Gentle/Yin Yoga for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, and Epstein Barr Virus

This piece is about a Yogic and Mindful perspective on Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, and the Epstein Barr Virus.

There are 1,000’s of medical articles, studies, and conclusions in regards to what causes and what treats Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, and the Epstein Barr Virus. From a Yogic and Mindfulness perspective, the findings are a little more condensed.

The 3 health contrasts I have mentioned today all have strong symptoms, personality traits, lifestyles, and emotional/mental habits in common.

Emotional stress that has been prolonged, negative mental perceptions of self and life, the desire to give others abundant love and time before oneself, lifestyles that leave rest as something that is last on the priority list or push the body past pain, and the inability to “unplug” at some point each day are common threads in the stories of those that work with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, and Epstein Barr. Yoga and Mindfulness teach cost effective, low time investment, accessible methods to help the body and mind start to heal.

In our Gentle Yoga Yin class, we rotate through tools that can address all of the above! This class starts out with “Centering”. Centering helps the mind slow down, turns the focus in towards the body, mind, and breath and helps the senses begin to disconnect to external stimuli. When class shifts to the movement part of class (asana), movements that gently lengthen the muscles, release tension, and gradually build strength are worked with. After the movement portion, class shifts to relaxation or meditation. Both relaxation and meditation continue to support the mind having minimal stimulation, deep breathing, and muscular release.

Though the structure of the Gentle Yoga Yin class, the end result is oxygenation of the entire body, support of the parasympathetic nervous system, “unplugging” from the rest of life, and a tool kit to take home and work with every week.

Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, and Epstein Barr are very important opportunities to be pro-active in creating positive internal “talk”, in honoring the physical limitations of the body, and taking care of oneself.