Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: child's asthma + asthma + yoga  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/7/2008)

Yoga help for a child's asthma

Claire McLean was on her umpteenth course of antibiotics as doctors tried to ease her chronic asthma. Now the eight-year-old is almost completely cured - thanks to yoga. Claire's parents are amazed at the improvement in their daughter's condition. But the apparent benefits of yoga for asthmatics shouldn't really be such a surprise. The ancient Indian discipline does, after all, promote relaxation and breathing techniques.

Yoga helps children by giving them greater self-awareness when it comes to breathing. If they can recognise how consciously to change their breathing - to make short, quick panting, or deep inhalations through their noses and then out of their mouths - then they can control their breathing when they feel an attack coming on. Breathing in a yogic way can lessen a child's hyperactivity, relax muscles and open the windpipe. Taking deep breaths and learning yoga breathing is only part of the story. Different postures are also important.

Conventional treatment for asthma generally takes the form of a bronchodilator to expand the bronchi, and immunosuppressors to block any allergic reaction. After a while dosages need to be increased and steroids introduced.

Though yoga has been shown to be beneficial in treating asthma, it is not a quick fix. Yoga therapy aims to cure, not treat asthma, and concentrates on teaching children how to breathe.

The emphasis is on fun and games, with role-play taking the major part of the classes. Children become snakes, rabbits and lions, hissing, panting and roaring. Without knowing what they are doing, the children are executing classic yoga breathing techniques.

'The one I like best is the fish,' says Claire McLean. 'It makes my chest stretch and helps me breathe.' Claire, from Edinburgh, has been going to yoga therapy classes for about six months. Her mum Sandra says: 'Since Claire has started to learn about relaxing and controlling her breathing, the attacks have subsided and her medication reduced by half.'

THE BEST EXERCISES:

The Lion Kneel up straight, facing forward, with your arms by your sides. Take a deep breath through your nose and hold it. Lift your head back, look up to the ceiling and pounce forward with your tongue out. Exhale forcibly making a loud roar. Return to kneeling up straight and breathing quietly through your nose.

The Camel Kneel up straight, looking ahead, with your hands by your feet. Inhaling slowly, bend backwards as far as possible with your hands on your hips. Arch backwards and hold your feet with your hands. Breathe evenly for two minutes, holding the position to stretch the chest open.

Rabbit breathing Kneel on the ground, sitting back on your heels. Rest elbows and hands flat on the floor pointing forward. Stick out your tongue and pant quickly like a rabbit. Use the rib cage to breathe. Continue for 20 breaths.

Rapid abdominal breathing Relax your face, neck and shoulders. Exhale forcibly, using your abdomen, and inhale passively by relaxing it. Repeat, letting your abdomen go in and out rhythmically and quickly. Start with three sets of ten breaths, one every two seconds. Relax for 20 seconds between each set. Increase number of breaths once you have mastered the technique.

Alternate nostril breathing Hold one nostril closed and breathe slowly and deeply with the other nostril. Change nostrils, concentrating on breathing into the lungs.

Sectional breathing Inhale by letting your abdomen bulge and exhale by drawing it in. Breathe slowly and deeply. Keeping chest and shoulders still, inhale by expanding your rib cage and exhale by slowly releasing your ribs. Then, keeping your abdomen and rib cage still, breathe in and out by allowing your shoulders to move up and down.

* For more information, call The Yoga Biomedical Trust on 0171-419 7195.