MOTION SICKNESS

What is motion sickness?
Motion sickness is usually experienced while riding in a car (car sickness), or a boat (sea sickness), or in airplane (air sickness) or in any other passive locomotion. It can also be caused even while standing still while viewing a large screen movie that contains significant motion. This is characterized by dizziness - nausea ,vomiting, fatigue followed by  pallor (loss of color).

Motion sickness is due to oversensitivity of the nerves that carry the information of position sense to the brain. There are two major set of these nerves. One set of sensors are situated in the ear which continuously updates the angle of movement of the entire trunk. Other set of messages to the brain come from the eyes. During rapid changes  in position caused by travel, these two "motion messages" conflict thereby causing motion sickness. This imbalance occurs due to hypersensitivity of these balance maintaining  nerves. This over reactive nerve impulses in turn set off a general alarm response set into the system to cope up with any danger called Stress Adaptation Response(SAR). This general response is characterized by anxiety followed by nausea, vomiting , a collapsed feeling etc. This is similar to what would happen in any form of pain in any part of the body for whatever reason. These responses are carried out by stimulating a set of nerves called sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves that  have connections with all organs of the body and can make necessary changes in their function  on demand. Thus although these complaints are the body’s protective reactions to escape from danger or cope up with danger in really dangerous situations ,in this context the  SAR system has been unnecessarily triggered because of wrong alarm sent from the balance sensors. Therefore  what should be the remedy for such a person? He /she should be able to understand this and retrain the nervous system by self training techniques taught in yoga to desensitize oneself to these motion responses. This can be done by systematic exposure to rapid movement on the background of deep awareness and understanding of why a particular practice is being done.

Generally this problem of motion sickness disappears with maturity as  the person becomes stronger in his/her will power. Some hints to overcome or prevent the episodes are ,(a) facing forward and looking outside a car, ship, plane,(b) Staying busy and occupied with an activity that distracts the mind from the swaying environment (c) Gazing at some distant fixed object like the horizon as soon as discomfort in the tummy sets in (d) Avoid alcohol, smoking and greasy foods,(e) eat very small quantity before travel,(f)avoid reading while in motion.(g) try to occupy the areas of lesser movement in the vehicle and (h) apply cold pack to the eyes.

Yoga techniques basically are meant for achieving stability and balance at mental as well as physical levels. Regular practice of yoga should include balancing postures such as sirsasana, sarvangasana, matsysana and  vrikshasana. Before going on to these asanas it is necessary to stabilise and prepare the body with 20 minutes of other loosening and breathing exercises followed by three rounds of dynamic suryanamaskaras.

The most important practices are the kriyas –vamanadhouti (kunjal) is a very useful tool to get the nausea and vomiting reflexes under control. Regular once  a week practice of this kriya helps to both prevent and cure the problem. Kapalabhati is a useful practice to release all tensions and make the nervous system more and more stable.

After completing the set of yoga for about 40 minutes now the system is ready for the specific technique for motion sickeness. Do deep relaxation in supine posture, do abdominal breathing and chant ‘aaa’ to get into a nice calm state of mind. Stand up, close the eyes and start rotating the whole body by going round and round yourself with hands stretched out. Go on rotating faster and fater with full awareness and fearlessness. Stop when you feel uncomfortable and enjoy the mild imbalance. Keep the eyes closed. After the discomfort is gone, rotate again with deep internal awareness of the sensation of the changing  position  from all parts of the body. Go on increasing the speed within your confidence limit and wait until you induce the discomfort. Watch yourself, relax, do not panic, and enjoy the mild induced imbalance and relax. Repeat this alternate stimulation and relaxation several times for about ten to fifteen minutes and end the session with a good shavansana for ten minutes .This is the concept of stamina building advocated in yoga for achieving mastery over any function of the body using the internal awareness as the feedback for retraining the system. Regular practice for about two months should help you to get mastery over these symptoms of travel sickness and make you enjoy the travel.Now you are ready to experiment with yourself with the actual travel.

On the day of undertaking the travel prepare yourself by taking all precautions as mentioned above and do vamanadhouti two to three hours before .Once you are in the vehicle remember the state of deep relaxation ,slowness of the mind and internal expansion which are the key features of yoga. Do not have fear of failure. Keep on trying and you are sure to win.

MERU PRISHTHASANA – Rotating the upper body

Starting position: Tadasana

1.    Stand with legs slightly apart
2.    Inhaling raise arms sideways and place fingertips on shoulders
3.    Exhaling strongly rotate the upper body to the right.
4.    Inhaling return back to the centre. The legs and pelvis do not twist. Repeat the twisting movement 10 times.
5.    After the 10th twist of the right, exhale and bend the upper body down on hip level, keeping the back straight. Then move the body to the front
6.    Inhaling stand upright, exhaling return to starting position, repeat other side.
 

Note: Avoid this Asana with a slipped disc.