The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Benefits of Hot Yoga › 60 day challenge and discomfort.
The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Benefits of Hot Yoga › 60 day challenge and discomfort.
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Hi
I began Bikram yoga exactly 3 month ago, with zero experience in yoga. I also decided to start the 60 days challenge, today afternoon I will attend my number 47 in a row. For the first 30 days everything was perfect, every day stretching a little more and doing the poses better (I couldnĀ“t do the Supta Vajrasana until two days ago for example).
Until last week I began to feel a slight soreness in my left leg, exactly in my left buttock, and the next day I felt discomfort in sitting on a wooden chair. When I returned to the next class I found that the discomfort appeared in the following poses:– Pada Hastasana (if I bend very slowly, I could make it, and in the second repetition is easier, almost no discomfort)
– Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Janushirasana (I begin my leg bent and my forehead in the knee, and only stretching very slowly I could make it, but the time is up before I could lock the knee.)
– Janushirasana: (definitely the most difficult, I stuck with my leg bent and my forehead in the knee, but I donĀ“t want to stretch the leg because a sharp pain appears.)This problem is only with my left leg, and since a week ago, the right is ok and every day performing better.
I asked the teacher and she said that so much yoga makes the old and hidden injuries appear, and after a while it will help me to heal them.
My question is if this discomfort will end during the challenge or after a week rest that Iām going to do after I finish. I mean, is better to bear the discomfort an continue my yoga hopping to get this issue solved 100%?
Namaste!
GuillermoHi Guillermo
47 in a row. Sounds like until recently you were making progress.
What a classic problem! I promise this happens ALL the time and it’s because the mechanics of the body are not understood by most. (And the ‘rules’ of challenges seem to have morphed into something more ego-driven that goes against the principle of yoga, more about that in the coming paragraphs).
The way you have been doing your yoga, the way you’ve been shown or are being taught is causing your problem. You seem to have developed signs of sciatica. Won’t set that one in stone because I haven’t asked you any questions yet but let’s move forward.
I am going to say this at the risk of offending people: I believe it is not right for anyone to tell you that the yoga is uncovering existing injury. While this is possible, it is unlikely. In my experience this person or these people do not know how to help you so they are giving you something that on the surface may sound plausible. It’s an excuse that usually covers up that they really don’t understand the workings of the body.
Beware, you are likely to hear ‘the yoga will fix it’. Once again erroneous advice which works for some things and not others AND is DEPENDENT on doing the yoga with best technique.
Your first port of call should be to look at the blog post Opening Up Your Hamstrings With Hot Yoga. Normally I will ask some questions to clarify what you’re doing.
However in your case we’ll leave that for today because you are exhibiting the CLASSIC problems that occur when the legs are straightened in certain poses in preference to a straight back or where you are not engaging the correct pose mechanisms to OPEN up the body.
Pulling length into your muscles is not helping you, it seems. Look, it is possible that we need to go back to questions in coming posts etc but for starters I just wanted to give you some info ASAP so you can start to help yourself.
The blog post above is very useful and I recommend looking at posts on proper sit-up technique, janushirasana (and particularly how to enter it), and standing sep leg intense stretch. Look at any poses where you have pain. There should not be pain (just discomfort, and a comfortable one at that, if you know what I mean) and there should not be strain or struggle. What you’re going through is a sign that you’re doing something wrong.
Let me know how you go every step of the way and I will lead you in the right direction to the best of my ability.
As another person has just asked me with a similar-ish issue, I answered her as I advise you, that you MUST take some time for your body to recover. These 60 day no rest challenges are not the way it is supposed to be. You are supposed to feel better not worse. You are supposed to take a day off per week.
Anyway, without further adieu I shall post this and look forward to hearing from you
Namaste
Gabrielle šThanks Gabrielle for your answer. IĀ“m not offended at all and very grateful to provide me advice.
So, your advice will be to stop completely my practice until I fully recover?
In the meantime after reading your advice, IĀ“ve been doing my practice and when the discomfort appear I stop. I have 9 days left to finish the challenge.Namaste,
G.Hi Guillermo
Well you definitely need a day per week to recover. In my opinion some change in your practise technique and if you continue to feel that issue (especially if you feel pain outside of yoga class) then you MAY need to see somebody for what could be an injury requiring hands on attention. Let me know and we can go down that track. But first rest for a day (or if you think you need it 2 or 3, whatever you need). Then get back to yoga.
Namaste
Gabrielle šHi Gabrielle, Last Tuesday (October 9th) I finished my 60 day challenge, and until today I’ve been resting hot yoga, this is 5 days. I still feel some discomfort so I wonder if i just give the rest a little more time or it would be good to see a doctor. On the other side I have the need to return to my bikram classes š
Hi Guillermo
Congratulations on finishing your challenge. The person that I think you should see is not a doctor per se, but someone who is a physical therapist. Someone who can see what the problem is and give you some exercises or techniques that could open up/strengthen that area. A diagnosis would be very helpful. Can you come back and tell us what you discover?
Namaste
Gabrielle šHi, I went to the physical therapist, and took a tomography of my leg. The diagnosis is that I have tendinitis. I started yesterday with laser & electro in the affected area, and they recommended me not to exercise the PelvitrocantĆ©reo muscles. They asked me to inform this to my Bikram instructors in order to know which asanas to avoid.
I imagine that i should avoid the following poses in my left leg, right? (in this poses i feel the disconfort)
2 Padahastasana
10 Dandayamana Biphaktapada Janushirasana
24 JanushirasanaI have a doubt if i can do this one, since i don’t feel discomfort:
5 Dandayamana Janushirasana ?Thanks!
Hi,
No feedback about this? Too tough? š
Uh uhh Guillermo
Not too tough. Just not enough hours in the day! Stay tuned š
Namaste
Gabrielle šHi, just an update about my “case”. After 4 days of going to the physical therapist I showed her the four asanas that caused discomfort and she was pretty impressed about my flexibility. She decided not to give me any other physical exercises for my injured leg and she recommended me to resume exercising bikram yoga in the leg in question them even though i feel the discomfort and only stop if it transform to pain. Now the strategy seems to exercise in order to avoid encapsulation of the injury.
BR,Hi Guillermo
Can you tell me if you were able to apply the principles from that blog I sent you to? It really is crucial.
Your answer will help me understand what’s going on.
For Padahastasana you really need to make sure those legs are bent. Push the heels down and lift the hips. Of course, pull upward on the feet. Do NOT try to straighten the legs but rather push down and lift up. The legs will straighten to the degree they need to or can.
For Dandayamana Biphaktapada Janushirasana. Please go and see the posts on that pose. As you descend or ascend, make sure you keep the back hip forward to keep the hips square the whole time. This will help avoid the pain you have been having. Don’t worry about how much the front leg needs to bend. Just keep those hips square. It will transform it for you. Focus on rounding the spine and pushing the floor away from you. It’s all about leverage.
For Janushirasana. This is a beautiful pose when done correctly. One works this from the entry not just when the head is on the knee. BEND the leg up before you go down. Tuck the chin, you won’t ever need to look at your foot on descent. The traction you create with your bent leg and the foot, hand contact with the heel pushing away as the toes get pulled back is really lovely. Again it matters NOT AT ALL if your leg is bent.
I apologise, as I was answering your other thread, I honestly didn’t see that this was a different thread so somewhere in the back of my busy mind, I thought I had it all handled. š Your recent post show me I have been remiss
Namaste
Gabrielle š -
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