Breaking a bone can be very challenging since it usually limits our movements and the amount of activity we can take. We should rest and let our bones heal by themselves…but you and I both know that is easier said than done.
How To Heal Fractures With Yoga
When I broke my leg, I needed to take it easy and adding the right supplements to our diet (I’m currently loving this Joint Care Tincture and Symphytum Officnale), there is not much we can do to speed up the process of healing.
Interestingly, a recent scientific study has shown that there is a way to promote the healing of broken bones, and that is by practicing yoga.
You might find this rather surprising since doing yoga usually puts pressure on our joints and skeletal structure. The key lies in understanding that there are many kinds of yoga, and not all of them focus on physical exercises and yoga poses, or asanas.
There are so many different yoga practices that do not involve asanas. Instead, they focus on:
- Proper breathing,
- Visualizations, and
- Relaxing the central nervous system.
These practices are the ones that have been found to promote the process of allowing your body to naturally heal fractures.
Pranayama and Yoga Nidra
The modalities that have shown the best results are techniques from pranayama yoga and yoga nidra. Pranayama is a set of techniques that allows us to control our breath and thus manage the flow of prana, or our life force energy.
Yoga Nidra is a state of yogic sleep or lucid dreaming that we enter by following audio instructions for deep relaxation of mind and body.
Heal Fractures With Yoga (+ Other Benefits)
Patients with bone fractures who practiced a combination of pranayama and yoga nidra techniques healed significantly faster than the ones who did not follow this protocol.
The study was concluded that a set of exercises that consisted of breath control, chanting, and visualization. It was found that this activates prana within the body and thus revitalizes all damaged tissues.
Symptoms such as tenderness, pain, and swelling were reduce. Interestingly fracture wounds healed in a better way and with more density with yoga practicing patients.
Yoga also has great positive effects on the central nervous system. It relieves mental and emotional symptoms of injury like fear, stress and even muscle spasms.
The body aligns itself with the most balanced inner state and the blocks to healing are thus removed. Vital life force is stimulated, inflammation processes reduced and the immune system strengthened.
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No Physical Requirements
The best thing about yoga nidra and pranayama is that everybody can do them no matter what part of their body is injured. So, even if you have a spinal injury or can’t sit or walk, you simply have to find the most comfortable position for you and focus on your breathing or mental images.
My favorite part? You don’t need to go anywhere and wear tight yoga pants that might agitate your wound. You can simply do these exercises at home. In your pajamas, undies or even in comfortable swimwear (which is my preference) if need be.
There are many online resources where you can get instruction, even if you’re new to yoga:
- Streaming videos (I love Gaia-and you can get started for only 99 cents this month)
- DVDs (Namaste Yoga is my favorite)
- Guided audio tracks
- Find an online yoga teacher.
- Free yoga exercises
Ancient times meet the 21st-century technology to produce amazing healing results! And, because I want to make sure you have a good experience, please make sure you have a few basics:
- A quality yoga mat.
- A yoga block (or an Unblok)
- A yoga strap or Infinity Strap.
