The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Hot Yoga *faq* › Just some guidance please
The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Hot Yoga *faq* › Just some guidance please
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Hi
I’ve been doing hot yoga for 6 weeks in London and I’m ecstatic that I’ve discovered it, but I seem to be worried and anxious all the time that I am making my problems worse and will never improve.
I’m very inflexible due to being plagued by neck and back problems for 5 years, which they say was caused by bad posture at a computer. I work 5 days a week at a computer but my symptoms are persistent all the time now. Physio and 0steopathy has not worked and they have now suggested steroid injections.
The thing is I’m worried I’m making everything worse. My sciatic nerve flairs up after class, I’ve injured my shoulders twice and now have a trapped nerve.
I’m thinking of buying the Masterclass but will not be doing it home as I prefer everything being taken care of in a class.
I guess i just want to practice safely and for my body type but can never get a straight answer from the teachers at class and i’m having real difficulty. with the poses
What can I do to ensure i practice safely, improve and do what’s right for me and my condition?
Thanks!
Namaste
Hi Claudia
Thanks for your ‘cry for help’. I am positive I can help you.
There are MANY people who use the Hot Yoga MasterClass who have similar issues to you: Where they are loving the practice, can’t get the answers they need at their studio, they are experiencing pain and or struggle and know that there MUST be a better way.
One way to use the Hot Yoga MasterClass in this case is to:
>> Read the introduction in the manual which gives a lot of tips about your general approach to practice. Then after that I would suggest that each time you practice or perhaps once a week (for example) you choose a pose read and review it. This will give you great focus in that pose. And because of the nature of the information you will take that learning to other poses.
>> Watch the relevant pose chapter on DVD Volume 1 AND read the entire chapter about that pose in the manual.
>> GO TO YOUR PUBLIC CLASS and apply your techniques.You’ll find a safe and effective and satisfying way to practise and you won’t be in pain! The nature of recital instruction is that often teachers don’t see what’s going on for specific people so small deviations from what’s going on in the room (ie the stuff that’s causing you problems) could go unnoticed.
The DVDs have onscreen instruction when it’s important to emphasise something. There are always photos of people doing the poses well. AND when it’s relevant there is somebody showing you the common mistake and how to fix it. It’s all very clear with big red crosses when it’s not correct and big green tick or check marks when it is right. This means that when you’re looking at the screen you can instantly tell the difference.
The reason why I have included photos of mistakes is that 99% of people can look at a photo of a mistake and recognise whether they themselves make that error. That’s the key to knowing what you have to correct: Your own personal action plan!
The techniques in the materials are compatible with sound anatomical principles and the reflexes in the body that keep you safe and continue to create that opening that you’re after.
I hope that helps.
You do really need to do something about your pain NOW. Check out the blog: Opening Up Your Hamstrings With Hot Yoga. Then start looking around the forum about sciatica. Plus there are SO MANY threads and posts on the problem that you have in your shoulders (both these things are of course covered in my manual. And you’ll also find a ton of stuff when you look around here).
A satisfying practice without pain is within your reach. You’ll be surprised at the tweaks.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Gabrielle
I did reply to your post yesterday but have just noticed it has not registered on here for some reason!
I just wanted to thank you for your prompt reply and useful tips. I can’t wait to receive the Masterclass and apply my knowledge.
I have read some blogs on here in the meantime but worry that the yoga won’t be for me, as my physio said certain body types will never be bale to to the poses.
Have you come across this a lot?
Many thanks for your help!
Hi Claudia
Don’t worry! The issue is NOT AT ALL ‘body type’. Every BODY can do the poses. The differences between bodies are about flexibility, agility and size and strength.
I don’t want to disagree with your physio because maybe the comment could be taken out of context.
If you come across problems or difficulties you’ll have the tools to sort through them:
The tools you will have at your disposal are:
>> the Hot Yoga MasterClass manual … this has photos of people doing everything correctly as well as people’s mistakes. You can recognise your own body in those and find out how to fix almost every conceivable error
>> the pose chapters with onscreen instructions on the HYMC DVD (Vol 1)
>> asking questions directly on the forumThe common misunderstanding with yoga is that there is some kind of ‘place’ that you must be in to be able to ‘get the postures right’. That is very misleading because there are really only varying abilities for one to express their bodies with respect to their individuality
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Thanks Gabrielle
I probably need to stop worrying. I took a week off to gather my thoughts and to recover from the pain.
It also gave me a chance to do some valuable research on your site.I ‘m back tonight and feeling nervous but I’ll just take things slowly until I receive the manual!
Namaste
🙂Hi Claudia
What you’ve been doing at the studio has not been working – it’s been causing you pain that required taking a week off.
I don’t know enough yet to really do anything other than guess what it is you need to change.
I hope you’ve had a chance to check out the blog post. If there are any other poses you feel are part of the problem of pain manifestation then go look at the forum … ask questions etc.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Gabrielle
Can I just say you are amazing and I’m not sure what I would have done without your advice and this site!
Yes, I read the blogs on strengthening the core and opening up the hamstrings and they were very useful, but in reality when I applied the advice to hands to feet and the separate leg standing stretch things did not go according to plan.
Today was my first day back after 9 days and I reacted to the heat as if it was my first time; having to sit out of poses and feeling sick and dizzy by the Eagle pose!
In the hands to feet I came down as normal and then spread my feet 6 inches: As i was wiggling the hips and nodding the head i bent my knees quite a way but could only get down to the very back of the ankles.
In the standing leg separate stretch, I bent the knees but could not get my hands down to the back of the heel. Then my teacher said if the knees are not locked we will put strain on our hamstrings and locking the knees was a good way to relax the hamstring in this pose. So I ended up with my legs not very wide, knees bent but not feeling any stretch, as hands were not down far enough.
I know I should wait until the my Masterclass comes ( because these are not the only issues)but I’d really like to work on these two poses in the meantime. i just can’t understand why i can’t grip my feet. I also have large breasts which get in the way when i do Hands to feet 🙂
On a positive note, I came out of the class pain free and my tight neck (which was contributing to my nausea during the class) subsided a little. My sciatic nerve also felt slightly better.
I look forward to hearing from you and just wanted to say i appreciate your help.
Namaste
Claudia
Hi Gabrielle
I’m not sure if you’ve seen my previous post ( I’m sure you are really busy) but I just had a few points to add, so thought i’d tail this on.
I’ve scoured the posts on ‘hands to feet’ and noticed that in one of the posts you say there is another way to get your hands to feet, if parting the feet does not work. I just wondered if you might be able to share that with me?
Also, do you know whether the Eagle can cause nerve strain to the hands and arms?
When I had my break from yoga, my arm was better, but since doing the pose again this week and before my break, i get numbness and tingling in my hands and near the left elbow.
Also,can you suggest a ball to do the core exercises on?
I’m hoping my Masterclass will arrive soon, but it did say it could take up to 21 days and I’m eager to sort the hands to feet!
I also have my steroid injections on Wednesday for my back. I had hoped to avoid them, but may have to take them now unfortunately. Is it o.k to practice the next day and how will the injections affect my practice?
Thanks again as always
Namaste 🙂
Hi Claudia
I hope you’re OK and that the time sensitive nature of your question has not put you out too much. I must admit to overwhelm with the amount of work on my plate at the mo!
So let’s see…
I guess I need an update now… I am sorry about that but let’s see what we can accomplish!
Padahastasana: I will assume you are squashing chest on legs. I will also assume good and bent legs as indicated. Sometimes one has no option but to hold behind the back of the ankles or bottom of the calves – fingers pointing down thumbs on the outside, palms forward. Have you tried that? You can still activate the mechanism for this pose by drawing UP the elbows and shoulders and pushing the heels downward. You can get a pretty good grip there.
As for Sep Leg Stretch: When you engage quadriceps there is some relaxation of the antagonist muscles (the hamstrings) but it’s not as black and white as your teachers understand (and want you to believe – that script again!). Because you have sciatica there are things you really need to know. Bending the legs helps you by reducing the strain occurring in the lumbar spine (from where your sciatica partly originates).
When you can orient your body with the legs bent you are creating SPACE in the lower back which is what you desperately need (as far as your words indicate and the issues you’re experiencing).
Eagle: Could it be the pose? Maybe but it could be your habits outside the room. What’s your daily activity? Are you stuck at a computer for example or is there some habitual position or activity that may be responsible? Is it only Eagle in which you feel any numbness and tingling there – in or out of yoga?
I am very pleased your neck is feeling better. I am looking out for your next response. I promise to get to your post as soon as humanly possible. 🙂
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Gabrielle
Yes,it’s been some time since our last contact and unfortunately I had to give up yoga for a while as my symptoms worsened.
I have now been put on medication and have also had steroid injections ( which haven’t worked) but the nerve medication for my lower back and sciatic nerve seems to be working. Unfortunately, the muscular tension in the shoulder blades has not been resolved by the injections.
I have decided to go back to yoga next week and have just started using the hot yoga manual to read up up on a couple of poses.
Please give me some time and I’ll be back in touch once I have used the manual and returned to yoga.
To be honest, I am quite apprehensive about returning after so long and I feel like I am starting again in some respects.
Thank you for your guidance.
Namaste
Claudia
Hi Claudia
Please give me a couple of days to get to your post!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Gabrielle.
That’s not a problem.
Just so you know, I was back to yoga today for the first time in a while and felt quite defeated but I guess I expected it to be difficult after all those weeks off!
The tension in my neck, shoulders and back are probably the main culprits for me not being able to do the variations you mentioned in the manual.
i.e in Pranayama, when I bring my elbows together it hurts and my shoulders tend to raise.Or maybe they just feel like that?
‘Half Moon’ also seems to irritate the lower back – I’ve tried doing the slight back bend like you suggested in the manual to get the arms in the right place and that seems to work but i can hardly come down in the pose.
Also the back bend really hurts the neck and and although I get the feeling that I am surrendering the neck,it feels tight and strained.
With ‘Hands to Feet’ I also tried the variation of getting my hands flat on the floor for the forward bend but even when they are far away from the body, I find it impossible to balance and my feet raise up. Is it o.k to just have the finger tips on the floor and do the stretch?
Another issue with hands to feet is getting my body on my legs and my head down. Also when you engage the biceps and your hands are at the bottom of the legs and not the feet do you pull down or up? It feels like I am engaging the biceps when I pull down.
I’m thinking I must be completely inflexible if the variations are still not working for me.
Another thing niggling me is that i can’t get my bent leg down in tree. It just darts out in a right angle, even though I have tried to get my foot right up to the standing leg. Do you have any tips? I couldn’t see this as an issue in the manual.
Anyway, look forward to speaking again.
Thanks,
Namaste 🙂
Hi Claudia
Let me see if I can approach your issues in the same order you broached them… 😉
“in Pranayama, when I bring my elbows together it hurts and my shoulders tend to raise”
>> The answer to that is only move your arms as much and as fully as you can WITHOUT allowing your shoulders to raise. If you read pages 36 to 45 you will get a LOT of information about the whole head neck shoulder area that is highly beneficial.
>> That theme continues in many of the pose chapters. It’s a crucial element of your practice to ‘get’. So if your shoulders are raising then may I humbly suggest a review of these pages? :cheese:
“… but i can hardly come down in the pose”
>> Don’t worry about your depth in the pose. In Half Moon you want optimum alignment and you want to focus on the side that elongates to keep working length into it. This will help you alleviate much of any pain that can occur in this pose.
“although I get the feeling that I am surrendering the neck,it feels tight and strained.”
>> If your neck is feeling tight and strained then there is definitely an issue there. It’s possibly one or a combination of several things: You’re not looking back, your fear is making you react by dropping your chin a little and straining your neck, your arms are too straight, or you could do with another quick microbend check of the arms while you’re in the pose. Let me know!
“With ‘Hands to Feet’ I also tried the variation of getting my hands flat on the floor for the forward bend but even when they are far away from the body, I find it impossible to balance and my feet raise up. Is it o.k to just have the finger tips on the floor and do the stretch?”
>> Have you looked at the video chapter dedicated to Pada Hastasana on DVD 1. Perhaps there’s something that could be revisited. It should be MUCH more satisfying to get your hands on the floor (taking the lion’s share of the weight) than to bend forward with only fingers touching.
>> It’s worth the effort to nut this out. When you ‘get’ this, you’ll NEVER go back, I promise.
“when you engage the biceps and your hands are at the bottom of the legs and not the feet do you pull down or up? It feels like I am engaging the biceps when I pull down.”
OK, so what I would like you to do is aim to lift the elbows up (and the shoulders away from the ears). Then press the heels downward and the hips travel upwards, without focusing on straightening the legs. Leg straightening will happen naturally and more easily I might add, if you do it this way.
“i can’t get my bent leg down in tree. It just darts out in a right angle”
>> Don’t be concerned with the angle. Keep the hips even and then just let gravity work on that ‘flying’ knee. It’s opening your hip. I am sure you’ll be feeling that and some stretching on that inner thigh, and some work in that knee (separately or in combination!).
:cheese: Phew. I hope that helps you.
‘See’ you soon
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Gabrielle
Thanks for your reply.
I’ve been back to yoga for 3 weeks now but I am still suffering neck tension and sciatic irritation through some of the poses that i am doing but it is not as chronic before.
Pranayama is better. I did read your chapters on the shoulders in great detail, but putting it into practice can sometimes be difficult with very tight shoulders and neck tension but I’m confident that things will improve in time.
The same goes for Half Moon. It’s better but it’s hard to keep my arms back and my chin up with tight shoulders, so i have just concentrated on alignment for now.
Hands to feet – no matter how hard i try i just can’t get me hands flat without my heels raising up. I’ll persevere 🙂
I have tried raising my arms and digging in my heels on the pull and that now seems to be working well but still no hands under the heels for now.
The Tree – That flying leg on the right side seems to be hurting the hip and I find it impossible to get my shoulders level but I’ll keep trying.
I’ve now been through the manual but need to watch the DVDs There’s been some excellent suggestions for variations in there, but i suspect my extreme inflexibility is the reason i can’t follow some of them.
Separate Leg Intense -I still keep been told to place my hands in front of me rather than having bent knees and hands behind on calves as you suggest. I’ve tried both and I don’t feel any stretch and in the first instance i get extreme strain the hamstrings.
Anyway, I’ve taken enough of your time and I thank you for your help throughout and I know the manual has introduced some changes for the better.
A big thank you.
Namaste Gabrielle!
Hi Claudia
Just letting you know, my Teacher Training program starts tomorrow. I will get back to you on a day off! Stay tuned!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Claudia!
Wow, long time no speak… :cheese:
May I take your lead and get an update from you please? I have read the entire thread now and would love to know where you’re at.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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