There are a lot of Health benefits to Yoga, Bagua and Taichi. Two little known health benefits of these health practices are increasing microcirculation and lymphatic drainage.
Why these two benefits? Microcirculation is vital for our internal organs to remain healthy as we age by maintaining the blood supply, we help nutrients to flow to the organs., Lymphatic drainage detoxifies the body’s cells, helping to remove harmful products from surrounding the cells. Increasing these benefits helps to slow the aging process and keep us healthy and our immunity strong.
There is a lot known about yoga and tai chi, but what about Bagua? Bagua is a martial art developed in China over the past few hundred years that involves a lot of twisting and turning while moving in circular directions with the feet. Bagua is still practised as a martial art, but Bagua can also just be performed for health. It is thought that the twisting and turning movements of Bagua act on the spine and ” give the spine a massage”. Thus stimulating the surrounding tissue and thus promoting the health of spinal nerves.
Recent research shows this to be accurate, but it is also true of yoga, where there are backbends and twists. Why the importance? Our spinal column is held up by many external and internal muscles that support the spine and prevent compression or narrowing of the Vertebrae. When each spinal Vertebrae starts to get compressed with age, this process is called – Spondylosis. Spondylosis can cause spinal nerve compression and thus compromise the nerve or nervous innervation to organs, glands or tissues. Eventually, this can lead to circulation problems, nerve root compression, disease and reduced height. This contributes to the stoop often seen in the elderly. One example of the internal muscle groups that support the spine is the rotatores. These act as guidewires similar to rigging on a sailing ship. With age or limited stretching, these muscles shorten and then tend to pull the spine’s vertebrae closer together ( spondylosis). Yoga, Tai chi, or Bagua seek to do regarding the spine to stretch these muscles gently and thus prevent contraction and spasm. Expansion and contraction also help blood microcirculation to the spine, helping to nourish the nerves and tissues.
There is an old saying we are only as healthy as our spine, and performing these activities can be helpful to add to any anti-aging regime.
By walking circularly, Bagua also increases microcirculation to internal organs, which is an excellent benefit as microcirculation to internal organs tends to decrease with age. All the twisting and turning movements and walking improve the lymphatic drainage in the body, helping to detoxify tissues. Furthermore, the circular foot movements, i.e. walking in a circle, causes the muscles in the lower leg to act as a minor pump -thus aiding blood circulation to the lower limbs and the rest of the body. This contributes to better heart health.
For free health assessment or more information, please do not hesitate to contact me, Peter Farnsworth N.D, on www.adelaidenaturopath.net.au.
