[nikos]

has anyone done Kundalini yoga and if so, did it help your MG or make it worse? I just started a class last night and today my legs are sort of weak - may be because I am so out of shape, as I have not been exercising for a while.

[catie]

Originally Posted by nikos

has anyone done Kundalini yoga and if so, did it help your MG or make it worse? I just started a class last night and today my legs are sort of weak - may be because I am so out of shape, as I have not been exercising for a while.

I'm not familiar with Kundalini yoga, but I've done Iyengar yoga for a few years. At this point I'm only taking the "restorative" class with more resting poses because my legs and arms became too weak with the more intense poses.

It's great that you're getting back into exercise. I used to do triathlons and really pushed myself. I'm getting a bit better with listening to my body.

Cate

[nikos]

I did have weakness in my legs after the first class -- went again last night and didn't try to "show off" - not trying to do as much as I used to may be the answer

[catie]

Originally Posted by nikos

I did have weakness in my legs after the first class -- went again last night and didn't try to "show off" - not trying to do as much as I used to may be the answer

Glad to hear that you're continuing to attend classes. It is a challenge to find that balance between doing too much and not being active enough.

Namaste

Cate

[SarahBain]

Hi, I'm a visitor from the Parkinson's site because a new and worrying wrinkle in my 'OFF' state is severe dyspnea and extreme weakness. I thought I might find some answers here. I have done variations of hatha yoga for years, but lately I have been searching for a Kundalini class close to me, because I recall from years ago that their whole approach was different. They use breathing exercises and vocalizations to unleash the snake (Kundalini) in the spinal cord. I have also heard that their breathing exercises can lead to the practitioner being able to control their sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous system to some extent. I have also found Buteyko breathing this year and found its' premise interesting. Earlier this year I had a full-blown agitation attack, which lorazepam usually quells nicely. Not wanting to be dependent on that drug, I used a combination of yoga and Buteyko breathing (while pacing rapidly) and within about 15 minutes the attack just 'poof' - went away. I don't have any idea if Kundaline would work for what ails me now, but I am still going to look into it.

[mimc]

I have not taken that type of yoga but take various other yoga classes. I often have to take an extra half a mestinon before class

[TreeLover]

Originally Posted by mimc

I have not taken that type of yoga but take various other yoga classes. I often have to take an extra half a mestinon before class

Things really started to turn around for me when I started doing Kundalini Yoga. I actually decided to take the teacher training because I started to feel my system getting stronger as i committed to daily classes. Sometimes it was hard, and it was very difficult to get through the Kriyas, but they have deep, restorative rests built into each class, and meditations as well that develop the brain and nervous system, and seem to get all of one's various parts and components online and talking to each other. I will say it is hard work, you will sweat, you will shake, and you will be uncomfortable, but it is *worth it. And as hard as the work is, there is joy and freedom in it, and it is not as hard as dealing with severe disability!

It was, and still is sometimes a combination of guesswork and intuition about how much to push, and when. I just tried to keep up as well as I could.. and it's worked. Yogi Bhajan, who brought the traditional Kundalini teachings to North America in the 60s said, "Keep up, and you will be kept up," and "There is a way through every block," (Second Aquarian Sutra), and in taking a leap of faith into the teachings and "keeping up" by applying the technologies daily, I've not only been kept up, but I've found a way through the "block" of MG. I have been able to regain enough health and energy to work again, and have pretty well normal energy and function. I need to be careful though, and make sure I don't have too much on my plate, but I have healed a lot! And know I can heal even more through this technology.

I recommend everyone with MG make a commitment to doing it.. even starting small with some online Kundalini breath techniques if you are really sick now, or gentle postures. Take mestinon if you need to, but after doing it a while, when you feel some natural strength returning, experiment and see if you can wean off as your system begins to come online with the Kundalini work. I admit, I've been "lucky" with my MG trajectory, and have only taken Mestinon when weak, then when I get some strength back, i reduce it again and go off of it entirely. I now haven't had to take it in 9 months or so (after a brief relapse during a stressful move, I had to take it for 3 days). I've reacted so badly to medications previously I really don't want to take any more than absolutely necessary, and started to focus on using other means to get my body to heal, and my efforts in Kundalini yoga have really paid off! I am now teaching it. Rather than take an acetylcholine reuptake inhibitor, I decide to see if I could retrain my body to manufacture more acetylcholine and repair the damage done to the receptors, and re-learn how to work as designed. Kundalini yoga really works on the glandular system, governing healthy immunity, oxygenates all cells, and repairs and develops the nervous system.

I recommend taking classes from teachers who teach as per Yogi Bhajan, the traditional, time-tested methods and not "hybridized" or diluted in any way, and done as they have been designed for hundreds of years to awaken one's physical and energetic system. I am happy to recommend specific kriyas if anyone is interested, or please go to 3HO.org and Spirit Voyage for more information.

Best of luck to all in healing.. Treena <3

[juliejayne]

I am not much of a believer in this sort of thing, but am always interested in new possibilities.

What I would ask, apart from how do you find a local teacher, is how would one be able to do yoga of any kind, when you are struggling to get basic muscles to respond. Or am I missing something fundamental?

[TreeLover]

Originally Posted by juliejayne

I am not much of a believer in this sort of thing, but am always interested in new possibilities.

What I would ask, apart from how do you find a local teacher, is how would one be able to do yoga of any kind, when you are struggling to get basic muscles to respond. Or am I missing something fundamental?

I would go on the 3HO or IKYTA websiter to find a certified teacher in your area. If you are very ill right now and unable to move, then I'd focus on doing some simple pranayams (breathing techniques) to start flushing the system through with oxygen, and do healing meditations such as the Ra Ma Da Sa, Sa Say So Hung and sing along with the healing mantra.

Here is a lovely version of it by Snatam Kaur: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9OCEfi4Lv0 with the posture, if you can do it..

http://www.3ho.org/3ho-lifestyle/hea...e-healing-tool

If you can't sit up straight right now, just do what you can to prop up and hold your spine as straight as possible, with a slight chin tuck to straighten the cervical spine so that the natural energy can flow through the nervous system more clearly. In Kundalini yoga, if one is not able to do a specific posture or movement, you can still get the benefit of these things by doing them in your mind. Imagie yourself doing it, and you will still form new neural networks, just by using your imagination to go through the sequence or posture!

The brain is an incredible tool.. I feel somehow, we all got sick in part because some vital connections got broken in our systems, or rerouted the wrong way. A big part of that would have been played by the brain. The good thing is, when we harness the power of the mind with good intention, we can really do amazing things. I believe a big part of it is believing it is possible to heal, and being willing to take leaps of faith in that direction.. Not giving up on our selves, our bodies. Also, I believe being humble enough to ask for help from the universe is also helpful.

I remember being so frustrated, and angry with my body and with myself when it didn't "work." Well I may not have understood what was going on and why it was not behaving the way I wanted it to, but it was doing the best it could. Any illness that is manifested has come about from some context or reason, and makes sense in that context. What we want to do is create another context for healing. Part of that is accepting what has happened, choosing to take responsibility for that, becoming extremely compassionate with our bodies and ourselves, and having faith in the life we've been given. It's been a hard lesson.

I was still quite ill when I signed up for yoga teacher training, and in the intake interview, my teacher asked questions to assess how much faith I had in my ability to heal. She said something like: "Are you willing to give up the identity of someone who is ill? Are you committed to healing this? Because if you are, and you stand and act from there, like it is your responsibility, and you do the work to get there, not like some doctor is going to save you, but it's down to you and your decision, and you decide what and who you are, sick or well, then the universe organizes around that choice. Everything meets you there. Try it and see." And I did. And she was right. It's a very right brain orientation to life. And the left brain part of me thought logically, if our systems can "learn" to get sick, maybe they can unlearn it too.

My advice would be to be willing to give up some things you may have assumed to be reality, or truth. Be willing to consider that you may not know, and maybe you don't want to know, much... that maybe it's better to bow to the great mystery of this whole amazing shebang we are part of, and trust that all is as it should be. I know it's hard to have a sense of trust when what is happening scares us.. it certainly is a challenge to our faith in life, but the thing is, our faith needs to be strong in order to work! Perhaps this experience is designed to lead you to your own heart, your own soul in some way.

Kundalini Yoga is a technology to apply to one's own mind and body to affect change. The meditations and mantras work on a subtle vibrational level to open up your system's receptivity to your own soul. From there, it is easy to have faith and trust, even when things aren't going the way you want them to. Use it as something that is teaching you something. Be open, and committed to discovering what the teaching is.

This is our training manual: http://www.amazon.com/The-Aquarian-T.../dp/0972011013

I encourage you to order it. If you can open your mind to "not knowing," even if it is only to try something new on for a while, to see if it works, read this book. For me, so many things in there were like keys that fit into locks I wasn't aware I had, and opened up the doors within myself that eventually got me here: well enough to work and go hiking, to literally climb mountains (well, smallish ones, but still! It's something I wasn't sure I would ever be able to do again).

Don't be afraid of the turbans, the white clothing.. yes, it does seem weird, but don't get hung up on that. Don't forget, this is ancient technology, and it has been kept safe by strong tradition. AND bless those yogis and teachers over the centuries for being so committed to figuring out how the human body and mind works. It is essentially a manual for the human body, for how to ensure everything works well, the way it is designed.

It might seem utterly batty to be doing some of the movements, or repeating things in a language you don't understand. One feels very silly at first and doesn't quite understand the point, until one begins to experience the changes in the system. The weird hand movements (as in Subagh Kriya for example) actually utilize the energy meridian points in the hands to create certain energetic effects.. it's like acupressure. The mantras, repeated all in Gurmukhi, are designed to connect the tongue to the energy points on the upper palate, and use it like a computer keyboard to "program" the brain to certain states of consciousness, bring the master glands online, etc. The "Oonnnnnggggg" part of "tuning in" or "Adi Mantra" is designed to apply the sound vibration to the pituitary gland through the neural tissue and cavity of the sinuses. All these "silly things" are designed to create certain effects, to use the body and it's design to bring about certain states of consciousness that also, incidentally, promote the body and brain functioning in harmony with one's spirit, and the greater spiritual context of relationships, etc.

Well I see I've nearly written a book here, but feel free to ask anything else.

Treena

[Heat Intolerant]

Originally Posted by TreeLover

In Kundalini yoga, if one is not able to do a specific posture or movement, you can still get the benefit of these things by doing them in your mind.
Treena

That's about my speed. If you can do things in your mind and get credit or benefit as if you'd actually done them, you are better off and far better rested than had you actually done them. Nice philosophy.