Madlove

HI all- So excited to find this site, Gabrielle. I am new to Hot Yoga, and have learned so much from this site, forum and the classes I am attending. I have some back issues – fused disc in neck C5-6, Herniated disc L5, and a fairly recent compression fracture in T10 from horseback riding. My spine is a mess. I actually was having a massage a few months ago, and the therapist said my shoulder area was like steel and that I needed to do ‘yoga” before I had a serious injury….enter the compression fracture in November and Voila – I’ve found hot yoga!
I am such a newbie, I don’t know what to expect. I’ve read where the best way to get into this practice is to go for 10 days straight. I did that over the last 2 weeks, and found most of the days that I was able to learn something or move deeper into some poses (interesting that the poses that are getting easier are the ones I don’t think about too much…..trouble each time with standing bow – thinking!). However, after day 9, I felt a lot of pain. I went on days 10-12 and was in more pain each time. I finally decided to take a break yesterday since my body was really hurting – neck, thoracic area primarily, and even right hip and right side of foot were sore. I am confused because I read so many posts of people who eliminated back pain over daily 2-3 week practice. However, I know I have an acute injury and longtime disc issues, so wondering if there is a better way to approach this immersion in hot yoga. I LOVE the feeling of daily practice, breathing, and especially how I feel when I leave. However, I don’t want to force my way through this and cause more problems and slow my healing. I just believe that all the blood flow must be good for the spine. I would love to continue with a daily or as much as possible practice. Can anyone give me some insight on how to proceed with my back situation and do no harm to myself? Thank you! 🙂