When comparing yoga and acupuncture, there are quite a few comparisons between yoga and acupuncture.Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioners (Acupuncturists) work to ensure the smooth flow of Qi around the body.Some people think of Qi as ‘life force’.
In Ayuverdic medicine, yoga practitioners refer to ‘Qi’ as Prana.TCM and Yoga activates the smooth flow of Qi/Prana in a different way but both are based on Eastern Philosophy and has similar ideas. Both Yoga and TCM are used to create free flowing energy whether it is Qi or Prana.
In TCM there are pathways in the body.
These pathways are called Meridians. Acupuncturists strive to remove any blockages within these pathways to create free flowing Qi within the meridians and to balance the body.
Likewise in Ayuverdic Medicine, there are pathways in the body known as Nadis. The intersections of these nadi are known as Chakras. Chakras are gathered energy points within the body. Some of the nadis and meridians are on the same pathway whereas others lay side by side or intersect each other.
Each Meridian/ Nadi correspond to certain organs, organ systems, elements, and emotions. Blocked energy within one of the pathways is considered to be the cause of illness. Acupuncture used on a certain meridian will have a positive effect on the related Nadi and also vice versa. Both Ayuverdic practitioners and TCM practitioners looks holistically at the patient, taking into account the physical, emotional, historical, and spiritual aspects of the person.
An example of this is thyroid conditions. A yoga practitioner will work on the 5th chakra (throat chakra) with poses such as shoulder stand. Shoulder stands are beneficial for; balancing hormones and dealing with emotional strain. In shoulder stand, TCM meridians running along the back of neck, shoulders are stretched which helps to release Qi or Prana that has become blocked.
A TCM Practitioner will treat thyroid conditions by treating the ears (an area which is associated with the 5th chakra). A TCM practitioner will also use acupuncture to enhance immunity, balance hormones, regulating emotions, and energy levels. All of these things play a role in thyroid function.
Acupuncture and yoga complement each other by further improving the smooth flow of energy in the body, removing blockages, cultivating wellbeing, accelerating the healing process, and used as a preventative to poor health. After all, the best cure is prevention. By using acupuncture and yoga
you can experience positive changes in your life.
Acupuncture enhances your awareness, boosts your energy and helps the muscles to relax faster after a yoga session. Yoga has it’s own diagnostic system. It uses your ability/ inability to do certain asanas (yoga poses) to identify physical and emotional issues. Some of these physical and emotional issues can be further released through acupuncture.
Acupuncture has its own diagnostic system which can illustrate which yoga poses are most beneficial to enhance you overall treatment. Acupuncture has the ability to complement your yoga work and vice versa. It helps to further open up pathways allowing your work more deeply into your yoga poses. You can experience these positive benefits by trying a combination of yoga & acupuncture.
There are many types of yoga. Some yoga styles use the philosophical basis of Chinese Medicine. It does this by identifying the TCM meridians(pathways) on the body and which poses activate these meridians.A persons ability or inability to do these poses identifies the persons constitutional organ
strengths & weaknesses. The poses that are difficult to do are considered weaknesses within the body.These are the poses that a person should concentrate on strengthening to become more healthy overall. Often one yoga pose contains multiple organ pathways and so you can still treat and
balance your body with yoga.
An example of combining Chinese Medicine with Chinese Medicine yoga is Bladder incontinence. You can use acupuncture and herbs to treat the bladder and kidney while doing bladder and kidney yoga poses to enhance the healing process. The Bladder and Kidney meridians are activated and strengthened by these yoga poses. An example of this is wide leg sit ups which from a western perspective strongly strenghtens the pelvic floor.
You can learn about which yoga poses are best suited to you by attending a yoga class based on Chinese Medicine and further enhance it by seeing your local TCM Practitioner. Some TCM Practitioners practice both TCM & TCM Yoga.