SUN SALUTATIONS - WHAT ARE THEY AND WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS from the age of around 30 years old, more water leaves the disc during the day than enters when we lie down. It’s estimated that the adult spine loses up to 20 mm (about 3/4 inch) of disc height each day due to loss of fluid and over time, as we age, sleeping helps us regain less and less height - this can lead to a loss of up to two inches by the time we reach 60.
Last month I wrote about the summer solstice and International Yoga Day and how it’s become c u sto m a r y to p e r fo r m s u n salutation type sequences at this time of the year. Since then I’ve had lots of questions about sun salutations, what are they and are there benefits.
Intervertebral discs are like liquid cushions that sit between the spinal vertebrae. These fluid-filled cushions support movement through shock absorption and by maintaining space between the vertebrae so they don’t rub together as we move, protecting against osteoarthritis. A disc with good fluid levels is also more resilient and less likely to herniate which can As noted in my previous article, lead to all sorts of painful conditions gestures of honouring and paying including sciatica. reverence to the natural world encourage us to appreciate and Loading of the spine, which due to feel more connected to the rhythms gravity happens any time we are of life and have been part of yoga upright (sitting or standing) and is traditions as they evolved and increased with certain activities like developed across South Asia for running and bending, pushes fluid the last 3000 years or more. On a out of the discs and they can lose physical level there are also many around 20% of their fluid content benefits to practicing these types during the day. Lying down allows of sequences, in fact too many, the fluid back in and discs re-hydrate to list in one article, but one very when we sleep or rest lying down, interesting benefit is the particular like at the end of our yoga classes way they help to increase fluid in in Savasana for example. However, our intervertebral discs. Although there are many variations, the vast majority of sun salutation type sequences are comprised of flexion and extension type movements, linked together as short sequences which are then repeated a number of times. They are most often practiced in rhythm with the breath, so one movement made on an inhale, the next on an exhale, and so on.
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How do yoga salutation-type sequences help to reverse this? Proteoglycans in our discs exert a powerful osmotic pull on water, countering the effect of gravity. The creation of proteoglycans is reduced by sustained pressure BUT stimulated by on/off pressure changes. The Salutation sequences with their repeated flexion and extension movement patterns create the perfect type of on/off pressure in the discs to stimulate the growth of these proteins helping our discs pull in more fluid when we sleep. In summar y, practicing yoga salutation type sequences increases our disc’s ability to draw fluid in and this not only helps us to move more freely and without pain, but also helps us to stay the same height or even regain the height we’ve lost. You may be interested to know that many of my mid-life students tell me they’ve got taller since practicing yoga! Keep taking good care of yourself, Clair.
