Yoga and Epilepsy – What a Yoga Teacher Should Know

According to studies, a well-balanced Hatha Yoga or Yin Yoga practice can calm down the nervous system, which can reduce the chances of entering into a seizure and might even help to stop the seizure before it becomes full-blown. [3]

Interestingly, if yoga postures, breathing exercises, and meditation are practiced regularly and long enough, these may lead to some permanent changes in the brain. [4] Yoga for epilepsy then becomes a viable option as a supplementary habit for the management of epilepsy along with medication.

There is a chance that after the prolonged specific practice of yoga for epilepsy, positive changes in the body and brain can occur. These changes may help prevent seizures and increase the duration of seizure-free periods. In this way, yoga for epilepsy can be seen as a complementary treatment for those with epilepsy. 

How can a Yoga Teacher Help a Student with Epilepsy?

Seizures can happen at any time and for no apparent reason. Therefore as a yoga teacher, you should be informed if a student suffers from epilepsy. Most people will share this kind of information with you, however, to be on the safe side, consider having all new students fill in a basic admission form. In this form, you ask for any injuries, conditions, and other problems that might influence their yoga practice. It is also recommended to state clearly, that students assume full liability for their own health and well-being. You as a teacher can also then suggest specific yoga for epilepsy. 

1. Know about first aid measures

If a student informs you about their epilepsy, make sure to familiarize yourself with exactly how the disease manifests for the student. Also, inform yourself clearly about what you should do if your student has a seizure during class.

2. Ask for possible triggers of seizures and lookout to avoid them

Triggers for seizures vary greatly. They can be related to the stress of a changing environment, sensory stimulation like bright lights, low blood sugar right before lunchtime, not enough sleep the night before, or the menstrual cycle. There are no indications that certain postures or cardiovascular exercises trigger seizures. Most epilepsy patients are aware of certain triggers that cause seizures. So ask your student if there is a likelihood that some triggers might occur during the class, what these might be and how you can help to avoid them.

3. Do not treat them with kid gloves

Treating your students that suffer from epilepsy with great delicacy and not permitting them to actively engage in the class is not necessary.

It’s critical to remember that it is very unlikely that certain exercises and physical strain cause a seizure.

In fact, one of the studies in Norway of women with uncontrolled epilepsy showed that regular sessions of aerobic exercise (for example running, walking, swimming, cycling) for 60 minutes, twice a week, for 15 weeks resulted in a significant reduction in the number of seizures they had. [1]

The exercise component of yoga is therefore very helpful and is only very rarely a trigger for seizures. To remain on the safe side, make sure that the student does not over-exert himself or herself and abides by yoga for epilepsy guidelines. Generally speaking, students with epilepsy can do all breathing exercises, Sun Salutations, and most yoga postures.

4. Avoid situations where your student can fall out of a pose

The biggest risk for yoga students with epilepsy is falling out of a pose when having an unexpected seizure.

Therefore, as a teacher, you should suggest specific yoga for epilepsy. This means giving variations of postures that could cause injury if they get out of them. You should also stay with the student for the entire hold of the pose. Postures that would pose such a risk are the Headstand and the Shoulder stand for example. 

5. Encourage and motivate them

Keeping all the above-mentioned cautions in mind, if a student becomes motivated to practice challenging asanas such as inversions and hand balances and has a relatively early recognition of impending seizures – consider encouraging them to try with you standing close by. As well, caution them to stay aware of what they are doing, how they feel, and to stop immediately if they feel something isn’t right (just as they would in any other situation). Ideally, it is best to stick with yoga for epilepsy. 

8 Calming and Rejuvenating Yoga Exercises and Poses for Epilepsy

The following 8 exercises and yoga postures are beneficial to calm down the nervous system and are therefore helpful in dealing with the aftermath of a seizure. As mentioned above, with regular practice some epilepsy patients might even experience a reduction in seizures.

1. Anulom Vilom | Alternate Nostril Breathing

At first, we recommend practicing this breathing exercise without retention. So, breathing in 4 counts through the left nostril and exhaling immediately 8 counts through the right nostril. To complete one round, breathe in again through the right nostril for 4 counts and exhale through the left nostril for 8 counts. Once this feels comfortable, you can add an 8 count retention after the inhalation (and before the exhalation).

2. Shashankasana (Balasana) | Child’s Pose

While resting the forehead on the mat and letting your breath become easy and comfortable, you enter the rest-and-regenerate state of your nervous system. The gentle pressure of the forehead against the ground is very calming and soothing. Make sure that your forehead is resting on the mat or a bolster and that also your buttocks are either supported on your heels or on a cushion.

3. Salamba Sarvangasana | Supported Shoulderstand (against the wall)
The slightly increased blood flow toward the head and the pressure in the throat region triggers a physical reflex referred to as the baroreflex. This is one of the many triggers we have in our body that cause us to enter the calm, relaxed state of the parasympathetic nervous system. Because of this effect, the Shoulderstand is actually a very relaxing pose. In order to make this pose more accessible and safer, we suggest teaching it with the feet up against the wall for students with epilepsy.

4. Passchimottanasana | Seated Forward Bend

The seated forward bend is an excellent pose to stretch the entire back body and release tension in your lower back and hips. Before entering the pose, make sure that you are sitting high up on your sitting bones. Enter the pose with a straight back and as you reach your maximum flexion, allow your upper back to round and your forehead to rest on your knees (or on support). If your hamstrings are tight, bend your knees and rest them on a folded blanket before assuming the pose described above. Once you are in the pose, try to relax completely while breathing into your lower belly and lower back.

5. Supta Eka Pada Kapotasana | Sleeping Pigeon Pose

The Sleeping Pigeon Pose lengthens and releases tension deep inside your buttocks (the glutes and piriformis) and the hip flexors (quadriceps femoris and psoas) whilst giving space to breathe into the body and check in with how you’re feeling. The psoas is considered to be a storehouse for stress and anxiety and gently stretching it can help students with epilepsy release long-stored emotions and stress.

6. Seal  Pose (Yin Yoga)

The Seal is an adapted version of the Extended Cobra Pose. Through using cushions under the belly, it becomes a Yin Yoga pose that can be held for 3 – 5 minutes. It is an excellent pose to massage the sacral-lumbar arch and it stimulates the whole spine and abdominal organs.

7. Garland Pose | Malasana

The Garland Pose, aka Yogic Squat, is a pose in which you have to find a balance between activation and relaxation. While you are pushing heels into the ground, pushing your elbows out, and reaching up with the top of the head, allow your Achilles heels to relax. This will enable your inner thighs and calves to lengthen. Make sure that your heels are resting, and if necessary, support them with a folded mat or block.

8. Vrkshasana | Tree Pose

The Tree Pose is an immensely grounding and calming pose, in which you can develop one-pointed focus and a clear mind. Look at a point slightly above eye level and approximately 2 meters away. Look at the point with a gentle gaze and if you are struggling to maintain your balance, direct your breath to the focal point. Hold the pose for at least 1 minute on each side.