Yoga for curing stammering

(June 15, 2011)

Want yoga exercise to cure stammering.



Throughout history there have been a number of people who are known to stammer while they speak. While some of these people continue to live their lives just as it is there are others who make a conscious effort to overcome this disability. History has proved that this is a condition that one could overcome, though the process to do so could be slow and sometimes frustrating. Stammering or stuttering can affect children and adults from all walks of life, royalty included. Stammering definition states this as a speech or communication disorder where an individual may repeat a word or syllable several times, prolong certain words, stop or fumble during speech or emit no noise while shaping the word. Stammering/stuttering may worsen in social or public situations. Stammering speech maybe pronounced, especially during speeches, presentations or while conducting telephone conversations. Speech therapists show that stammering and anxiety maybe closely linked. Creating a calm, relaxed atmosphere can help individuals control their stammer or stutter.

Stammering in toddlers maybe the norm, especially as they learn to speak the language and grasp words and their meanings. They usually outgrow this stage as they become more confident with their speech skills. However, stammering in kids may be a concern for most parents. You can start by providing your children with a non-critical, relaxed atmosphere. Encourage your child to speak freely and do not interrupt them in the middle of a sentence. Persistent stammering in children may be overcome through speech therapy and breathing techniques for stuttering. Another powerful tool that can be used as part of speech exercises to strengthen your vocal chords includes yoga for stuttering. Another alternative is the use of traditional medicine to cure stammering. Ayurveda uses leaves, herbs and clarified butter to stimulate areas of the brain, which govern speech and memory. Before you seek any alternative help for stuttering, make sure that you talk to your doctor about therapies and options best suited to you or your child’s needs.

Stammering vs. stuttering. There has been plenty of debate surrounding stammering vs. stuttering. According to most medical texts, stammering and stuttering may be defined as speech development disorders. In countries like the UK, Canada and Australia, the condition is referred to as stuttering, while in America, it is addressed as stammering.  Minute differences include forcing out words indicating stuttering, while stammering involves pausing to get the word right.

Stammering causes. While there are no specific medical causes for stammering or stuttering, certain factors may contribute to this speech ailment. Experts believe that a large population of stammering or stuttering individuals may find a genetic link to their problem. Speech disorders may run in the family. Therefore, while stammering treatment may help individuals, there is no way of preventing this condition. Developmental stuttering may feature as a main cause of stammering in children. Children are still learning to use words and may stutter or fumble as they try to form sentences. They outgrow this stage as their speech and language abilities develop.

Neurogenic stuttering maybe caused by interruptions or obstructions in nerve signals that pass between the brain and nerves and muscles that control speech. Individuals who may have suffered a stroke or brain hemorrhage in the past may notice stuttering. In some rare cases, a congenital abnormality in the motor speech area of the brain may manifest as stammering or stuttering. Children with autism, a neural development disorder, may also suffer from speech disorders. Stammering and autism are indicators of poor communication development and impaired social interaction amongst these children. Many theories abound regarding stammering and left handedness. Research has busted one of the myths stating left-handed children may start stammering due to the trauma of being forced to use their right hand. While abnormal neural patterns (use of right side of brain over left side) may contribute to stammering, there is no proof linking stammering and left handedness.

How to stop stuttering?  No stammering cure is available yet through drugs and medication. For children, an early approach such as slow speech and praise for correct speech may help build confidence and ease the stutter. For stammering adults, however, various options may be explored. Speech therapy and electronic feedback devices can help. You may also consider yoga for stammering. Ensure that you practice yoga with a qualified instructor who is aware of your condition and will be able to guide you appropriately. So how does yoga for stammering work? Yoga experts believe that stammering maybe corrected through yoga postures (asanas) and Pranayama (Breathing Techniques). This holistic approach focuses on general physical and psychological health of the individual. It enhances mental alertness, memory, and concentration. Yoga also de-stresses and relaxes you, curbing the urge of stammering lips. Speech therapy places emphasis on the correct technique of breathing, so that stammering adults have the chance to form their words. Yoga breathing techniques perform a similar action.

Performing breathing techniques such as Sitkari (Hissing Breath), Kapalabhatti (Cleansing Breath), Brahmari (Humming Bee Breath) and Anuloma-Viloma (Alternate Nostril Breath) can ease breathing during bouts of stuttering or stammering. These breathing techniques may help individuals to relax and compose themselves in pressured situations that result in stammering such as public speeches, interviews, presentations, or telephone conversations.

The Hissing Breath technique involves pushing your tongue against the roof of the mouth. Inhaling in this position causes a hissing sound and hence the name. This breathing technique cools down the throat, lungs and body as the inhaled air passes through the saliva before entering the lungs. The inhaling motion also cools down the brain regions, which house motor and speech skills. Breathing techniques along with yoga meditation practice can help individuals channel their energy into overcoming speech disorders. Yoga postures focus on improving flexibility and balance. Yoga poses such as Simhasana (Lion Pose) and Pavanmuktasana (Wind Relieving Pose) helps to stretch facial and vocal muscles. These stretching exercises for the mouth, tongue, throat and chest region may stimulate nerve signals to the brain and treat speech disorders such as stammering and stuttering.

Simhasana (Lion Pose): In the Lion Pose, individuals are required to kneel down placing their body weight on the knees. The hands maybe placed on the knees with extended fingers for balance. An open chest and shoulder stance helps balance. The focus of this pose lies in opening your mouth and extending your tongue towards your chin. Your facial features will look terrifying or lion-like as you open your eyes wide, bare your teeth and stick your tongue out. Hold this position and feel the stretch. The stretching of the tongue through this yoga pose is known to benefit individuals with stammering difficulties.

Pavanmuktasana (Wind Relieving Pose): Yoga poses place special emphasis on inhaling wind energy or exhaling toxic wind from within the body to cleanse it. The Wind Relieving Pose helps to liberate the body from toxic gases formed during digestion. The cradling feature of this yoga pose may also relieve tension and calm various muscles and nerves. The posture enables individuals to stretch shoulder, chest and abdominal muscles. This combination of strength and flexibility exercise may help individuals with stammering problems. Additionally, the calming nature of the pose may help individuals overcome their self-consciousness.

Stammering in children maybe corrected through parental guidance and support. In adults, stammering treatment may require moderate to intensive therapy, depending on the developmental nature of this affliction. In the absence of oral medicines and drugs, yoga poses offer a holistic approach to speech disorders. Moreover, with no side effects involved, this alternate treatment may help both adults and children cope with their speech difficulties.

Submitted by A on June 15, 2011 at 01:22

Yoga To Cure Stammering 

The keys to resolving the issue of stammering is through the daily performance of yoga and meditation.  The meditation asanas in yoga helped to create a balance between the emotional and intellect in the affected patient and with the help of these disciplines the individual with affected speech patterns may find much relief and may also be able to conquer the problem of stammering.  It is possible to achieve better control over the speech patterns with the help of yoga, especially concentrating on breathing techniques and on meditation.

Meditation is of great benefit to the mind as it helps the individual to be still in a calm and composed manner, thus helping to relieve tension and mental stress from the body.  Most individuals affected with stammering are usually stressful due to their constant awareness in their social standing.  With the help of meditation, external stressors as well as internal anxiety is let loose and calmed down, thus helping the individual to get a better hold of his or her speech patterns.

Most yoga instructors emphasize on the importance of maintaining a straight spinal cord and proper sitting posture in order for the production of proper voice control. Some important asanas for treating stammering include Virabhadrasana and Surya Namaskar. Another useful asana for stammering is Janushirasasana along with a daily and disciplined practice of Pranayama. Pranayama holds many benefits for the respiratory system in addition to cleansing the internal organs of the body. Some important breathing techniques such as the learn Kapalabathi, Shitali, and Bastrika are highly instrumental in the control of breath, in keeping a throat moist constantly and clearing the nasal passages from congestion and other obstruction.  Please remember to perform all these exercises and the breathing techniques only with the help of a trained instructor as it is critical to know the right methods of breathing in order to control the disorder and cure it.

Submitted by C D on June 24, 2008 at 05:42

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