Yoga comes from India, but in recent decades India has looked more to the West for fashions, foods and economic opportunities. Now Swami Ramdev is changing that. He has reintroduced yoga to millions of Indians. In addition to leading giant classes in person, on the internet and on TV, he has a vast natural food and supplement enterprise. Between yoga, breathing exercises and supplements, Ramdev claims to cure everything from cancer to joint pain.
Swami Ramdev
Swami Ramdev is the son of a farmer who became a spiritual leader. Now Ramdev is a spiritual leader and businessman with his eye on politics. He has founded a political party and plans to run candidates for all of India's 543 parliamentary seats in the 2014 general election. Meanwhile, he has made scores of yoga CDs and DVDs and sells hundreds of herbal cures, according to the New York Times.
Arthritis, Joint Pain and Exercise
Exercise is important for promoting healthy joints, and those who refrain from exercise generally experience more joint pain, according to Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center. If you have arthritis, exercise should be safe as long as it doesn't increase your pain. People with arthritis often have less energy, endurance and muscle strength than others. But being sedentary to avoid possible pain can start a downward spiral. Exercise, including yoga, may decrease stress, pain and depression, and increase your sense of well-being.
Ramdev's Joint Pain Remedies
Ramdev sells many natural remedies that he claims relieve joint pain. For example, his pharmacy sells 160 tablets of a remedy called divya pidantak ras online. This medicine is a combination of Indian herbs and is recommended for joint pain, arthritis and sciatica. In his wellness blog, Ramdev says the cornerstone of therapy for arthritis is maintaining range of motion and joint mobility. He says that because patients' conditions vary, you need to consult your doctor for the best plan of action. But he offers several home remedies, such as wrapping painful joints overnight in red flannel. A concoction of garlic, lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme or sassafras oils mixed with olive oil and massaged into your joints provides immediate relief, he says. He also recommends a lukewarm enema every few days.
Other Yoga Recommendations
The Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center website encourages patients with arthritis who are new to yoga to start with a class labeled "gentle" or "beginning." Tell the teacher about your joint pain and ask for modifications. Keep your back bends small and make sure not to hyper-extend the neck. Be extra gentle in your hip opening poses. If anything hurts, back off. Yoga teacher Dharma Mittra warns to keep the wrists "straight and tall" in poses, because collapsing them may cause injury. He also suggests a diet low in yeast, alcohol and animal products, and advises consuming flaxseed oil daily as a joint lubricant, and rubbing sesame oil into painful joints.
References
- Yoga Journal: What to Do When Arthritis Affects Poses
- Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center: Yoga
- New York Times, April 9, 2010: Indian Who Built Yoga Empire Works on Politics
- Herbal Cure India: Swami Ramdev Divya Pidantak Ras
- Wellness: Baba Ramdev Yoga for Arthritis and Effective Home Remedies for Arthritis
