Something happened on Wednesday. I'm not sure what. I felt fine during my walk/run. I felt fine at work. Then later in the evening, I drove about an hour(to go visit my new niece, but I won't go into that. I'd be writing for a long time!) I get out of the car to stop at McDonald's to bring food to the new parents. I step out of the car, and BAM, my knees are achy, one wanted to give out underneath me. It's a weird pain that really doesn't feel like pain, more of a soreness. It was on the inside of leg below my knee and down a little bit. This feeling is completely new to me. And it slowed me down a little. I'm not used to this. I am used to being able to walk at a pretty quick pace, and who wouldn't when there is a new 7.1 lbs baby girl to go visit. I thought maybe it's just because I sat still too long. It didn't go away the next day. Very stiff and sore. But I did go for an easy walk on Thursday. I think we did 45 min. walking at a leisurely pace at the Gorge in Cuyahoga Falls. It was very pretty scenery, but unfortunately the river stinks. The photo is of me near the waterfall.
Showing posts with label injury. Show all posts
Showing posts with label injury. Show all posts
Monday, June 20, 2011
Knee pain, ugh!
Something happened on Wednesday. I'm not sure what. I felt fine during my walk/run. I felt fine at work. Then later in the evening, I drove about an hour(to go visit my new niece, but I won't go into that. I'd be writing for a long time!) I get out of the car to stop at McDonald's to bring food to the new parents. I step out of the car, and BAM, my knees are achy, one wanted to give out underneath me. It's a weird pain that really doesn't feel like pain, more of a soreness. It was on the inside of leg below my knee and down a little bit. This feeling is completely new to me. And it slowed me down a little. I'm not used to this. I am used to being able to walk at a pretty quick pace, and who wouldn't when there is a new 7.1 lbs baby girl to go visit. I thought maybe it's just because I sat still too long. It didn't go away the next day. Very stiff and sore. But I did go for an easy walk on Thursday. I think we did 45 min. walking at a leisurely pace at the Gorge in Cuyahoga Falls. It was very pretty scenery, but unfortunately the river stinks. The photo is of me near the waterfall.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
To those who may be trying yoga for the first time. . .
I have heard from so many people that the first time they practiced yoga - they did all the poses in the class and the next day they were in so much physical pain that they never wanted to try another yoga class. This is sooooo disheartening for me! I love and appreciate the benefits of yoga so much that when I hear "I'll never do that again!", I truly don't know how to respond.
So, I have done some thinking in regards to why this may be the case. First, one aspect is our ego. We think we have to do every pose just the way the instructor is demonstrating. And if we don't somehow others will think less of us, and/or we won't get the instructors approval. What I have learned is that it honestly doesn't matter what other yogis think of me and how I perform the postures. Particularly because they don't go home in my body and live with results of my enormous ego, I do!
And as for the instructor, if they are a well trained yogi, they know that some people have to modify poses. Some people have knee injuries, neck injuries, some people are larger and can't perform stretches the same as smaller people, etc. Your instructor will know that you receive the same benefits with modifications that the rest of class gets by the full expression of the pose.
Another issue that I think beginner yogis face is that they may not be in tuned to their bodies yet. I believe that is part of why I injured my neck in January. For myself, I have spent so much time trying to disconnect from my body and act like it wasn't there. Or act like it was a separate entity from myself. It was extremely hard when I first started to listening to my body. If I pay attention, if I choose to feel the pain when I go into a certain pose, I will lessen my chance of injury.
The next problem that I have noticed in myself is that I want to be as good as the yoga instructor the week that I start practicing. This happens in all areas of my life, not just yoga. When I am able to accept that this is something I need to learn, I am gentler on myself. I don't get upset that I can't stay in poses as long as everyone else. I don't get upset when I have to use modifications. I am able to be a student which enables me to also see my progress. It was wonderful when I realized that my joints didn't feel as weak and painful. It was a blessing when I realized that I could bend a little deeper than before. It was actually quite freeing to know that I didn't have to be as good as the instructor when I first started my practice.
Finally, communication with your instructor can be extremely intimidating when you begin your practice. I learned from my neck injury that is important to listen to your body and be able to relay that to your instructor. If you are told to try a new pose and you don't feel you are ready, let your instructor know. Again this is your body and you are the one going home with it. Arrive to your class early, so that you can settle in and adjust your energy to focus on your practice. Arriving early also gives you the chance to speak to your instructor. Let him or her know if you have any previous injuries or areas of concern, like your knees, or lower back. When you do this, it gives your instructor the opportunity to let you know how you can modify poses to fit your needs. Chances are there is someone else in your class that will benefit from these suggestions as well. Open communication with your instructor is very beneficial for you, as well as, your instructor.
If you have been disappointed by your initial yoga experience, please try again. I did. I am so grateful that I could. Namaste.
I have heard from so many people that the first time they practiced yoga - they did all the poses in the class and the next day they were in so much physical pain that they never wanted to try another yoga class. This is sooooo disheartening for me! I love and appreciate the benefits of yoga so much that when I hear "I'll never do that again!", I truly don't know how to respond.
So, I have done some thinking in regards to why this may be the case. First, one aspect is our ego. We think we have to do every pose just the way the instructor is demonstrating. And if we don't somehow others will think less of us, and/or we won't get the instructors approval. What I have learned is that it honestly doesn't matter what other yogis think of me and how I perform the postures. Particularly because they don't go home in my body and live with results of my enormous ego, I do!
And as for the instructor, if they are a well trained yogi, they know that some people have to modify poses. Some people have knee injuries, neck injuries, some people are larger and can't perform stretches the same as smaller people, etc. Your instructor will know that you receive the same benefits with modifications that the rest of class gets by the full expression of the pose.
Another issue that I think beginner yogis face is that they may not be in tuned to their bodies yet. I believe that is part of why I injured my neck in January. For myself, I have spent so much time trying to disconnect from my body and act like it wasn't there. Or act like it was a separate entity from myself. It was extremely hard when I first started to listening to my body. If I pay attention, if I choose to feel the pain when I go into a certain pose, I will lessen my chance of injury.
The next problem that I have noticed in myself is that I want to be as good as the yoga instructor the week that I start practicing. This happens in all areas of my life, not just yoga. When I am able to accept that this is something I need to learn, I am gentler on myself. I don't get upset that I can't stay in poses as long as everyone else. I don't get upset when I have to use modifications. I am able to be a student which enables me to also see my progress. It was wonderful when I realized that my joints didn't feel as weak and painful. It was a blessing when I realized that I could bend a little deeper than before. It was actually quite freeing to know that I didn't have to be as good as the instructor when I first started my practice.
Finally, communication with your instructor can be extremely intimidating when you begin your practice. I learned from my neck injury that is important to listen to your body and be able to relay that to your instructor. If you are told to try a new pose and you don't feel you are ready, let your instructor know. Again this is your body and you are the one going home with it. Arrive to your class early, so that you can settle in and adjust your energy to focus on your practice. Arriving early also gives you the chance to speak to your instructor. Let him or her know if you have any previous injuries or areas of concern, like your knees, or lower back. When you do this, it gives your instructor the opportunity to let you know how you can modify poses to fit your needs. Chances are there is someone else in your class that will benefit from these suggestions as well. Open communication with your instructor is very beneficial for you, as well as, your instructor.
If you have been disappointed by your initial yoga experience, please try again. I did. I am so grateful that I could. Namaste.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Learning to listen. . .
to my body! I think this is what I am going to have to improve on. I fell about an hour before my yoga class Tuesday. I seemed to be okay right after I fell and so I went as I planned.
As soon as I started my yoga practice, my knee hurt in the sitting pose. I already use a modification for my back, and I wasn't sure what to do about my knee. Then we did a short chant. Om, shanti, shanti, shanti, Om. . . It's wonderful. I never did the chanting for I started this class. There is something beautiful and profound about chanting these sanskrit words. Well, then we were on to downward dog and my right wrist was hurting more than I thought it was. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to put my weight on it or not. But it got easier and I decided to push through it.
My practice this night was much more difficult than the previous week. I was in a different spot than the week before. I had two friends there that hadn't come the week before. I was no longer on vacation. And I was pissed off about a situation at work. But I went in with the intention that I needed to trust that it would work itself out. I no longer was in control, so my action was to let go and trust higher power. I was glad to practice this while I had yoga, had I stayed home and been in my head it would've been much harder! It was also difficult to not worry about how my friends were doing in the class. At least when I went, I didn't expect things to be as they were the week before.
That night some practiced headstand pose, headstand strengthener and headstand modified. I think this is when I somehow strained my neck. I realized how weak my upper body is and how I need to work on strengthening it before I try this again! My wrist is still hurting today too. I think my ankle is healing. After some rest, arnica, stretching and ice, I do feel my body healing itself which I am extremely thankful!
So, I am learning that not only do I need to listen to my body outside of yoga, but also in yoga. I don't need to try and something just because I used to do be able to do it a year ago. I need to work with where I am at today, so that I can work back up to a higher fitness level.
I also am realizing how much I don't know about yoga. All the terms for the poses and different branches of yoga. This is something I would like to explore here on my blog. So for the next few days, I am going to continue to take it easy and hopefully be able to do class on Tuesday. Even if it is with some modifications. Listen and Trust. I think this is my new mantra. Namaste.
As soon as I started my yoga practice, my knee hurt in the sitting pose. I already use a modification for my back, and I wasn't sure what to do about my knee. Then we did a short chant. Om, shanti, shanti, shanti, Om. . . It's wonderful. I never did the chanting for I started this class. There is something beautiful and profound about chanting these sanskrit words. Well, then we were on to downward dog and my right wrist was hurting more than I thought it was. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to put my weight on it or not. But it got easier and I decided to push through it.
My practice this night was much more difficult than the previous week. I was in a different spot than the week before. I had two friends there that hadn't come the week before. I was no longer on vacation. And I was pissed off about a situation at work. But I went in with the intention that I needed to trust that it would work itself out. I no longer was in control, so my action was to let go and trust higher power. I was glad to practice this while I had yoga, had I stayed home and been in my head it would've been much harder! It was also difficult to not worry about how my friends were doing in the class. At least when I went, I didn't expect things to be as they were the week before.
That night some practiced headstand pose, headstand strengthener and headstand modified. I think this is when I somehow strained my neck. I realized how weak my upper body is and how I need to work on strengthening it before I try this again! My wrist is still hurting today too. I think my ankle is healing. After some rest, arnica, stretching and ice, I do feel my body healing itself which I am extremely thankful!
So, I am learning that not only do I need to listen to my body outside of yoga, but also in yoga. I don't need to try and something just because I used to do be able to do it a year ago. I need to work with where I am at today, so that I can work back up to a higher fitness level.
I also am realizing how much I don't know about yoga. All the terms for the poses and different branches of yoga. This is something I would like to explore here on my blog. So for the next few days, I am going to continue to take it easy and hopefully be able to do class on Tuesday. Even if it is with some modifications. Listen and Trust. I think this is my new mantra. Namaste.
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