Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)

Hi Pallavi and Wayne

How did that challenge go P? I am wondering if you are still eating the same diet: Yoghurt, rice and steamed veggies. Let me know.

I for one prefer to add in (and I would definitely advocate eating) more raw veggies. Salads, juices, smoothies. If you aren’t used to eating salads, then add in a salad. And then add in another. And so on and so forth.

Find the balance. Enjoy your food (if you’re that kind of person :cheese:) and as I read somewhere recently, put a sign up somewhere or just remember that ‘salad is your main meal’. Everything else, including the grains and the meat if you choose it and the cooked stuff, is the food on the side.

Does that help? Is that what you were after?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Alicia

I notice nobody has responded to your post! I have been away and so now that I am back I will ask you firstly:

Did you start your hot yoga practice? And if so, what have been your experiences?

If you haven’t then I will answer those questions with pleasure. I would certainly love to know how you’ve been going.

The good news is that I believe that you should get positive results on all of those major 3 areas you mention. I will go into more detail when you get back to me. It won’t take so long to get a response this time I promise!

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Natalie

Can you tell me if the carpet before had underlay? Was it soft and spongy? Is it that you feel a difference now that the floor has less give? I am trying to paint a picture for myself in order to help you with some ideas? Is the new floor a sealed concrete floor? I know it’s grey but can’t be sure of the nature of the new material.

Now that it has been 3 weeks, is there any change in your response? (Legs, ankles and calves, knees still hurting? Neck and shoulders?)

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Jayne

Thanks for being patient! Can you please tell me where on that knee you are feeling the pain? Inside, outside, left, right, the patella where?

You have posted in Standing Bow so I wondered if you have the issue in this pose too.

I am glad you’re not pushing it and that you’re trying to build strength. I don’t think I know enough yet… Do I take it you are strengthening the knees by creating space by activating the quads? What else are you doing? Anything outside of yoga class?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Wayne

That’s very weird! The tale of 2 tootsies 😆 I hope you are OK. Sometimes weird inexplicable stuff happens for a short time. Was it one of these times? Can you tell me if you have still got this strange issue happening in your non-bunionized foot? If it’s resolved then I would love to know. If it’s not then I have an idea.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Tajana

I am back! hehehe

OK, so let’s get back on track. After all this time, you should feel more flexible – at least a little. Your stretching should not feel so much like effort. I don’t know if have been trying to improve the strength of your hamstrings! Do tell, please. I really believe this is at least part of the answer. As you may have read that trying to stretch through a weaker muscle will only prolong the problem.

If you are suffering from hamstring pain for a long time and it’s a strain to warm up and other tell tale signs then you owe it to yourself to fix this. You do seem to indicate in your first post that there’s perhaps a little too much ‘trying hard’ and pushing in your practice.

I do know it’s been 2 months since you posted, so to start Tajana, can you tell me what’s happened and what action you’ve taken?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hello yogabunny246

Any revelations from reading that post we directed you to? Your problems are very common and go part and parcel with the way Bikram yoga is taught – via script which introduces many problems that is evident by the number of backaches and tight hamstrings (and many other issues) that people contact me about.

The problem is that the practice makes you feel great even when one does things incorrectly and causes damage. Hence, why so many people come and report that they are doing yoga many times per week and still feeling back (or whatever) pain and that it is not letting up.

The problems you are experiencing are most likely related to some fundamental mistakes that you are probably unwittingly making every single time you practice.

The answer is NOT to work through stuff when the ‘stuff’ you are doing is causing pain and damage. The answer is to use the principles of alignment and proper functioning of the body to make the poses work for you and to open up the body … and to create the conditions of pain-free function and living in a joyful body as well as your peaceful mind!

Please let me know. I am sure I can help you!

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Feng

How hard are you squeezing your butt when you go into your backbends?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Cristy

I am WAY behind on answering forum posts BUT I am starting at the wrong end of the pile just for you. :cheese: It is that important for me to let you know that I believe I COULD have some answers for you, that I have bucked tradition!

There is a LOT I can ask you about what you’re doing.

[strong]No, I do not think you should work through the pain.[/strong] And if you like we can try to work through your issues together before you go for an MRI.

Let me work through some of these overdue forum posts – as I have been a month away at my own Hot Yoga Teacher Training. I will get back to you. Are you willing to work with me?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Jennifer

There is no reason to miss your yoga anymore. Just drink lots and remember to supplement with some good quality sea salt. It will help you and your little boy! I remember I was drinking 4-6 litres a day when I was doing yoga while breastfeeding. I was quite a prolific supplier! :cheese:

A few things for you: In the belly down poses it can be mighty uncomfortable to lie on your breasts as they fill. So in savasanas bring your arms out in front of you forearm on forearm and lay your forehead on one arm and just relax your head and neck there. No need to look to the sides as that could be uncomfortable for your neck.

Hmmm what else? Will it change your milk supply? Well, it didn’t for me. So I am not sure if the heat would do that. Some people’s supply just runs out at 6 months or 9 months or just keeps going. Robert told you I kept going for a long time. Just keep up the fluids and the salt and don’t run marathons. Just enjoy the exercise. The body shape will change without you expressly aiming for that. Too much exercise (and perhaps with the wrong intention and creating too much expectation around shape change) may have an effect. I am all for enjoying stress free yoga (albeit with great challenge) and motherhood.

PS while I remember, my pelvis changed a LOT after childbirth. For 5 months I could not get my legs together in double leg wind removing pose. If you have something like that where you need help, just pop back here onto the forum and we can work out how you can manage any differences! 😉

I hope that helps you!

Hey Bunni

Have a wonderful experience with your baby’s birth!

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Tania

Not good to feel pain! Sorry to hear that. Thanks for posting by the way and welcome to the forum. Can you tell me whether the instruction you hear tells you to bring your knees together for standing bow after you pick up your foot? Can you also tell me where your knees are hurting and if it only happens in these 2 poses and at no other time (in or out of the studio)?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi bunni

Actually I buy my salt at the local organic food store in bulk. It’s much cheaper that way in my experience. What type you buy may be dependent on where you live. Are you in the US? There are plenty of great mineral profile salts available. I am pretty sure (and I can’t see why it would be different) that Himalayan salt is the same just in different grain or chunk sizes.

I know you can buy a very inexpensive variety of pure sea salts. If you have difficulties then maybe we can point you in another direction

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂