om body
YOGA THERAPY
Cramps
Practical yoga therapy
techniques to start you
on the road to health:
physically, mentally,
emotionally and spiritually.
By Sarah Swindlehurst
The Problem
Cramps (in the leg) is a pain that comes from
the muscle of the leg; it’s due to muscle
spasm when a muscle spasms too hard.
Sometimes these appear in the quadricep
muscle, or lower calf muscle below and
behind the knee. Occasionally, the feet
muscles are affected too. All ages can
experience cramps and they can last up
to 10 minutes with varying pain levels.The Solution
The causes of cramps are sometimes unclear
on a physical level (idiopathic leg cramps),
However, they can be from poor nutrition,
dehydration, over exercise or too little
exercise. When cramps occur, massaging
and pressing into the belly (middle) of the
muscle can ease the spasm, though to
avoid it occurring again the cause needs to
be addressed. Yoga can address all levels
of the cause (mind, body, spirit), through
postures, breathing, relaxation techniques
and mindfulness.