Many people take their health for granted. When things go wrong, however, they often notice it immediately. Take Carolyn LaFleur, for example, who was perfectly healthy before she got into a car accident six years ago, according to CNN. She had trouble moving her neck for a year and a half, and experienced excruciating pain in her head and hips.
Like most people, she went to her doctor, who recommended traditional remedies such as putting ice on the afflicted areas and engaging in physical or massage therapy. Although these treatments eased the pain in her hips, LaFleur reported that they did nothing for her severe headaches.
Last year, however, she discovered yoga. The holistic mind-body regimen originated in the East centuries ago and promotes breathing exercises, gentle poses and soothing stretches. When combined with deep breathing, these techniques are meant to facilitate the flow of the vital life energy Ki throughout the body, which can help enthusiasts attain optimal well-being.
LaFleur's doctor, Loren Fishman, explained that the mindfulness system is often used as a powerful method of pain management.
"Yoga lowers your tension. It relaxes the basic tone of your muscle," Fishman, a rehabilitative medicine specialist at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, told the news source. "And the minute you notice that yoga helps, it raises your confidence that you can help yourself. It gives the feeling of, 'I can do it.'"
Countless individuals all over the world have discovered the healing benefits of yoga. Patients with a variety of conditions ranging from fibromyalgia to cancer have reported relief from tension, stress, anxiety and pain.
