YogMantra | Dealing With Diabetes: A New Drug & A Yoga Research Paper That Impressed The American Diabetes Association
Integrated Yoga therapy works simultaneously on the five levels of existence, helping reverse pre-diabetes, preventing diabetes and slowing its progression
What is really happening? Lifestyle factors culminate in a situation where the body is unable to produce (or utilise) enough of the hormone insulin. This lack of insulin means that body cells remain starved of glucose, and levels of sugar in the blood increase. If not treated, diabetes can be serious and even life-threatening; its complications range from glaucoma to kidney disease and damage to nerves and blood vessels. In the extreme, it can even lead to a stroke, heart attack or limb amputation.
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People with diabetes also often have accompanying fat accumulation, digestion issues, hypertension, and problems with blood circulation.
READING THE MOUNJARO FINE PRINT
To what extent is Mounjaro the answer? On reading the fine print, one finds the injectable drug doesn’t work in isolation. It needs to be coupled with lifestyle, diet and exercise.
In that case, at this point it is worthwhile looking at another groundbreaking development in this area that occurred not too long ago.
AN AWARD-WINNING PAPER AT THE AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION
In 2019, the American Diabetes Association selected a study titled ‘Diabetes Prevention through Yoga-Based Lifestyle’ for their Diabetes Research Award.
This breakthrough study —a pan-India randomised controlled trial conducted on over 11,000 people from 29 states of India, from both urban and rural settings — showed that a Yoga-based lifestyle intervention could help both in the prevention of Type 2 diabetes and in the remission of pre-diabetes. What’s more, the intervention worked for normal as well as overweight and obese persons.
The author of this study, Dr Nagarathna Raghuram, a medical doctor and one of the pioneers of Yoga Therapy, clarified a few things regarding the use of Yoga in diabetes to us.
‘WE GO TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM’
“There are physical Yoga practices which help patients by working at the ‘branch’ level. But the ‘root’ cause is lifestyle. Hence, we need to include practices that will achieve holistic root correction," she says.
Yoga can help reverse pre-diabetes, prevent diabetes and also slow its progression, but it has to happen within the Integrated Yoga Therapy Approach. This approach is a combination of special Yoga poses, breathing techniques, relaxation, meditation, yogic diet and yogic counselling. This is given along with modern medicine, ayurveda, naturopathy, acupuncture and physiotherapy. Simultaneously, the emotions and intellect are addressed through music, devotional songs and hymns, reading, listening to podcasts, and imbibing the wisdom of ancient texts.
This way, Integrated Yoga Therapy works simultaneously on the five levels of existence (Panchakosha). “We help the patients change their lifestyle. Anandamaya kosha — the level of bliss — is where the healing happens. We try to get the patient to touch this Anandamaya kosha at all five levels, and specifically in the sick organs. This gives a deep, conscious rest to the system and that helps," Dr Nagarathna explains.
YOGA VS EXERCISE — WHAT AN AIIMS STUDY REVEALED
Another interesting 2024 study on ‘Autonomic Neuropathy in Diabetes Mellitus’ by researchers from AIIMS Rishikesh evaluated a Yoga-based Intervention versus the American Diabetes Association Exercise Regimen.
It was found that a 24-week Yoga-based intervention significantly reduced symptoms of diabetic neuropathy and stress. Even though ADA exercise regime demonstrated greater improvement in specific aspects of nerve conduction velocity, the Yoga intervention outperformed the ADA exercise regime in enhancing WHO-5 wellness, and reducing depression symptoms.
SOME YOGA POSES FOR DIABETES AND HOW THEY WORK
“The purpose of selecting any asana is to bring awareness and focussing (dharana in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra) on that area, followed by prayatna shaithilya, ananta samapatti and dwandwa anabhighatah while maintaining that posture," says Dr Nagarathna. (These terms from Yoga Sutra refer to achieving a state where we let go of any effort and just relax, are able to get into a joyful and blissful state, and remain beyond disturbances.)
“In diabetes, we need to do this for visceral fat in the abdomen and pancreas. Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) and Vakrasana (Half Spinal Twist Pose} — a simplified form of Ardhamatsyendrasana — are for pancreas. Mayurasana (Peacock Pose) is for abdominal obesity, but because Mayurasana is difficult, we replace it with Hamsasana," she explains.
She clarifies that age is usually not a limiting factor and even menopausal women can do the poses. However, when Yoga therapists use this module, they should delete those that the patients cannot perform due to their individual limitations.
Finally, for patients of Type 2 diabetes, real benefits accrue from not just doing some asanas, but from including all practices of Integrated Yoga Therapy.
(This article is meant for information. Learn Yoga from an experienced Yoga teacher or Yoga therapy professional. Always consult your primary healthcare provider before starting any exercise regimen.)
The author is a journalist, cancer survivor and certified yoga teacher. She can be reached at swatikamal@gmail.com.
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