Fluid Movement

​We are continuing our series “Your Body on Yoga” where we look at the different systems of the body and how our yoga practices support them. Today we are looking at the water system, all of those parts of our body which carry water or regulate the flow of water in the body. Wow! This one is really important because our body is 75% water. Just think of all of the parts of the body affected by these functions: the cerebral spinal fluid in the brain and spine, kidneys and bladder, gastric secretions, sweat glands, salivary glands, blood, and synovial fluid in the joints.

The water system deserves special attention during the fall and winter. As I wrote in an earlier blog post on November 17, Ayurveda teaches that late fall/early winter is Vata season, a time of year that has these powerful qualities: cold, dry, light, mobile, rough, erratic and clear. You always know you’re under the sway of vata when you feel cold and dry! In that post I also offered a dozen helpful practices to overcome these symptoms.

Yoga postures help move fluids through our body efficiently and regularly so we can feel more hydrated and move more fluidly:

√ Fluid movements like cat/cow pose and sun salutations stimulate the joints so that synovial fluid is refreshed and replaced. You’ll have less popping, stickiness and pain in the joints.

√ Backbends like sphinx, cobra, locust and wheel stimulate the kidneys, the small but mighty organs that filter about 200 quarts of liquid per day. You’ll support your immune system by sending more wastes out of your body through urine.

√ Forward bending and twisting poses (seated, standing or lying down) stimulate the spinal column so that cerebral spinal fluid moves more easily between the brain and the spine. You’ll strengthen your brain health and support a balanced nervous system.

One urgent reminder: Please hydrate! Yoga can only work with the water you have invested into your own water system. What is your ideal weight? Drink ½ of your ideal weight in water and herbal teas every day. (For example, for 150 lbs drink 75 oz, approximately 9 ½ cups) It’s time to get a drink of water!