A brain aneurysm is an bulging blood vessel that requires immediate medical attention if it ruptures. You can lower the risk of a brain aneurysm rupturing by not smoking, limiting caffeine, eating a healthy diet and exercising to lower blood pressure.
The Brain Aneurysm Foundation suggests yoga as an alternative therapy for rehabilitation. A gentle yoga practice including meditation, breath techniques and modified postures can alleviate stress, aid circulation and improve your overall well-being.
Considerations
Check with your physician before doing any physical exercise practice for a brain aneurysm. Do not strain yourself in any way. Avoid inversions. If you feel any stress during your practice, take a comfortable pose such as thunderbolt, where you kneel and sit back on your feet. Take this time to focus on your breathing.
Meditation
The goal of doing yoga poses is to make it more comfortable to sit in meditation and find inner peace. Start in easy pose, with your legs crossed. Practice in a chair or with your back against a wall for more support. Gently pull your stomach in, lift the sides of your body and chest, and relax your shoulders downward, away from your ears. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing.
Breathing Exercises
Alternative nostril breathing, which involves breathing in one nostril and out the other and then the opposite, balances your body and mind and promotes rest and relaxation. Keep your breath flowing during this practice. Avoid breathing exercises that include retaining the breath or rapid breathing. Ujjayi, or victory breath --- also called ocean breath --- soothes your nervous system and tones your organs.
Yoga Poses
Practice modified yoga poses. For standing forward bend, place your hands on two yoga blocks and keep your back parallel to the floor. To relieve tension in your upper body, place your hands on the wall at shoulder level and walk your feet back under your hips so your torso and legs are at a 90-degree angle and your head is between your arms.
Do the cat/cow pose to warm up your spine and connect your breath with your movement. Mountain pose helps you focus on optimizing your alignment. Tree pose strengthens your leg muscles and develops your balance.
Supine poses can help lower blood pressure. Practice leg stretches and legs up the wall pose.
Savasana
Also known as corpse pose, savasana --- pronounced "sha-VA-sa-na" --- promotes deep relaxation, lowers blood pressure, reduces muscle tension, improves concentration and helps you sleep better. if you have only limited time for your practice, spend 15 minutes in savasana. Use a lavender-scented eye pillow to relieve tension from your eyes.
