The OutSPOKEn Cyclist
By Diane Jenks
If you are avoiding your yoga practice because you are injured, not feeling 100%, or just aren’t motivated… you are not alone!
Even though I know that, unless I’m really under the weather, I will feel SO much better after even a short session on the mat, I’m not always motivated and sometimes I’ve done something that is causing me pain or discomfort.
Please try to remember that yoga is cumulative. The more often you practice, the easier it becomes and your body will remember what to do. Yoga is also a process that takes as much time as it takes. Try not to set unattainable goals. Starting wherever you are is perfect. We call it “a practice“ for a reason!
I’d like to go through a few ideas to help you modify your practice that will make it not only easier to accomplish certain asanas (postures), but will give you more freedom to deepen your practice because you’ve made some practical adjustments.
It is important that you know and HONOR your limitations. If you are injured or not feeling well enough to take time to practice, rest is always a good idea. However, there are many postures that are restorative and we will go into those in a future article.
LET’S START AT THE TOP
If you find that lying on your back in shavasana (relaxation or corpse pose) makes you dizzy or queasy, put a pillow or folded blanket under your head. Sometimes also supporting your shoulders along with propping your head will help if the root of the problem is in your neck.
You can also lie on your side instead of on your back. There are no rules against that!
I know some people continue to feel uneasy in relaxation and, with practice, I believe the discomfort will eventually disappear. (The caveat is, of course, if you have mitigating issues such as inner ear problems or chronic sinus congestion.*)
If you have high blood pressure, inverted poses such as Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog) and utanasana (forward fold) may be contraindicated; bending at the knees might help or you might just skip these all together.
If you have a headache that isn’t caused by illness, you can come to balasana (child’s pose), which brings your head a little lower than your heart. This posture, whether with your arms down next to your feet or stretched forward, often offers relief from headaches.
SEATED POSTURES
Learning to sit straight and upright for long(er) periods takes time and practice. Placing one or more blankets under your bottom while allowing your pelvis to slightly tilt forward will help you to sit up straight.
You can also use a crescent-shaped cushion (many are made with buckwheat as filler) the same way as a blanket. They’re a little squishier and will form to you.
If your back or abdominal muscles are weak, you can sit up against a wall for support until you build some strength.
Learning to sit up straight will also help with your breathing, allowing you to take full, expansive inhales followed by long, slow steady exhales.
HANDS AND KNEES POSES – STARTING FROM BALASANA (CHILD’S POSE)
Balasana or child’s pose is the starting point for many postures, including Bharmasana (table top) and Parsva Balasana (thread the needle pose.)
If you find that full child’s pose, with your forehead on the mat while folded back into your feet, is too uncomfortable, make fists and stack them up before resting your forehead. You can also use a foam block, pillow or blanket under you head.
Sometimes the problem with child’s pose is not being able to breathe freely. Any of the remedies above should help with that, too.
Eventually, you WILL be able to stay in child’s pose for longer periods of time; it’s a very beneficial posture so I urge you not to discount it out of hand.
If you have issues with your knees or wrists, there are several remedies. One is to take your mat and fold it from about a third of the way, creating a double-padded area under your knees.
There are also some new-fangled items, such as Yoga Jellies, that can be placed under your knees or wrists to add a supportive yet somewhat yielding “cup.” They are made of a high-density material that still has some give to it.
Making a fist instead of flattening out your hands is sometimes a good way to mitigate wrist discomfort, especially in any hands and knees postures.
Strengthening your wrists is a process, and when they are stronger, which they will become if you keep at it with postures such as downward facing dog, cat-cow, and thread the needle — you will find that your arms and shoulders will also be stronger.
SOME OVERALL THOUGHTS
Please remember that the first tenet of yoga is to “do no harm.” That is especially important when you find yourself uncomfortable or injured.
You do not have to do everything in a practice that everyone else is doing. Do what you can to whatever extent you are able. It will always be enough.
- Remember not to eat two hours before a practice
- Wear loose, comfortable clothing
- Use a high-quality mat that keeps you from slipping (If your feet and/or hands perspire, you don’t want to slip)
- Drink lots of water AFTER your practice to help flush any toxins you may have shaken loose
Next time, we’ll talk about some of the standing postures — especially balancing — and how to accomplish them.
