just underneath offers deep rest to your pancreas and fat cells around.
Absorption: Now, once you stay in that state, the mind has become so soft, so gentle, so much expanded that you may start losing your body awareness; you become one with the vast space around where your awareness has merged in the non-dual state, and that is called ‘ tato dvandva anabhighátah; At that stage, the mind becomes so much in tune with that one single universal consciousness that you cannot be affected by the dualities of the life. This is the final experience of an asana. This results in conscious, wakeful relaxation to the nervous system, musculoskeletal system, and endocrine system. Sages say, “do not use brutal force to handle your mind and body – a hat a balať. It is the stretch with awareness followed by slowing down that really works. This is the yogic way for self-mastery through asana that helps your cells do their job better.

Pranayama for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Maharshi Patanjali defines Pranayama as slowing down of breathing ‘Tasmin satistvasa prašvasayoh gatirvicchedah Pranayámah.’

Prānāyāma means mastery over Prāna. What is Prāna? Prāna is that bio-energy, which carries out all functions of the body.
A quantum of Prana is drawn from the bottom of the spine to be supplied to all parts of the body through the system of nadis and chakras.
All cells need their Prana to carry out their functions at a basal level.
When we need to do more work, we need more Prāna.
When we think of doing any work, the extra Prana flows to that part which makes the structures in that part work more vigorously, e.g., if we want to run – you decide to run; Prana rushes to limbs – this energy makes the nervous system send down information to muscles – muscles contract using this extra Prana. After the running is over, the Prana flow reduces, and the muscles get rest. So increase or decrease of Prana flow is responsible for all actions.
The mind controls its flow. Of mind is slow, breathing is slow; if breathing is slow, the mind becomes slow and rested.
Mastery over all mental (manah/Chitta) and physical activities (Prāna) is health.
Sickness is uncontrolled excessive Prana during stress, due to increased speed of mind, the habituated drawing of excess Prana results in imbalance and blockages in the Nadis disturbing healthy functioning of the chemical processes in the tissues; thus the tissue damage (in annamaya kosa) is due to this excess persistent excessive flow of Prana. So the aim should be to reduce the flow to the sick organ where the Prana is locked up.
This is achieved by doing the cleansing type of breathing practice as in kapalabhati and then go on to Pranayama (slow breathing) – so slow that you are breathing almost at the rate of 1-2 breaths/min.
Pranayama, which refers to slowing down the breathing rate, is an essential tool to develop mastery over the excessive speed of Prāna.
Several types of Pranayama techniques that may involve fast breathing, sectional breathing, uni-nostril breathing, alternate nostril breathing, with or without breath-holding are all meant to achieve mastery over the Prāna and correct the imbalances.

Meditation for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Yoga is an ancient Indian Science and way of life, which includes specific postures, regulated breathing, and meditation.
“Meditation is uninterrupted, spontaneous flow of the mind towards the chosen object’. Meditation has been described as training in awareness, which produces definite changes in perception, attention, and cognition.
The five characteristic features of meditation are
1. single thought,
2. effortlessness
3. awareness
4. slowness and
5. expansiveness.
Scientific studies on Meditation have shown a significant decrease in the amount of oxygen consumed and in breath rate and an increase in breath volume, enhanced cardiac vagal activity, decreased sympathetic nervous activity, reduced anxiety, improved attention, concentration and produces a hypo-metabolic physiological state indicating a greater control over the mind, which helps in the management of Diabetes mellitus.

Diet for Type 2 Diabetes mellitus

There are three basic components in the lifestyle change for diabetes: diet, exercise, and stress management. Diet is altered in such a way as to reduce postprandial glycemia and to improve carbohydrate tolerance.
This is achieved by emphasizing the consumption of complex carbohydrates (such as starch) and more dietary fiber.
Foods rich in fiber take more time and effort to chew and slow down gastric emptying, which promotes satiety, limits energy intake, and makes the fecal matter soft and bulky, preventing constipation and promoting easy bowel evacuation.
Fibre adds to the weight and volume of food. Still, it makes only a negligible contribution to energy intake, which helps in reducing obesity, which is one of the risk factors for Diabetes. Also, the fiber content is rich in Yogic Satvik Diet.
Eating is totally a psychological phenomenon in man due to the higher faculties of awareness and mastery. Sage Bhartruhari says:

āhara midrā bhaya maithunam cha
sāmanyam etat pašubhih narānām
buddhirhi (dharmohi) te shām adhiko viśeshah
buddhiviheenah (dharmeinheenah) paśubhih samānah

Srimat Bhagavadgita describes the Yogic Diet as follows:
Yuktāhāra Vihārasya Yuktacheshtasya Karmasu
Yuktasvapnavabodhasya Yogo Bhavati Duhkhaha

(Gita verse 6:17)

He who is proper at food selection, conduct, sincere in the effort, and who is moderate in sleep and wakefulness attains the state of Yoga, which destroys all the sorrows and miseries (dukhah)

The Bhagavadgita also classifies food into three categories:

Satvik: Those foods which increase life, purity, strength, health, happiness, and cheerfulness, and good appetite are considered Sātuik food. Sātuik foods are mild — neither overcooked nor undercooked and they lead to a state of calm and alertness. Satvik foods provide nourishment for the body and add utility to the total system by bringing a perfect, harmonious balance of energy states in the food.
Rajasik: Food that is bitter, sour, saline, streaming hot, pungent, dry, burning is the Rajasik food. Definitely, these diets create brilliant energy and keep all vigorous men restlessly striving to fulfill their uncontrolled passions and desires.
Tamasik: The partially spoiled foods, which have lost their essence, have been processed for too long, preserved in a way having no spark of life, or lack the vitality of food are generally considered as Tamasik foods. Energy and vitality are almost absent in such foods.

Yoga talks about the effect of food on the mind and vice versa. Those foods that improve vitality health and maintain good blood glucose levels are the Satvik foods. Thus, the yogic diet is a satvik diet in tune with what modern nutritionists recommend for people with diabetes. Sātvik diet is a diet based on Yoga literature that contains sattva quality (guna). In this system of dietary classification, foods that harm the mind or body are considered Tamasik, while those that are stimulating and negative are considered Rajasik. Satvik diet is meant to include food and eating habit that is “pure, healthy, essential, natural, vital, containing energy that enhances longevity, clean and consciously managed.” Satvik diet is a regimen that emphasizes seasonal foods, fruits, nuts, seeds, oils, ripe vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and low-calorie diets. Satvik diet is sometimes referred to as yogic diet in modern literature. In ancient and medieval Yoga literature, the concept discussed is Mitahara, which literally means “moderation in eating.”

The Yogic concept of food takes into consideration the total dimension of human existence. Apart from the atoms and molecules from which our gross physical body is made, we all possess Prana, Mind, Intellect, Emotions, and Spiritual Dimensions. ‘Yoga’ is that process by which we can integrate the entire personality at all these levels. The stamina of the body is to be developed; the Prana should be flown freely, the mind should calm down, the emotions should be stabilized & cultured. In totality, bliss should arise to keep oneself happy and healthy.

A “Balanced Diet’ according to Yoga, is the diet that restores balance at all levels. The Yogic diet believes in the concept of Mitahara. This postulates that the final effect of intake of diet depends upon the following three factors:

Quality of food: It should be satvik and more akin to the natural form of it.
Quantity of food: Half of the stomach should be filled with food, one-fourth with liquid, and the rest should be empty for the free flow of air (gases).
State of mind while taking food: While during meals, one should be calm and quiet, should relish the food, and not be engaged in any form of intense thinking activity.

Both ancient and modern scientific literature says that simple kitchen-based herbs are highly useful in diabetes control. Some of these herbs have been proven to have hypo-glycaemic and hypo-lipidemic effects. They are from daily kitchen items in India and are easily available. Enhancing awareness about increasing their consumption is the key. Following herbs should be consumed more often by individuals suffering from diabetes:

Fenugreek (Methi): both powder and green leaves 2-3 times a day along with regular meals
Bitter Gourd (Karella)
Turmeric (Haldi)
Bitter and Sweet Neem (Mitha aur Kadu Neem)
Indian Gooseberry (āmla)
Ginger (Adrak)
Aloe vera (gwar paatha)

It is a healthy eating plan which is naturally rich in nutrients and low in fat and calories. It insists on moderate eating of healthiest food at regular intervals. The following model can help prepare an individual tailor-made diet program:

Meal Time	Food item
On empty stomach	Eating one spoon of overnight soaked methi seeds and drinking one glass of Methi water/ Barley water/lemon water.
Breakfast	Millet Kichidi/ Pongal/ Vegetable salad/ Brown rice dahlia/ boiled Vegetables/soups/ sprout salads/sprouts etc
Lunch	50% should be salads, and the rest of the lunch can be Multigrain roti or chappati made of whole wheat/ Brown rice + Boiled Vegetable Curry/ Leafy Vegetables + dhal or pulses/ Gourds +butter milk, etc
Snacks in the evening	Lemon/ Herbal tea/ hot soups/ Fruit Salads/Pancakes (Channa/wheat etc)
Dinner	An early light dinner is advised. Veg Soups/ Fresh salads along with Brown rice gruel/ Fenugreek/ Brown Rice/ Multigrain Pulka+ Boiled veg Curry
General Advice: Drink at least 3 liters of water/ day. 30% of the total diet should be in the form of uncooked/ raw salads/sprouts/seasonal fruits & nuts Avoid processed/chemicalized / packed/salted foods and pure Sugars.

Recommended vegetables for Diabetes

https://vikaspedia.in/health/ayush/yoga-1/yoga-protocol-for-control-of-diabetes/exercies-yoga-and-diet-for-diabetes-mellitus

https://antidiabetesayush.wordpress.com/

Source: Yoga-based lifestyle module for diabetic

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Dr. Rajesh Jain

Dr. Rajesh Jain MD PG Diploma Diabetes, UK

The diabetesasia is the advocate for the people currently living with diabetes Burden & NCDs Risk. Global Diabetes Walk campaign remind us to Prevent diabetes.

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