By Atul Vyas
The digestive dysfunction and resultant brain issues are the consequences of being in a toxic inflammatory state. Ama is an ayurvedic term for toxins used for substances inside the body and mind that are insufficiently digested and or are located in their current form in places they should not be like undigested proteins seeping through the lining of the gastrointestinal tract or waste getting stuck in lymphatic system or colon.
There may be things perfectly healthy somewhere in one’s body – such as protein in your stomach or small intestine – that become toxic when they get in the wrong place. In the same way, a thing that is toxic like pesticides or a drug can become benign if one’s body is able to eliminate it.
Ama could be mental and also a concept difficult for medical science to understand.
There are clues of ‘ama’ in medical science too, though not a clear equivalent. Recently research in the field of molecular toxicology has shown how even small doses which can be in nano-gram or one billionth of a gram of toxic substances can result in chronic cellular dysfunction. This toxicity at the cellular level is different from other kinds of known toxins like arsenic, etc. This toxicity at the cellular level can be countered or neutralized by yoga.
One of the yogic interventions is ‘Ushtrasana’ or camel pose.
In this pose, the body is supported on both knees and the body is bent backward and heels are held or touched by hands that are stretched backward. The neck is bent backward and the body assumes the shape of a camel.
Technique
- Kneel down with knees on the ground either together or a little apart
- Bend backward and try to hold the heels with arms stretched backward
- Touch the right hand should touch the right heel, while the left hand should touch the left heel
- Drop the head back
- Breathe normally
- Repeat three times for a duration of 5 seconds
- Follow it up by Shavasana – the corpse pose
Benefits
- Good for pigeon chest and scoliotic spine
- Beneficial for stiff neck problems, spondylosis
- Helps in curing sinus problem
- Cures tonsillitis
- Cures epigastric distress
- Very useful in the asthmatic bronchitis
- Stimulates gastric secretions and removes constipation
- Makes spine resilient
Note of Caution
Those suffering from high blood pressure, heart blockages, and vertigo should avoid doing it.
