MS Yoga Techniques

MyMS Yoga® allows you to adapt and modify the program based on your individual needs each day. When developing the MyMS Yoga program, Baron Baptiste and Dr. Frohman selected techniques and poses that address many of the issues common to people with multiple sclerosis.

Yoga and Breathing

Maintaining steady breathing is an important element of yoga practice. Your breath helps link your mind to your body. As you become more skillful at matching your breath to your movements, the two will no longer feel separate.

The breath we use for MyMS Yoga is called ujjayi breathing (ooh-jy-yee). The ujjayi breath is an audible breath that has a soothing and rhythmic quality. It is done by contracting the whispering muscles in your throat to create a long, ocean sounding breath. Both the inhale and exhale are through the nose. As you practice, bring your breath into your chest, lungs and back, rather than all the way down into your abdomen.

Practice breathing using the following steps:

• Bring your first or second finger to the soft spot between your collar bones.
• With your mouth closed, breathe in through your nose, feeling the gentle retraction of those muscles beneath your finger. It should feel as though you are whispering in reverse. As you inhale, the entire torso and back expand.
• For the exhalation, put your hand in front of your face, as though your hand were a mirror. Gently bring your belly in and, with your mouth closed and the muscles in your throat still contracted, exhale through your nose as if you were going to fog up that mirror. As you exhale, the torso and back go in toward your body.
• The length of your inhale and exhale should be equal.

MyMS Yoga Poses

Download Yoga Poses

Using Props to Help with Modifications

There are many simple ways to modify your yoga practice to meet your specific needs. Remember to listen to your body as you work slowly and steadily up to a desired level of intensity. Pause as needed to catch your breath and prepare for the next pose.

When practicing yoga poses that require modification, using props will help to ensure you can do the pose comfortably. You can always reach out to stabilize yourself on chairs, tables and walls. Common household items like the ones listed below can also serve as props: