Comments on: Bipolar Disorder: Meds, meds and more meds http://www.yogaforbipolar.com/bipolar-disorder-meds-meds-and-more-meds-14 Manage bipolar moods with yoga Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:48:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: David Morgan http://www.yogaforbipolar.com/bipolar-disorder-meds-meds-and-more-meds-14#comment-73 David Morgan Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:36:11 +0000 http://www.yogaforbipolar.com/bipolar-disorder-meds-meds-and-more-meds-14#comment-73 Anais, thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. Vata style yogas like Ashtanga, vinyasa, power yoga, etc, would have that effect. And some who take an ayurvedic approach might propose that bipolar disorder is already a sign of imbalanced vata dosha, so there you go. I find that if I do sun salutations in an evening class I simply can't get to bed. I recommend Kripalu Yoga for people with bipolar disorder. It is very grounding. And meds should always stay an option. Good for you, it sounds like you're taking care of yourself and making good choices for your health. Anais, thank you so much for sharing your experience with us.

Vata style yogas like Ashtanga, vinyasa, power yoga, etc, would have that effect. And some who take an ayurvedic approach might propose that bipolar disorder is already a sign of imbalanced vata dosha, so there you go. I find that if I do sun salutations in an evening class I simply can’t get to bed.

I recommend Kripalu Yoga for people with bipolar disorder. It is very grounding.

And meds should always stay an option. Good for you, it sounds like you’re taking care of yourself and making good choices for your health.

]]> By: Anais http://www.yogaforbipolar.com/bipolar-disorder-meds-meds-and-more-meds-14#comment-72 Anais Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:07:55 +0000 http://www.yogaforbipolar.com/bipolar-disorder-meds-meds-and-more-meds-14#comment-72 Very interesting site. I have been getting back my yoga practice since being stabilised with hospitalisation & the correct meds. A couple of observations I have made in my own history with both yoga and bipolar... I believe that for a number of years, my yoga practice really helped with the bipolar depression. However, when I practised ashtanga yoga (for approx 8 years), it actually increased my manic episodes - to the extreme. I'm not by any means suggesting that this would be the case for any one else, and I think ashtanga is a great practice, but this experience taught me that some practices are more helpful to me than others in particular phases of the illness. I must also make the comment that when my illness became severe it was impossible to have ANY sort of yoga practice. The tools that I had had for so many years became inaccessible to me. When I recently entered a mixed state with extreme suicidal compulsions, my ONLY option was hospitalisation and meds. The hospitalisation and meds have set me back significantly financially, but I would not have been alive to be doing yoga again if I had not taken this path. Sometimes, it's necessary to be well before we can consider yoga, and sometimes the only way to do that is through the meds. And in my case, I know that it's a lifetime of meds... hopefully with a lifetime of yoga to accompany it :) Very interesting site. I have been getting back my yoga practice since being stabilised with hospitalisation & the correct meds.
A couple of observations I have made in my own history with both yoga and bipolar… I believe that for a number of years, my yoga practice really helped with the bipolar depression. However, when I practised ashtanga yoga (for approx 8 years), it actually increased my manic episodes - to the extreme. I’m not by any means suggesting that this would be the case for any one else, and I think ashtanga is a great practice, but this experience taught me that some practices are more helpful to me than others in particular phases of the illness.
I must also make the comment that when my illness became severe it was impossible to have ANY sort of yoga practice. The tools that I had had for so many years became inaccessible to me. When I recently entered a mixed state with extreme suicidal compulsions, my ONLY option was hospitalisation and meds. The hospitalisation and meds have set me back significantly financially, but I would not have been alive to be doing yoga again if I had not taken this path. Sometimes, it’s necessary to be well before we can consider yoga, and sometimes the only way to do that is through the meds. And in my case, I know that it’s a lifetime of meds… hopefully with a lifetime of yoga to accompany it :)

]]> By: admin http://www.yogaforbipolar.com/bipolar-disorder-meds-meds-and-more-meds-14#comment-35 admin Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:13:56 +0000 http://www.yogaforbipolar.com/bipolar-disorder-meds-meds-and-more-meds-14#comment-35 Chris, great point. Sometimes I hear "yoga is for everyone, everyone should do yoga" and that makes me cringe. Yoga is for those who want yoga, and it's open to anybody. Saying everyone should do yoga is like saying everyone should have the same religion. It's well-meaning arrogance. Chris, great point. Sometimes I hear “yoga is for everyone, everyone should do yoga” and that makes me cringe. Yoga is for those who want yoga, and it’s open to anybody. Saying everyone should do yoga is like saying everyone should have the same religion. It’s well-meaning arrogance.

]]> By: chris http://www.yogaforbipolar.com/bipolar-disorder-meds-meds-and-more-meds-14#comment-31 chris Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:02:15 +0000 http://www.yogaforbipolar.com/bipolar-disorder-meds-meds-and-more-meds-14#comment-31 glad i found your site. I use intermediate physical yoga, Thai chi, and meditations all helped me with my bipolar recovery. What works for one ,wont work for the next... but yoga is always worth exploring for mental health. glad i found your site. I use intermediate physical yoga, Thai chi, and meditations all helped me with my bipolar recovery.
What works for one ,wont work for the next… but yoga is always worth exploring for mental health.

]]>