Lubricating the joints and fighting allergies

DURING Autumn and Winter, the complaints of joint pains increase. The change in atmospheric pressure causes the joints to swell, the cold causes muscles to contract and blood vessels to constrict. All this coupled with reduced activity and a lack of proper hydration contribute to joint issues. 

From the yogic point of view, it is seen as a disruption in free flow of prana due to blockages and drying up of sukra that lubricates the joints. Sanatan kriya details the process of preparing your joints to perform optimally in the cold season.

There are six joint rotations starting from the neck, moving downwards to the shoulders, wrists, hip joint, knees and finally ankles that will assist. All the rotations are performed with internal awareness, keeping the eyes closed and synchronising the movement with ujjai breath.

1. Neck Rotation

Stand straight, close your eyes and be aware of your neck. Now slowly start rotating your neck from right to left. Synchronise every rotation with one cycle of the breath, that is inhale in the first half of the rotation and then exhale in the second half of the rotation. But be careful to move  slowly with complete awareness of every muscle and bone that is being used. Seven clockwise and seven anti-clockwise rotations are enough at this stage.

2. Shoulder Rotation

Keep the first three fingers on your shoulders and once again synchronising with your breath, bring your elbows to join in front of your nose, then up towards the sky, and then stretch backwards, back to the starting position. Seven cycles in this manner and seven cycles in the reverse, that is taking your elbows backwards, then up and then joining them in front of your nose. Your awareness should be on the movement of your shoulder.

3. Wrist Rotation

Closing your fist with the thumb inside, stretch your arms in front, at the level of the shoulders and rotate your wrists only, not the fore- arms. Do seven cycles each of clockwise and anticlockwise motion.

4. Hip Rotation

Keeping your hands on your hips, making sure that your head does not move, rotate your hips only, seven times left to right in circular motion and seven times in reverse direction.

5. Knee Rotation

Place your palms on your thighs, dip down slightly at the knees, bring your feet together, keeping your spine erect. Now move the knees together seven times left to right in circular motion and seven times in reverse direction.

6. Ankle Rotation

Stretch out your right leg and rotate the ankle seven times clockwise and seven times anticlockwise. Then repeat with your left leg.

Most of you will find it difficult to do these rotations with your eyes closed. This is your first experience of a state of disturbance within yourself. It also shows how uncoordinated you are with your own body. Unilt our physical bodies are not in a state of balance, we cannot think of bringing our mental and emotional states into balance. The rotations use the force of consciousness to unblock the congestions in the joints. Follow this up with massaging your joints with slightly warmed sesame oil in a clockwise direction.

To enhance immunity and keep allergies at bay during winter months, Ayurveda prescribes chyawanprash made as per authentic recipe detailed in the shastras.

Here are three steps to follow, especially after returning from public places:

1. Jal Neti: nasal cleansing. Take 500ml bearably warm water in a neti pot, add ½ tsp black/rock salt and a pinch of turmeric. Stand evenly and bending slightly forward tilt the head at 45 degrees angle towards left. Insert the nozzle of the pot into the right nostril. While breathing from the mouth, tilt the pot so that the water runs into the right nostril and flows out from the left. Repeat on the other side. Breathe normally afterwards. Saline water is the best cleansing medium, which absorbs and scrapes away infectious pathogens accumulated in the nasal passage. Turmeric is a disinfectant, antiseptic and scouring agent

2. Putting cow's ghee in the nostrils: warm pure cow’s ghee to a bearable temperature. Lie down flat on your back and let the head hang down, bending the neck backwards. Using a dropper or a spoon pour about 5 drops of ghee in each nostril turn by turn, in such a way so as it does not flow down towards the throat but flows backwards towards the head. Keep lying in the same position for 5 minutes afterwards. Cow’s ghee lubricates the nasal passage and strengthens the mucous membranes to fight against infections.

3. Massaging the feet with mustard oil: heat mildly some mustard oil and massage the soles of the feet before retiring. Loose cotton socks can be worn later. Mustard oil is hot and massaging generates heat in the body to fight any symptoms of cold and infection.

Ashwini Guru ji is the guiding light of Dhyan Ashram in India. For more details visit www.dhyanfoundation.com

* Consult a healthcare professional before taking any of these recommendations. 

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