Sound and deep sleep helps in tackling lifestyle disorders, says yoga expert

Tracing one of the sources of lifestyle disorders to lack of night sleep and a disturbed sleep, the Chairman of the Department of Human Consciousness and Yogic Sciences at Mangalore University K. Krishna Sharma said here on Sunday that a sound and deep sleep mattered the most in tackling such disorders.

Speaking at a workshop on ‘Yoga therapy for lifestyle disorders’ organised by the department at University College, he said that the duration of sleep differed among individuals. “One should sleep soundly in the darkness during the night. It is important in storing energy,” he said adding: “When sleep decreases growth decreases.”

Food system, sleep and awakening, working style, thinking approach and entertainment constituted the basics of lifestyle. An imbalance of ‘triguna’ (sattva, rajas and tamas) and ‘tridosha’ (vata, pitta and kapha) resulted in disorders, he said.

Prof. Sharma said that one should eat agreeable and easily digestible food at the right time. “Fasting or intermittent fasting also helps in tackling disorders,” he said. “Practice yoga daily at the same time. Maintain the habit of having ‘mitahara’ and proper food,” he said.

The professor said that practising yoga helped in preventing and curing disorders and promoted health.

He said that practising ‘vajrasana’ helped in overcoming problems associated with bowel movement, digestion, headache and tension. Tadasana helps in cleansing the gastrointestinal track. Synchronising the breath with asana is important while practising yoga, he said. “While practising yoga the style of practice is important. It differes from person to person,” he added.

Prof. Sharma said practising easy asanas like swastikasana, vajrasana, suptavajrasana, tadasana I, trikonasana, parsvakonasana, purvottanasana, bhujangasana, shalabhasana, dhanurasana, bharadhwajasana, viparikakarani, uttanapadasana, halasana and savasana and doing prayanayama like kapalabhati, ujjayi, anuloma viloma, bhasktrika, bhramari helped in preventing and overcoming some lifestyle disorders.

The department has scheduled a workshop on managing sinusitis through yoga at the college on July 21.