Yoga For Diabetes: 5 Easy Asanas to Manage Sugar Levels at Home

Did you know Yoga can help manage your blood sugar levels? Yoga Guru Grand Master Akshar shares 5 yoga asanas for managing diabetes.

Written by: India.com Lifestyle Staff Edited by: Anjali Thakur

Published: June 20, 2022, 11:30 AM IST

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Yoga For Diabetes: 5 Easy Asanas to Manage Sugar Levels at Home (Picture credit: Pexels)

International Yoga Day 2022: In Yoga, physical postures known as asanas have a positive effect on your health. If you are suffering from diabetes, asanas can be very beneficial for the pancreas. The pancreas is an organ near the stomach that controls the body’s sugar levels. Yoga also improves the functioning of insulin in the body.

Diabetes can be classified into 2 types: Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2.

• In Type 1 Diabetes, the body does not produce insulin
• In Type 2 Diabetes the body does not produce enough insulin.

By way of doing certain yoga asanas, the body is stretched and gets twisted into different shapes. When this is done to the lumbar and thoracic regions of the body, it has a direct impact on the pancreas. This stimulates the production of insulin and brings down the level of blood sugar. Practising yoga regularly also results in improved efficiency of the endocrine system.

Yoga Therapy

Himalayan Siddha, Akshar, Founder, Akshar Yoga Research and Development Centre shares 5 yoga asanas to manage diabetes.

Marjariasana

Urdhva Mukhi Marjari Asana

Urdhva Mukhi Marjariasana

• Come on your knees, place palms under shoulders and knees under hips
• Inhale, curve your spine to look up

Adho Mukhi Marjari Asana

Adho Mukhi Marjariasana

• Exhale, round your back and drop your chin to your chest
• Focus your gaze on your navel region

Paschimottanasana – Seated forward bend

Paschimottanasana

Begin by stretching your legs forward; ensure that your knees are slightly bent while your legs are stretched out forward. Extend your arms upward and keep your spine erect. Exhale and bend forward at the hip placing your upper body on your lower body. Try to hold your big toes with your fingers, if not hold any part that is accessible.

Word of Advice

• Pregnant women should refrain from practicing Paschimottanasana
• Practitioners suffering from slip disc sciatica or asthma should avoid Paschimottanasana
• Ulcer patients should avoid practicing this asana

Adomukhi Svanasana – Downward Dog

Adomukhi Svanasana

Start on all fours, ensuring palms are under the shoulders and knees below hips. Lift the hips up, straighten the knees and elbows, and make your body in the shape of an inverted ‘V’. Now keep the hands shoulders width apart. Fingers point ahead. Keep your eye focused on your big toes.

Word of Advice

• Don’t perform this posture in case you are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome and/or diarrhea
• During the latter stages of pregnancy, don’t do this Asana
• In case of high blood pressure or headache, go slow
• In case of chronic or recent injury to the arms, hips, shoulders and back avoid this

Balasana (Child’s Pose)

Balasana

Kneel down on the mat and sit on your heels. Inhale and raise arms above head, exhale and bend your upper body forward. Place your forehead on the floor resting your pelvis on the heels. Ensure that your back is not hunched.

Manduka Asana – Frog pose

Sit in Vajrasana, and extend your arms in front of you. Fold your thumbs into your palms, wrap the remaining four fingers over them and ball your fist. Bend your arms at your elbows, place your balled fists over your navel. Bend your upper body and place it over your lower body. Stretch your neck and focus your gaze forward

Word of advice

• Pregnant women should refrain from practising this asana
• If experiencing pain in the ankle or have recently undergone an injury or surgery to the ankles/ligaments, one must avoid this asana
• In case of ulcer issues, one must avoid this asana
• In case of pain or injury to the knees or back, please refrain from performing this asana

Pranayama techniques like Anulom Vilom, Bhastrika etc. boost immunity and cleanse the channels called Nadis in your body. This greatly relieves stress and thus benefits the parasympathetic nervous system by lowering stress hormones. Stress is one of the major triggers for diabetes and practising yoga can help you in the prevention, management and treatment of diabetes through its various practices.