Yoga Therapy in the Hot Tub

Life can be hectic, and finding techniques to reduce the effects of stress and pain outside the medical profession are becoming popular alternatives to big pharma drugs. Yoga has an array of techniques that can help, and combining them with warm water can be life changing.

Aqua yoga can help beyond reducing stress and aches and pains in a tired body at the end of the day.

Hot tubs are known to help people relax, but did you know that warm water immersion can actually help with symptoms of Alzheimer’s as well as arthritis and fibromyalgia?

The ravages imposed on our body on land are attributed largely to gravity, and by the end of the day our posture may have been altered due to unstable joints, weak core or pelvic issues, creating discomfort or pain. Physical therapists and yoga therapists are seeing great results when people get into warm water and gently move and slow down their breathing in this therapeutic field.

Edema and pain in lower joints can be eased in warm water as hydrostatic pressure gently moves lymph and blood. Buoyancy can also help to lengthen the spine and ease many back issues that often result in people popping pain killers.  In today’s world, death because of misuse of pain killers is the largest killer in people under 50.

Investing in a hot tub may literally save your life, or the lives of those you love. As a minimum we can offload anxiety, move with ease and maybe get a good nights sleep.

As a yoga therapist, I am always looking at making yoga accessible to everybody and I believe that the hot tub yoga option can allow more diverse populations to experience the many benefits of yoga. (For some populations it may not be appropriate so please check with your doctor)

Balance is an issue for many populations, from older adults to people with Parkinson’s disease. The supportive properties of the water can create an environment where people gain confidence to try and improve their balance, the results of which translate to better functionality on land.

Water is more viscous than air and awareness of the body known as proprioception is a typical benefit of moving consciously in the water.

Yoga poses have a bad rap of only being for the bendy, thin and young, but it is very far from the science of yoga that attributes a stable body, breath and mind to the ability of finding contentment in everyday life, whatever challenges we may face.

Many hot tubs have steps that make fabulous ‘props’, enabling people to hold a yoga pose with an integrity that may be more beneficial to what they can achieve on land.

Upper body strength does not have to rely on lifting heavy weights, often causing injury. Poses like ‘plank,’ can be done utilizing the tub bench, as well as moving limbs through the water which causes drag and makes exercising more challenging if appropriate.

Why not try a few yoga poses in the water and then turn on the bubbles and enjoy the relaxation effects of a massage while gazing up at the stars? Value your health and wellness. It is precious.

Camella is a yoga therapist specializing in Aqua Yoga and can be contacted at camyoga@gmail.com or www.aquakriyayoga.com.