Arthritis: Yoga is the ultimate remedy for arthritis. Yoga and Health: Yoga means ‘to join’ or ‘to unit’ the question is with whom? Yoga Gurus explains, Yoga is to establish unity with the ultimate Reality- ‘God’ Yoga word originates from the Sanskrit word ‘Yuj’ means ‘to center ones thoughts’, ‘to concentrate oneself or to meditate deeply.’ Humans, biologically and atomically are alike ‘Big Apes’ whose diet is fruits and vegetables. That is why when meats, which are rich in proteins, are difficult to digest by man. The urea and uric acid in meat enter the human blood and give rise to mental sickness and laziness, then it starts to accumulate into the joints, resulting in Rheumatism and Arthritis, and also other chronic diseases, such as Spinal abnormalities and Scoliosis, Gout etc. Arthritisis not a natural part of aging, though seniors are more easily attacked by it due to old age, weakness, diet and lack of exercise. Certain types of arthritis can be prevented and cured. It is linked with bones, muscles and joints especially. Arthritis is the inflammation of the joints, if unchecked in time it can lead to permanent disability. As a matter of fact any symptoms of this disease should be checked and treated immediately. Arthritis can strike early. This disease attacks adult at the age of 40-50. Statistics show that half the people under 65 years of age are affected by this disease. Even children are not spared, they have Juvenile arthritis. This is due to insufficient energy balance supply during the fetal stages of body development, which often offset the body’s muscular and skeletal structure resulting in spinal abnormalities. Arthritis can be heredity, but it does not mean that if your parents had arthritis you will get the disease. With timely early and accurate diagnosis this disease can be averted. Exercise programs are important for anybody with Arthritis: Posture is hard on your spine, compresses your lungs, depriving your body of oxygen and accelerates gravity’s effects on your facial contours. *To improve posture, do this simple activity. Walk around your living room with a book balanced on top of your head. Learn to adopt this posture and you will get rid of your back pains. Note following points while exercising: 1. Arthritis Patients when starting an exercise should at first move only a few inches in any exercise until you begin to experience some discomfort the extreme position which you can easily do, hold for a count of 5. 2. You should attempt to repeat the movement 2-3 times. 3. Each day you should attempt to move an inch father and hold on second longer, until you reach a satisfactory distance and count. 4. Never over strain yourself, especially when you are having pain, there will be probably days, when you simply cannot practice at all. So, wait for a day or two until the intensity of the painful period has passed, then begin again. 5. Arthritis is not confirmed to older people only, younger can also suffer from bone and joint pains. This is due to the insufficient exercising of joints and improper diet. Like any other disease, diet plays an important role in arthritis. 6. Yoga is a healing preventive therapy and maintenance program. It makes you active throughout the day. But it should be done longer and more often to get the results. One of the painful arthritis ailments is: 'Wrist Pain: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome': This is quite common among people who do excessive manual work. I did not have any idea how painful this is until I experienced it myself. For 6 months my hands gave me a nightmare. Twenty-four hours my hands felt heavy with numbness and with pain in the finger/palm joints. At night a slight movement of the wrists resulted in shooting pain in the hands which could not let me sleep. The result was that I felt so much helpless that I could not open the water bottle, clip-on my earrings or put on any other jewelry even my wedding ring I had to remove due to swollen finger. The start of this ailment signal with the locking of one finger. When you bend that finger it can’t be straighten up easily. It will take some time to unlock it after some massage. Do not neglect this warning. Treat it immediately. This is tingling, pain and numbness in the fingers. This syndrome is more common among those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. It creates pain in your fingers when you touch the key of a computer. Excessive manual work like typing, hair dressing etc. can aggravate the symptoms. Causes: *Numbness caused usually by pressure on the medium nerve, which runs through the wrist over tight ligament band into the hand, providing sensation and movement to hand and fingers. *Repeat strain injury. *Pressure can also be caused by hormonally induced fluid retention, due to pregnancy and/or a contraceptive pill. Initial treatment by home treatment. *Rest is an important part of the treatment. *Walnuts and hazel nuts are a good source of vitamin B6, which give relief from pain Treatment: Hot and Cold Therapy: The hottest and coldest temperature should be that which you can tolerate on an irritated area. If there is a dull or sharp pain in a localized area, apply ice pack to it in 10 minutes interval, i.e. apply ice on the area for 10 minutes, then remove it for at least 10 minutes. Repeat 3-5 times. Precautions: Icing for more than 12-15 minutes on a specific area will increase the body’s natural reaction to increase blood circulation (dilates the blood vessel) in order to protect the tissue from cell damage. The increase flow to the already inflamed area will make it even more inflamed, thus it will counteract by causing more pain. *Physiotherapy and exercise, specially stretching exercises, are effective. *Avoid using computer or any work which puts a strain on the fingers. *Compression: Apply comfortably an elastic wrap after hot or cold treatment. Wrap should be worn while sleeping. In January 2018, I started having numbness and tingling in the three lateral fingers. I consulted my family Ayurvedic physician, He prescribed some vitamins and Ayurvedic oil to put lightly, on the affected fingers. Meanwhile, I also, started some stretches on the hand. *Exercise 1. Take your hand in front of you, stretch open loosely. Now massage each finger with pressure, starting from the base of palm to the tip of the finger. Do this massage to every finger of the palm 5 times. Repeat this massage on the other hand too. 2. Stretch hand in front of you. Take hold of your fingers with the other hand. Loosen your hand and push the fingers downwards at the back as far as you as far as you can do can, feel the stretch. Hold it for the count of 30. Release and relax. 3. Keeping the hand in the same position take one finger and press it down backwards as far as you can bear the stretch. Hold for the count of 10. Repeat with all the rest of the fingers of both hands including the thumb. 4. Try to make fists on both hands, to articulate the finger joints. These stretch exercises I learned from Holistic Naturopathic Hospital in Palampur, a hill station in Himachal. 5. Massage therapy for treating Carpel tunnel syndrome. I had this shooting in my right hand, when my first granddaughter, Megha was born, while playing with her and picking her for long stretches I got this pain. It was so painful that at night if by chance I had to push the comforter a little aside, I could not even bear the weight of the comforter on the wrist unbearable pain used shoot up. Symptoms: This pain in the wrist comes after repetitive lifting and hard work done with the hands. There is tingling and burning sensation and the peripheral nerve compression is the outcome of the repetitive wrist action. Massage: i) Apply a little extra virgin oil to the front and back sides of patient’s left wrist and hand begin slowly massaging in a gentle, circular motion with your right thumb and index finger the flexor tendons and the median nerve located within the carpel tunnel itself. ii) Grip the fatty part of patient’s hand with your hand index finger while at the same time slightly pushing on the backside of patient’s hand with the bent tip of your thumb. iii) After a couple of probes with your hand, you then grasp this part of patient’s hand with the left side of your index finger and bottom part of the thumb in a slight grip, while at the same time sliding your left thumb over the back part of patient’s left hand located between patient’s thumb and index finger. This procedure was done for several minutes. Then switch to other hand. Do this simple massage for 3 times or 5 times a day. This will relieve the tingling and burning sensation, also will relieve the peripheral nerve compression, thus curing the Tunnel syndrome. On 124th May, I consulted Orthopedic Physiotherapist, Dr. Tina Teckchandani (P.T.) of ‘My Physio’, for my hands. Her diagnosis was also that I had Bilateral Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. She explained me that I was having persistent bilateral wrist and hand pain, along with swelling and tingling numbness over the 3 lateral fingers on both hands. She checked me thoroughly and diagnosis BCTS. My Physiotherapist started the check-ups and some rehabilitation program to restore ‘neurodynamic and reduce sensory symptoms, along with obtaining full range of motion in the wrist. In addition, focus on activity mobilization for forearm and hand using hot compression, wrist splint and avoiding sustained wrist position to manage pain and swelling.
The Physiotherapist's treatment: 1. TENS ----- B/L wrist 2. TENS ----- B/L palms 3. B/L ------- Ultra Sound 4. Hot Compress 5. Exercises She started the treatment immediately and gave me 4 sittings in 2 days, twice daily. I could feel the effect of the treatment, but it was very slow. She told me that the treatment will be slow, but I have to continue with it without break to have complete benefit. So, she suggested and arranged her colleague in Delhi, who could visit and treat me at home in Delhi. On 12th July, Dr Joshi continue my treatment where Dr. Surbhi left. He brought two machines with him – - TENS for B/2 wrists and Palms - B/2 Ultra sound He worked on my hands with both these machines. It used to take him about 45 minutes for this. After that he used to put pressure on the sides of the wrist and massage downwards at the same time on both sides, to release the pressure on the median nerve, which runs through the wrist over tight ligament band into the hand. This nerve provides sensation and movement to hand and fingers. The worst sensation was, when my hands could not bear the cold air of the air – conditioner or the ordinary fan, even in hot summer days in Delhi, the hands on exposure to cold air became cold, heavy and listless. In the end I had to give hot compress for 15 minutes on the wrists by hot water bottle. He advised me to do stretching exercises of the hand, palm and fingers, similar, to the ones I was doing. Also, he taught me some new stretching exercises and massage of the wrists and arms to release the pressure from the nerve. The progress of recovery was slow yet, I could feel the relief, specially during the night, when I could sleep peacefully without wearing the gloves and splints. Day by day, with every sitting I could use my hands in doing little things, which I could not do, before the treatment. Things, like opening the water bottle cap, combing my hair without uneasiness etc. Above all I could sleep well without the persistent heaviness and pain in the hands. In the mornings, when I woke, my hands were heavy and painful for which I could not move them until I massage and exercised the hands. After each setting, I experienced heaviness, pain in the hands, and swelling in the fingers. I had 3 weekly sittings in the first 3 weeks, Twice sittings, next 3 weeks, and once weekly for the next 4 weeks. After that 80% of the ailment was gone, though heaviness, numbness, tingling and occasional pain in the nodes and palms was still there. After the last 3 sittings of physiotherapy, I recovered faster. I could use my hands more normally, the heaviness and numbness decreased a lot, but not completely gone. At the stage my physiotherapist told me that I can go to U.S.A. and I will not be needing any more physiotherapy sittings. The rest of the recovery will be naturally done by persistent and regular massage, stretching exercises and hot compresses. On 18th October, I came to Dallas, at that time I could do lots of things with my hands, could easily move my wrists in any direction without any pain, except for the heaviness, pain and the numbness in the lateral 3 fingers, I could easily do my daily tasks, as most of my could bear weight in doing things. The co-ordination of the fingers improved so much so that I could put on my earrings without any difficulty, which previously I had to get help from my daughter in doing so. I am thankful to God for the improvement I am feeling. Since, I came here, 2 months back, I have almost recovered the heaviness, pain in the fingers and palms, but the numbness of the fingers is still there though it has decreased. I am continuing my stretching exercises, massage of the wrists, forearms and palms, with regular hot compression, and hope to recover completely from my ailment. Stretching Exercises: Palm stretch: 1. Put your hand on the table, let it relax, now begin to massage each finger, start rubbing from the base of the palm towards the tip of the finger. Repeat 10 times. Do the same massage with each finger, on both hands. Four fingers stretch: 2. Place, your arm on the table raise forearm and stretch the palm in front, keep it lose, With the other hand, take the four fingers together and press them down as far as you can bear. Hold for the count of 30. Relax. Repeat, this stretch on the other hand. Each finger - stretch: 3. Put your palm as above, take one finger with the other hand and bend it downwards as far as you can, hold for the count of 10. Stretch all the fingers in the same way. Repeat the stretch on the fingers of the other hand. At this time I have recovered 95% from the Carpel Tunnel Syndrome and I hope to recover from the rest of the 5% of the C.T.S. by continuing the massage and stretching exercises. Some personal experiences, precautions and natural remedies for this painful ailment.
People who suffer from osteoarthritis can recognize the creeaakkkkk sound of the knees in motion. Pain stiffness and limited movement and in some cases swelling, are Osteo-Arthritis's (OA), other main symptoms. OA (Osteo-Arthritis) occurs when cartilage, which protects bones from grinding, against one another, breaks done due to aging or abnormal wear on the joints. The spine, hip, neck, feet and hands can also be affected. Food for arthritis: : i) Take less dal (Lentils) night. ii) Avoid cucumber. iii) Take Salad in the morning. iv) Eat half amount of food in the evening than in the morning. v) Take 4 liter water daily. Drink water after 1 hour after food. Obesity is the biggest risk factor for Osteoarthritis. Extra weight can add to mechanical force on joints, as a result decrease mobility. Thus losing weight may reduce risk of developing OA and help those who already have the disease. Honey: Even though honey has more calories than sugar, it helps in digesting the fat stored in your body when consumed with warm water. Similarly honey and lemon juice and cinnamon help in reducing weight. With age, in the older people the metabolism slows down and weight starts to increase. To avoid this – biking, walking or doing any moderate aerobic activity for just 5 minutes per day is enough to keep weight gain in check. A simple recipe as given below for pain relief, stiffness and soreness of the joints due to Arthritis. A cup of tea boiled with ½ “ginger root piece, gives relief to pain of the joints. Ginger added to the diet of arthritis patient, gives great relief to the pain and swelling. For lower abdominal pain: take a mixture of 1 tsp grated ginger pulp and 1 tsp lime juice. Take this mixture immediately after eating. This can prevent pain for longer period. All natural supplements and remedies take time to work. Patience is the key to have success with natural medicine. Healing and balancing the body can only go as fast as your progress or need help- with your choices, consult your Herbalist, Homeopath or Osteopath before consulting a Physician. Herbal bath: In Denmark, a research found that with the following herbal bath there can be relieve in the pain and swelling of the arthritis patient. In a quart of water mix 1” piece of fresh ginger or 1 tsp dried ginger powder, bring to a boil. Then allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and add the mixture to your bath water and soak the inflamed part for no longer than 15 minutes. Hot and Cold bath relieves a lot of joint problems It is not only the old people who suffer from joint pain or locking of the joints. The young children also suffer from it. My grand daughter only 18 years old, has a lock in her big toe joint of the right foot. This is due to her putting weight on her toe for long while sitting. I had my right ring finger and left hand thumb joints affected so I cured them with the following self-treatment: Inflamed ring finger of right hand and Thumb of left hand due to arthritis Cured by self healing.In Palampur, Himachal Pardash in India- A Natural Cure Institute 'Kaya Kalap' has been established. On my last visit to that place I took only 1 Physiotherapy sitting and learned how to self treat my inflamed finger and thumb. Besides the Physiotherapist taught me how to massage carefully the painful infected joints. Treatment by Hot and Cold Bath: I cured my locked and inflamed finger and thumb by taking 2 Bowls of water, one with very hot water and the other with cold water. I submersed my inflamed hand in hot water first for 4 minutes, exercises gently like squeezing a sponge ball. Then I plunged it in the cold water bowl, did the same exercise of squeezing ball for 1 minute. This whole exercise was repeated for 3 more times, daily for 2 months patiently, without break. The result was that my hand has recovered quite completely. Treated with Combined therapies: Two years back both my knees started giving me trouble. I could hardly walk and could not stand for long. On checkup my X-ray reviled that the ligaments -knee pad- in both my knees were completely damaged due to over use and old age. Even after being regular in my workouts, at the age of 76, I have reduced my knee pads and some points in the knee bones specially, in my left knee, resulting in my limping, unable to stand even for 5-10 minutes at a stretch, which restricted my movements even going out of the house for an hour or so, was a great problem. This was all due the overuse of the leg & knee muscles and joints. My knees were painful and it was as if some weight was on them, the legs were lifeless and heavy. I got my X-rays done and consulted an Orthopedic. He was surprised to see my report and told me how was I able to take even a step with such a damaged and inflamed knees. Though, he and my Physiotherapist were amazed by the flexibility of my body, which is the result of my 'Workout Plan’. A good investment in health: (written by some unknown) Daily yoga practice is a good investment in health. Twelve minutes a day will purchase a toning of the muscles, improve the digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems, as well as increase the energy-giving oxygen consumption to the nerves and brain. Treatment given for the damaged knees was (i) 10 Physiotherapy sittings, after that I was suggested (ii) To have hot bottle treatment for the knees, and (iii) to have a gentle massage on the inflamed knees with muscular- relaxant ointment. (iv) Basic stretching and strengthening leg exercises to strengthen my bones, groins and muscles were taught (v) For the pain, pain killer tablets were prescribed, which luckily I did not need due to my Pranayama. (vi). Advised to maintain my weight and to be careful about diet. After Physiotherapy sittings I was at least, able to walk properly with less pain and uneasiness. Besides this I continued by workout plan with the doctor’s consult, eliminating those activities which strain or put undo pressure on the damaged knees (e.g. Sitting in an asana, jumping, and vigorously jogging). After two months of religiously following the prescribed treatment and exercises my legs are strong enough to keep me straight in my walk, and I can now stand for almost two hours at a stretch, with intermediate sitting for 2 minutes, without any strain on my knees. The inflammation has gone but the pain which has reduced much, is still there when I over exert my knees. I have to be careful while walking or sitting on the floor. The exercises suggested by the Physiotherapist did wonders to my legs, they have become so strong that I can now sit in an Asana while doing Pranayama. Precautions: My doctor advised me: 1.Not to climb up and down the stairs or walk on slops as it put much strain on the damaged knee joints. 2.Not to stand on one place more than 15 minutes, that too, to put one foot on the stool when I feel the strain in the knee. On the first day, Doctor, on looking at my knees, suggested 15 days Physio-therapic sitting and if there is no sign of improvement then operation will be the end solution. From that very moment I made up mind to self treat myself by exercise, massage, pranayama or any other natural therapy but never surgery. It took me two years to make my knee muscles and hamstrings strong enough to enable me to walk almost for hour or two without pain and can stand for hours doing household courses. Thanks to the Self-Healing Therapy, which I did with patience and faith. Physiotherapist Exercises for the damaged Knees: Exercises to release tension, to stretch and to strengthen the leg and knee muscles. i). Lie straight on your back with arms at the side of the body. Raise your right leg straight, one foot high. Hold for the count of 10. Bring it down. Repeat 10 times. Lie straight as above and repeat the exercise with the left leg with 10 repetitions. ii). Stay in the position as above. Roll a towel or put a small pillow under your right knee. While lying straight try to push the pillow down with your knee, without bending it. Hold for the count of 10. Then release the pressure. Repeat 10 times. Repeat the above stretch with the left knee with 10 repetitions. iii). Now staying in the same position, put the pillow under the right heel. Push the pillow down with the heel. Hold for 10 seconds. Release and repeat 10 times. Put the pillow under your left heel and repeat the stretch 10 times. iv). Sit on the edge of a bed or on a chair with your back straight. Raise your right leg to the level of your bed or chair. Hold for the count of 10. Bring it back to the ground. Repeat 5-6 times. Now repeat the above movements with your left leg. Initially do these stretches 5-6 times daily. Gradually you have to increase the number of repetitions to 10 and to do them, three- four times daily. The pressing of the knee is very effective exercise. It strengthens the knee joints and makes them flexible giving relief to pain. Precautions: 1. Overstretching or bouncing into a stretch can be harmful. 2. Never overdo, always do as much as is comfortable to your body. 3. Wear loose and comfortable clothes while exercising. 4. Do not work out in a warm room. An early knee injury in life can put a person 5 times to the risk for OA. 1. So, ease into an exercising session and rest frequently. 2. Wear braces and pads as necessary. 3. Flat shoes help with balance and alignment. 4. Physiotherapy sessions give relief to the pain and the swelling in the affected area. Household cleaning floor and washing clothes can be exercise for arthritis knees and hand fingers and thumb: Unconsciously I was able to get benefit from common household cleaning. During my treatment of the knees my household help left and I had to keep my place clean. That time my legs were quite stiff and it was difficult for me to move them in any direction, and I was afraid to do so fearing I might worsen the condition. But I tried to mop up a little portion of the floor by standing with my legs and feet, as I could not sit on my knees to use my hands. I spread the wet mop on the floor and putting my foot over it I could really cleaned quite a space. At first it was not very easy but latter on this leg exercise helped me to make my legs less stiff and it gave relieve to my pain too. Gradually I could rotate my legs in different direction slowly and carefully. At that time I was not sure if this also really contributed towards my improvement of the knee pain and made my legs strong so that I could stand for longer period i.e. for 1-2 hours and work in the kitchen without sitting on the high stool, which I used to do. Recently, after 6-7 months I read an article on “Tip for Health” Mop up the floor by standing, with your feet was one of the tips for the arthritic knees. This confirmed my experience of mop as beneficial exercise for painful knees. But one should do it cautiously and slowly. Washing Clothes also contributes towards releasing the knots in my thumb and unlocking my right hand ring finger. I started with the hot and cold treatment for my hands as above by taking 2 bowls, but gradually I started to use small clothes washing under hot water tap and then under cold water, squeezingthe clothes as a ball in hot water for 4 minutes then turning the tap to cold water for 1 minute. Repeating this 3 times. In this way I was to utilize my time in washing and treating my fingers at the same time. Self Treatment for damaged Knees: The arthritis patients should not put stress on their painful joints only mild stretching exercises will help them strengthen the joints and the muscles of the body. Arthritis patients when starting any exercise should at first move only a few inches in any exercise until you begin to experience some discomfort. This is the extreme position, which you can easily do, hold for a count upto 5. Exercise: Increases flexibility, strengthens muscles around joints, extends range of motion, helps maintain a healthy weight and decrease pain. The joints will need moderate daily activity than vigorous exercise. Yoga aerobics in the shower: The best place to perform your routine yoga aerobics is in the shower. The comfortable temperature (between 83*F-88*F) and buoyancy of warm water is a perfect place to relieve the pain and stiffness of Arthritis. If you are doing gentle movements while sitting in a hot tub, keep the water temperature slightly higher. Water supports joints, encourages free movement and offers resistance, which can help to strengthen muscles. Heat is recommended for many arthritis sufferers, but not all. Consult your doctor before starting.
Exercises for Strengthening Muscles of Calves and Groins for the treatment of the inflamed Arthritis Knee
Cobbler stretch Sitting Groin stretch- Cobbler Pose: 1. Sit on the floor back stretched straight, soles of the feet joined and the 90* bended knees extended outwards. 2. Try to touch the floor with the knees, but do not force the knees to touch the floor. 3. Use hands and arms to hold the legs in position during the stretch. 4. You can slightly lean fore-ward with elbows on knees to further your stretch. 5. Do not bounce. Hold for 30-60 seconds for optimum stretch. 6. Breathe deeply and release the stretch. Stretching will improve appearance, flexibility, health, and overall performance. First warm-up for 5-10 minutes at a low intensity (such as elliptical machine, exercise bike, or treading mill) and stretch the muscles used. If your workout time allows it, a cardiovascular exercise for at least 20 minutes at a faster pace is recommended. Then a 5-10 minutes cool down at low intensity should be completed. Now that you have warmed up, you should stretch every major muscle group. Inner thigh muscles can be stretched by Supine Groin Stretch.
Supine Groin stretch
Supine Groin stretch: Lie on your back. Bend you knees at 90* and join the soles of the feet together. Move the knees away from each other towards the floor. Hold comfortably for 30 seconds. Breathe deeply. If you feel undue stress in the groin or hip area, place a pillow under each knee to minimize the stress. Caution: Avoid wall Groin stretch if you have had a previous hip injury. Benefits: Stretches the inner thigh muscles. Prone Groin stretch is Varjasana pose and Shell pose the difference being that you do not arch the back. Feel the stretch inside the thigh. Hold for 30 seconds. Breathe deeply. This stretch is also called 'hockey stretch." Prone Groin stretch (‘hockey stretch’): (1). Sit on the floor. Separate the knees and drop fore wards to your elbows. (2). Keep your head and neck straight so that the fore-head rests on the floor. Do not bend the back. (3). Feel the tightness inside the thighs. Hold for 30 seconds. (4). Breathe deeply. Return to your original position.
Wall Groin stretch
Strengthening exercises easy to do in a room: i) Biceps Curls: Place a weighted object – a telephone directory or a full wine bottle or any filled bottle- in each hand and slowly bend both elbows pulling the objects up to your shoulders. Then slowly return arms to starting position. Repeat 10 times. ii) Wall Squats: Lean your back against a wall with your feet a foot from the wall. Slide down so that you are in a seated position, your thighs parallel to the floor, arms at the sides or folded in front of your chest. Slide back up to starting point. Repeat 10 times. iii) Lateral raises: Stand with your feet shoulder apart, arms at your side. Grasp a weighted object in each hand, Raise slowly your arms straight out from your sides to shoulder level, bending your elbows slightly, palms facing the floor. Slowly return to starting position. Repeat 10 times. Wall Groin stretch Place the buttocks as close to a wall as possible. Place the legs straight up with heels against the wall. If tight hamstrings prevent you from touching the wall, move in as close as possible. Keep both arms out on the floor for support. Slowly separate the legs until you feel a slight pain in the groin. Then bring the legs back up about 1/4 inch. Hold comfortably for 30 seconds. Breathe deeply. This stretch can be done away from the wall also, as shown in the figure.