Tag: yoga

Ask Me Anything: June 18, 2025

by Dr. David Orman

Question: how does natural medicine use this timing to enhance healing?

Answer: Yes, the time of day you take an herbal remedy can significantly influence its effectiveness. In natural medicine systems like Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda, the body follows rhythmic cycles known as “organ clocks” or dosha cycles that align with nature’s flow. These systems teach that different organs and energetic functions are more active at specific times, and aligning herbal intake with these natural rhythms can optimize both absorption and energetic resonance.

In TCM, for example, the Liver is most active between 1:00 and 3:00 AM, while the Lungs dominate between 3:00 and 5:00 AM. If someone is taking herbs to support liver detoxification, consuming them in the late evening may help prepare the liver for its early-morning activity. Conversely, lung tonics or respiratory herbs may work better when taken upon waking. This is not only due to organ energy but also to how the body’s hormonal and metabolic systems operate in harmony with light, sleep, and digestion.

Ayurveda offers a similar view, structuring the day into three repeating cycles of Vata (movement), Pitta (transformation), and Kapha (stability). A stimulating herb like ginger may be best taken during Kapha time (early morning) to energize and clear sluggishness, while cooling herbs like Brahmi might be more effective during Pitta hours (midday) to calm the fire of digestion or overthinking. The ancient sages viewed the body not as a machine but as a garden responding to the sun, moon, and elements.

Modern chronobiology is beginning to catch up. Studies show that circadian rhythms influence drug metabolism, hormone levels, and even immune response. Natural medicine, which has always observed nature’s timing, now finds scientific backing for what healers have known for thousands of years: timing matters. Healing isn’t just about what you take, but when you take it—because nature works like music, not a stopwatch.

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5 Powerful Exercises to (Re)Connect Your Core to Your Back and Eliminate Most Back Pain

by Dr. David Orman

Plus ONE Bonus Exercise.

Back pain affects nearly 80% of adults at some point in their lives — a staggering statistic that reflects the disconnection between how we move and how we’re designed to move. Often, the missing link lies in the deep core muscles, which are meant to support and communicate with the spine like an inner scaffold. When that connection is lost, discomfort, instability, and injury follow. These 5 exercises are simple yet powerful tools to restore harmony between your core and your back. Rooted in both modern biomechanics and ancient Taoist awareness, this daily ritual is more than physical—it’s a return to center, breath, and embodied presence.

1. Dead Bug (Core-Brain Reset)

Purpose: Activates deep core (transverse abdominis) while stabilizing the spine.

How-to:

  • Lie on your back, arms extended to the sky, knees bent at 90°.
  • Inhale. On the exhale, slowly lower one arm and the opposite leg toward the floor.
  • Keep your lower back gently pressing into the floor.
  • Return and switch sides. Do 6–8 slow, controlled reps per side.

Feel: Like your brain and core are syncing up. Smooth and precise movement is the goal.

2. Cat-Cow with Diaphragmatic Breathing

Purpose: Mobilizes the spine while syncing breath with movement, calming the nervous system.

How-to:

  • Start in tabletop position.
  • Inhale deeply into your belly and arch your spine (Cow).
  • Exhale fully, rounding your spine and drawing the navel in (Cat).
  • Focus on slow, rhythmic breath.

Feel: The breath massaging your spine from the inside out.

3. Bird-Dog (Cross-Body Control)

Purpose: Trains core stability and strengthens deep spinal stabilizers (multifidus, erector spinae).

How-to:

  • From tabletop, extend one arm and the opposite leg.
  • Keep hips square and stable—avoid shifting or leaning.
  • Hold for 3–5 seconds, then switch. Do 5–8 reps per side.

Feel: The cross-pattern neural wiring activating — reconnecting brain, spine, and core.

4. Wall Press March (Anti-Extension Core Drill)

Purpose: Re-engages the deep core while minimizing back strain. Very safe if you’ve had herniated discs.

How-to:

  • Stand or lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor.
  • Press hands into a wall (or resistance band) while lifting one knee to 90°.
  • Alternate knees while keeping constant pressure with your hands.
  • Stay connected to your breath.

Feel: Deep, internal core “firing” without overusing your hip flexors or lower back.

5. Supine Pelvic Tilts or Rolling Bridge

Purpose: Gentle way to realign pelvis, activate glutes, and release tension from lumbar spine.

How-to:

  • Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat.
  • Inhale, gently arch lower back. Exhale, flatten it and press into the floor.
  • For bridges: Press through your heels and lift hips slowly, peeling spine off floor one vertebra at a time.
  • Lower with control. Do 8–10 slow reps.

Feel: Like you’re massaging the spine from the inside while syncing your breath with movement.

Bonus Taoist Tip:

Before or after, stand in Wu Ji posture (standing meditation): feet shoulder-width apart, soft knees, tailbone gently tucked, and crown lifted. Breathe into the lower dantian. Feel the subtle connection between spine and breath.

As you breathe up, think POWER. As you exhale and breathe down, think GRACE.

This is a Yin/Yang balance. Power is the ability to go through issues while Grace is the ability to deal with issues minus conflict.