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17
Oct 11

Ki energy techniques help Illinois college football players prep for big game

Running drills isn't the only way that college football teams prepare for games these days. For example, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Fighting Illini have incorporated ki energy techniques into their summer training regimen with excellent results.

If you see a member of the NCAA Division I team in your Chicago yoga classes, don't be too surprised. After all, the Chicago Tribune reported that the squad's offensive linemen used the holistic health system prior to their win over Arizona State University (ASU), formerly ranked number 22 in the nation.

The news source stated that the Fighting Illini had lost 10 straight games to top-25 schools prior to this match against the Sun Devils. It added that the team adopted yoga as a way to hone their physical skill while keeping them from getting psyched out by their opponents.

"Jumping around, trash talking, they're an emotional group," Graham Pocic, a center for the Illini, said of the Devils. "They like to do extra activities after the whistle. We can't let their emotion affect us on the field."

The Illini went on to edge out ASU 17-14.

This is not the first time the Illinois-based team has used yoga to great effect. Two years ago, their official university website featured a story on the team's adoption of yoga and meditation during the off season.

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28
Sep 11

Can I use Ki energy techniques to relieve my knee pain?

Please help! I'm a 63-year-old veteran and retired data manager, and for several years now I've suffered from pretty serious knee pain caused by arthritis. I consider myself a fairly tough person, but lately the pain has become more than I can bear. I still eat right, stay in shape, exercise and take yoga classes. Is there anything I can do, short of taking meds, to relieve my knee aches? Is more yoga an option or not?

-Whit S., Chicago, IL

Well, the good news is, you're not alone. The better news is, yes, you can use yoga-based stretching, deep breathing and Ki energy techniques to reduce your knee pain.

Chronic knee pain is a widespread problem, Whit, so it may help to know that you're not alone. In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveyed thousands of Americans about chronic pain. Ultimately, one in four adults reported suffering from bouts of aches that lasted at least one day.

The most common complaint? Knee pain, the agency said.

This isn't too surprising when you consider that, by the CDC's count, 50 million adults have some kind of arthritis – 8 million of whom have knee osteoarthritis, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons notes.

Fortunately, you're taking Illinois yoga classes, which is a great start. Unlike running or biking, yoga is great for your knees, since it doesn't subject them to too much downward force. Furthermore, the relaxation- and Ki energy-techniques you learn there can help you channel vital life force to your leg joints, where it's obviously needed.

The CDC points to several studies showing that yoga-based fitness exercises may help in other ways, too. One states that losing as few as 11 pounds may relieve pressure placed on your arthritic knee joint.

Another adds that adults your age who get moderate exercise at least three times a week cut their risk of knee osteoarthritis-related disability in half.

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13
Sep 11

Inpatient facilities adopt yoga-based Ki energy techniques like crazy

Maintaining a healthy mind-body balance is important no matter who you are. If anxiety, stress or depression become overwhelming, yoga-based Ki energy techniques can help, regardless of whether a person seeks treatment. Recently, an article published by United Press International addressed the use of Chicago yoga classes in inpatient care facilities.

The news source stated that Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital has changed much in the last decade or two, not least because its Stone Institute of Psychiatry offers patients access to yoga classes and exercise routines.

The institute's director, Dr. Cathy Stone, told the news source that the movement toward yoga, exercise and physical health is one of the ways that the inpatient care center has contemporized.

"The integration of physical health with mental therapy is extremely important. Patients with mental disorders have a higher chance of developing physical problems," she stated, adding that some mental conditions are known to actually reduce life expectancy.

With such phenomena in mind, Stone and her colleagues gave the Chicago-based facility a makeover, adding yoga and other exercise regimens to patients' daily routines.

Numerous studies have established the benefits of yoga on mental health, even among people with serious disorders.

A paper appearing in the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal found that inpatient participants who did yoga experienced improvements in mood, anxiety, tension, depression, confusion and other mental metrics.

Another study, this one in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, found that a yoga rehabilitation system designed for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder could be repurposed to mitigate the symptoms of all sorts of anxiety-based conditions.

Again and again, scientists have found that yoga can help curb the severity of anxiety and depression. Studies in the British Journal of Sports Medicine and the Journal of Affective Disorders point to the holistic health system as an effective complementary therapy for people with mood disorders.

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29
Aug 11

Q&A: Yoga, ki energy training, deep breathing may reduce risk of heart disease

Q: So tell me about heart attacks. Are they still the public health issue that they once were?
A: If anything, heart attacks are more of a problem than they have ever been, which is why it may be a good idea to look into healthy dieting options, exercise, yoga, ki energy training – really anything that can improve your cardiovascular health.

Q: How do we know that heart attacks are so serious?
A: The numbers paint a grim cardiovascular situation in the U.S. Heart attacks are the nation's leading cause of death, claiming more than 616,000 lives every single year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, 1.2 million people suffer such attacks every year, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) states. The 50-50 odds of surviving such a cardiovascular event are, in a word, discouraging.

Q: Can anything be done once a heart attack begins to occur?
A: Of course. Most physicians recommend that, at the appearance of chest pain and tingling or numbness of the left arm, individuals take aspirin or an over-the-counter blood thinner. Surgically, many people are saved by getting an angioplasty, an operation designed to restore blood flow in blocked arteries. An article in the Chicago Tribune noted that most people who suffer a heart attack get this surgery within 90 minutes of being admitted to a hospital.

Q: Is speed essential during a heart attack?
A: Yes. The NHLBI estimates that half of heart attack-related deaths occur within the first hour.

Q: What can I do now to prevent future cardiovascular disease? Does yoga improve heart health?
A: If you take Illinois yoga classes, you may be doing your ticker a favor. Studies have shown that doing yoga may improve physical fitness, change breathing patterns, lower blood pressure and contribute to a healthier lifestyle.

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10
Aug 11

How are people using ki energy techniques to treat sleep apnea?

Q: What is sleep apnea (SA), and why should I worry about it?
A: This condition is simply the temporary cessation of breathing during sleep. While it may sound harmless, SA can severely impair the ability to get a good night's rest, and, according to popular Chicago Tribune article, it may increase the risk of far worse.

Q: What causes SA?
A: The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute says that the most common form of the condition is obstructive sleep apnea. If you have this form of SA, then your soft palate tends to hang down while you sleep, getting in the way of good airflow. This can cause you to snore, snort or stop breathing for seconds or even minutes, the organization warns!

Q: Who gets SA?
A: The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) states that anyone can suffer from SA, including children.

Q: What can I do to minimize my nighttime apnea?
A: Several traditional treatments are available, including over-the-counter mouthpieces and, in serious cases, a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which keeps the airway open. Unfortunately, CPAP devices are expensive and uncomfortable.

Q: What other options are there?
Multiple alternative treatments exist. Most healthcare professionals recommend losing some weight, since obese people are especially susceptible to SA. Beyond that, a growing number of people are using yoga, meditation, mindfulness exercises and ki energy techniques to mitigate the worst of their SA. Plenty of Chicago yoga classes are available for individuals interested in engaging in holistic self-healing.

Q: What are the potential long-term effects of SA?
A: The article in the Tribune notes that, in a new study, elderly women with SA and other sleep disorders had a higher risk of developing dementia and memory problems.

Q: How many people have SA?
A: The condition affects as many as 18 million Americans, including 10 million who do not know that they have it, the AARC estimates.

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5
Aug 11

Miss Manners weighs in on etiquette problem in Chicago yoga classes

Taking beginner's Chicago yoga is something that thousands of happy people try every day in the Prairie State. While may folks find this sort of thing enjoyable, the ki energy techniques used by instructors occasionally give off more than good vibes, as one of the most popular articles in the Chicago Tribune can attest.

A reader wrote in to the Miss Manners etiquette column, asking what she can say to a yoga teacher who is obviously depressed after the loss of a loved one. One in six U.S. adults suffers from major depression over the course of a lifetime, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

While the instructor reportedly still holds great classes, the reader notes that, of late, each class opens with an airing of the teacher's difficulties, something which appears to be driving students away.

What should she do? In this case, be kind, nurturing and (ultimately) honest, Miss Manners replied.

"This may be an exception, not only because it is something easily fixable that could make a practical difference to your friend, but because you have something genuinely nice to say at the beginning," she replied, quoted by the newspaper.

Essentially, the response lays out how the student can compliment the teacher on her great classes, ask if she is feeling all right and finally warn her that her venting at each class's start may be throwing off the room's energy.

Ki energy, the vital life force that surrounds and binds us, can be amplified and circulated through yoga's mindfulness techniques and group exercises.

Some might say that, in this instance, an unfortunate side effect of the connectedness of the class is that the students can feel their instructor's energy sagging under the weight of grief. However, this is not unfortunate at all, since – as you can see for yourself in the Tribune – at least one Chicago classmate is genuinely concerned for her teacher.

Ki energy links us by boosting our empathy. Couldn't we all use a little more of that?

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29
Jul 11

Yoga, meditation, ki energy manipulation may help reduce arthritis-related aches

Who uses yoga, meditation, stretching and ki energy techniques to reduce the aches and pains caused by arthritis? More than you might think, according to a number of surveys and scientific studies.

For instance, a report in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine announced that, of more than 230 people interviewed for the study, two-thirds had tried complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as a way to ease their arthritis symptoms.

Almost all of those who had tried CAM reported using it regularly. The researched noted that 24 percent of respondents – all of whom were regular patients of licensed rheumatologists – had tried three or more CAM methods in the quest to ease their joint aches.

A review published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM) said that CAM can cover a wide array of treatments, including deep breathing, yoga, ki energy training, guided imagery, exercise, warm baths and going to bed in a comfortable environment, all of which may ease aches and help people with arthritis get much-needed sleep.

Arthritis affects at least 50 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – a figure expected to increase to 67 million by 2030.

The agency notes that the most common form of the condition is osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint condition that can cause immobility, inactivity and disability.

Fortunately, yoga and certain mindfulness techniques may be able to take one's mind off of joint pain.

A study appearing in the JACM found that participants who took weekly yoga classes for eight weeks experienced improvements in pain level, physical function, stiffness and soreness. All volunteers were obese and had osteoarthritis of the knees. For such a painful condition, researchers employed a gentle, low-impact variety of yoga.

By practicing mindfulness yoga and using meditation to focus and guide one's ki energy, it may be possible to reduce the severity of aches and pains related to arthritis, regardless of one's age or health status.

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28
Jul 11

Dahn Yoga’s ki energy techniques may be a boon for people with epilepsy

Ki energy training, the kind employed by many Dahn Yoga enthusiasts, has been used for years as a way to pursue physical health and to improve overall well-being. This holistic practice may be able to reduce the symptoms of debilitating illnesses, too. For example, a number of studies have shown that people with medically refractory epilepsy may benefit from doing yoa, meditation and ki energy techniques.

Epilepsy is a neurological condition that results in seizures. About 2 million Americans suffer from it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency estimates that epilepsy costs the U.S. around $15.5 billion each year in medical costs, lost income and impaired production.

There are many potential causes of epilepsy, including traumatic brain injuries, oxygen deprivation, brain tumors, infections, strokes and inherited conditions. However, the CDC states that two-thirds of all epileptics suffer seizures with no diagnosed source.

Regardless of what causes them, seizures occur when an imbalance in the brain's neurotransmitters or ions leads to a cascade of uncontrolled neural firing. Being able to rebalance one's inner energy, known as ki, may help individuals with epilepsy experience some relief.

Consider a study appearing in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, which focused on 20 patients with medically refractory epilepsy, meaning seizures that respond poorly to pharmaceutical treatments.

Researchers found that participants who did twice-daily yoga exercises for 12 weeks almost unilaterally experienced reductions in their seizure frequency. In approximately one-third of patients, epileptic frequency dropped by more than 50 percent.

Another study, this one in the journal Epilepsy and Behavior, found that doing yoga helped some patients reduce their seizure rate, as did a series of mindfulness exercises.

Furthermore, people with epilepsy may benefit from yoga and ki energy training in a simpler way – namely, by being able to relax, connect with others and reduce their seizure-related anxiety.

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25
Jul 11

Yoga, ki energy techniques may improve skeletal, cardiopulmonary health

The millions of Americans who dabble in yoga do not necessarily engage in the regimen just to meditate and relax – although those are certainly two big selling points of the holistic system. Stretching, posing and doing ki energy techniques may also help individuals improve their heart and lung function, increase their flexibility or overcome some of the symptoms of musculoskeletal disease.

A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine recently reviewed some of the ways in which regular yoga practice may convey physiological benefits to individuals who have chronic diseases.

The author, Dr. James Raub of the National Center for Environmental Assessment, conducted a thorough review of medical literature to find prior studies concerning the effects of yoga breathing, meditation, stretching or tai chi. The results of this meta-study were quite positive.

Raub noted that previous investigations have associated regular yoga exercises with a number of potential health benefits. These included decreased joint pain among people with arthritis, increased grip strength and flexibility for individuals with carpal tunnel syndrome and improvements in aches related to repetitive stress.

Arthritis and other joint problems are the leading cause of disability in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Being able to reduce one's symptoms may go a long way toward delaying physical immobility.

The meta-study also determined that doing yoga and learning how to use ki energy can improve the heart and lung health of otherwise healthy people. Being able to maintain good cardiopulmonary health is important, since diseases of the heart, blood vessels and respiratory tracts account for three of the four leading causes of death in the U.S.

Heart disease, stroke and lower respiratory tract infections account for 880,000 American deaths each year, the CDC estimates. Roughly 616,000 of these are attributable to heart disease, which is the nation's leading cause of death, the agency states.

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22
Jul 11

Tai chi, ki energy healing helps individuals overcome mental, physical distress

In Illinois, many people take Chicago yoga classes and tai chi tutorials in order to learn how to use ki energy as a tool for self healing. Using one's own inner life force to cleanse the mind and re-energize the body is an acquired skill, one that takes some time to get used to but that, with practice, can lead to sensations of dramatic improvement.

A number of scientific studies suggest that tai chi and qigong – two invaluable Dahn Yoga methods – may be useful in reducing stress, inflammation, physical pain and psychic distress.

For instance, researchers from Taiwan's Chung Shan Medical University and the Cheng Ching Hospital found that regular tai chi exercises may help obese individuals with type 2 diabetes improve their lipid profile or their body mass indices.

Such potential for improvement couldn't be more necessary in the U.S., where one-third of all adults are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Type 2 diabetes, a dangerous increase in insulin resistance, affects nearly 26 million individuals in the U.S., while another 79 million are prediabetic, the American Diabetes Association estimates.

However, ki energy healing is good not just for the body, but for the mind as well. A meta-study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that several reports have extolled the benefits tai chi and qigong for refugees and torture victims.

These findings, which admittedly may sound extreme, nevertheless have resounding implications. The meta-study's authors noted that if tai chi and qigong can help survivors of war-torn political conflicts, extreme physical deprivation or torture, then they may almost certainly be beneficial for average Americans, whose stress derives primarily from work- or family-related conflicts.

If you could use a little relaxation or healing, consider looking for a Dahn Yoga community center in your area.

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