Cirrhosis of the liver is a serious problem and once it sets in then the liver starts to degenerate. In the first stage the membrane that covers the liver gets inflamed and the second stage is where the liver gets damaged. The inflammation of the membrane can be identified by certain symptoms. Firstly, the eyes of the person would not be clear but spotted, or they look heavy and not normal. The tongue will have a heavy deposit every morning when they wake up and thirdly, the most important symptom is the stool is sunk down and not floating. These are clear signs of damage to the liver.
If any of these symptoms are visible then it is important to take some remedial measures. If your liver gets damaged, medical science does not have a cure for it. Here we will refer to Ayurveda and yoga for some remedial measures.
Remedies
- Take Shyam tulsi leaves; crush them to make a juice. This is a very simple yet powerful and rejuvenating tonic. You may add honey according to taste. But kapha prakriti people should not take a lot of honey and can avoid it in this case. To know more about your prakriti (vata, pita, kapha) you may refer to the website www.dhyanfoundation.com.
Caution – Do not chew tulsi leaves. Tulsi contains mercury, an extremely potent element, which can both make and break the body. Chewing tulsi leaves may destroy tooth enamel leading to tooth decay which in turn affects the heart of the person directly.
- Drink 3 glasses of fresh pineapple juice daily with some honey (as per prakriti).This is a powerful tonic for flushing out toxins from the liver.
Stay Away from Emotional Congestion
The most important thing for anyone suffering with a bad liver is to avoid emotional congestion or tension. It has been medically proven that emotional congestion reduces the production of hormones in the body. It also aggravates hyperactivity of the liver. In yoga there is no scope of any hyperactivity in the body. If there is hyperactivity in the body then the first damage is not to the heart but to the liver. It is closest organ to the volatile Surya chakra from where one forms all the emotional bonds. Therefore negative emotions over a long period are as bad as alcohol for the liver.
Asanas to Strengthen your Liver
- SPHINX ASAN
Lie down on your stomach. Bring your elbows near your shoulders and place the palms on the ground. Lift the upper body above the ground and rest on your elbows, feet slightly apart. Inhale as you raise your head to look above the eye level and exhale as you bring down your head. Repeat this neck movement very slowly seven times.
- SUPT PAWANMUKT ASAN
Lie down in shavasana and relax. Lift the right leg above the ground as you bend your knee. Grasp the right knee with both your hands and bring it closer to your chest. Lift your neck n upper body to watch the toe of the foot that is raised. Hold your breath. You have to hold the breath inside and then pull the knees closer to the chest. The excess pressure created will remove all the toxins from the liver. As you exhale you come back down gently. Repeat the same with the left leg seven times and then with both legs together. Relax and normalize your breath.
- BRAHMCHARYA ASAN (variation)
Sit with both legs stretched on the floor. Bend right leg and place the right foot on your left thigh. Keep your spine straight. Now close your palms to make a fist and put the knuckles of the first two fingers on the ground. As you inhale you lift your body on your first two knuckles. Exhale and come back down. Repeat this posture seven times with each leg and seven times with both legs together.
Lie down in shavasana and relax.
These simple natural techniques will help keep your liver in shape. It is recommended that you visit the nearest Dhyan Foundation center to learn the correct way to practice these asanas. It’s important to ensure that your breath rate and heart rate do not shoot up while performing these asans. Maintain internal awareness throughout.
