Yoga for Rehabilitation.....

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Yoga For Rehabilitation: An Overview The use of yoga for rehabilitation has diverse applications. Yoga practice benefited mentally handicapped subjects by improving their mental ability, and also their motor coordination and social skills. Physically handicapped subjects had a restoration of some degree of functional ability after practicing yoga. Visually impaired children showed a significant decrease in their abnormal anxiety levels when they practiced yoga for three weeks, while a program of physical activity had no such effect. Socially disadvantaged adults (prisoners in a jail) and children in a remand home showed significant improvement in sleep, appetite and general well being, as well as a decrease in physiological arousal.The practice of meditation was reported to decrease the degree of substance (marijuana) abuse, by strengthening the mental resolve and decreasing the anxiety. Another important area is the application of yoga (and indeed, lifestyle change) in the re! habilitation of patients with coronary artery disease. Finally, the possible role of yoga in improving the mental state and general well being of HIV-positive persons and patients with AIDS, is explored. (This information was excerpted from "Yoga For Rehabilitation: An Overview," by S. Telles and KV Naveen of the Vivekananda Kendra Yoga Research Foundation, Banglore, India, as published in Indian J Med Sci, April 1997.)- Chaz RoughClick here to visit Chaz Rough's Web site!