CHAPTER EIGHT
Asthma, bronchitis, and hay fever
INVARIABLY the first question I am asked about Yoga is, ‘Do you stand on your head every morning?’ To the uninitiated this standing on the head represents the sum total of Yoga, and it is thereupon dismissed as a foible of cranks and crackpots. Not one person in a hundred asks me why I stand on my head. In fact it does not cross the mind of the average person that it could possibly have any therapeutic value or indeed any value at all except to establish one as an eccentric. But if radiant good health is the lot of those who practice this Headstand, then ‘long live eccentricity’ say I.
But the Headstand or Sirshasana has not been called ‘The King of Asanas’ for nothing. You may wonder why I have waited until I reached more than half-way through this book before introducing you to this best known of all Yoga postures. Simply for the very good reason that it is difficult for the beginner to master and I wanted you to limber up with some easier exercises before attempting to balance on your head. I place the ‘King of Asanas’ in this chapter on disorders of the respiratory tract because in the relief and cure of such ailments as asthma, bronchitis, hay fever, nose troubles, and sinus troubles it has no equal.
Sinusitis, and allied complaints, often produce severe headaches and acute discomfort in the cavities of the nose and face. It is difficult for doctors to reach these sinuses except by painful and unpleasant means and nasal sprays are of little use as the openings of the cavities are on the upper side and can only be drained when the body is inverted. This is where Yoga, and particularly the Headstand, is of great help.
So now let us try the preliminary stages. The Headstand
1. Kneel down, sit back on your heels with your hands on your knees and then bend forward until your forehead touches the floor just in front of your knees. Remain in this position for a few moments and then slowly straighten up. The purpose of this simple exercise is to accustom the head to being lower than the body. If you experience any dizziness please straighten up immediately and proceed with extreme caution until you are able to remain with your head down without experiencing the slightest discomfort.
When you wish to go a stage further proceed as follows.
2. Kneel down as before, lace your fingers together and clasp your hands round the back of your head. Bend forward until your forehead touches the floor, approximately twelve inches away from your knees as in figure 24. Press the upper part of your body forward a few times, which will gradually accustom your head and neck to the unfami