gummisteph

Just wanted to update in case someone else has this problem in the future. I think what Gabrielle said was right, that my strength just built up so much that it was pulling everything out of line. I took it easy for a few weeks and did extra stretches to stretch my hip, hamstring and gluteus muscles before and after class. Now I haven’t had any hip pain! But I continue to pay attention to my form more rather than just trying to go deeper. Thanks Gabrielle!

I apologize for waiting so long to check this discussion! Anyway, to answer Gabrielle’s question, I started practicing almost 9 months ago. I am not sure I am ready to stop taking the pill completely, but if the symptoms persist I will consider it. I started taking a vitamin B complex about 3 weeks ago and this month, during my usual “crazy time”, I wasn’t crazy! Could be a placebo affect as I don’t know if changes can happen that quickly, but either way, I’m happy! I started a 60 day challenge on Jan. 1st and have been feeling wonderful! I thought maybe I shouldn’t try a challenge as I’ve been having these problems, and also I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to eat enough to keep up the energy. Strangely enough I have felt less hungry than normal and less shaky and irritable when I don’t eat. Although it is also normal for me to go a few weeks where I just can’t seem to eat enough and keep getting hungry to a few weeks where I don’t hardly feel hungry at all, its strange.

Thanks Gabrielle! I would like to supplement the yoga with more core strengthening exercise, but at this point I go to yoga 5-6 days a week, work 40 hours a week and can hardly find enough time to wash the dishes and shave my legs, so I haven’t yet really felt up to trying to do any more exercise. I’m not trying to make excuses or anything, but I will try more to use my core more in class.

My back tenderness, however, has gone away the past few weeks or so and I’ve noticed I can now go much further in my backbends than before. I asked an instructor about it and she theorized that as you deepen more than your back is used to, the muscles react and readjust (causing the tenderness), but eventually even out and then you can go deeper. Not sure if this is correct, but it seems to be true in my case!

Thanks so much! It’s nice to hear that I’m not the only one! In class the past few days I’ve really been focusing on lengthening the back a lot before I start bending. I don’t know if that will help at all but I will now try to focus on my core more (hehe it rhymes). I did pilates a long time before trying out this yoga so i would think my core is pretty strong, but you never know. i still need to build a lot of strength to balance out my extreme bendiness and I suppose this is all part of it, right? My back has been steadily feeling better the past few days but I will still ask a teacher for some advice, as I obviously don’t want this to become a regular thing! I can’t really afford to go to any type of doctor or therapist, so I will see what happens.

YogaLifer- Thanks so much for your advice! I’ve put your tips to use in class and while of course it doesn’t make it easy by any means it has helped me a lot! Definitely the counting of the breathing helps me, because most of the difficulty with this pose for me is that I’m in it and all I can think is, “when is this over, when is this over, say change! say change, please!!” So it is helpful for me to have something else to focus on.
Kate- I totally agree with you about morning classes. The heat and humidity MAY be an issue but it is not cold or cool in the room by any means, so I think it is mainly mental as well. I have noticed a lot of times when I go to afternoon or night classes I go in thinking about how hard it is going to be, but in morning classes my mind is much more clear and less “monkey-minded”.

In other news, today a teacher that is starting an advanced class once a week at my studio asked me to come. I told her I couldn’t because I had only been practicing for a month and a half (it was said that you should have 6 months of practice under your belt to come to advanced class). Her eyes sort of bugged out for a second and then she said, “oh, you can come.” It was a huge boost to me and underlined my progress in my mind. It came at a really good time, too, because I had been steadily improving but felt like I had hit a mini-plateau last week, so this is very good for my self-esteem.

Just wanted to add that I’ve been doing a 60 day challenge (going 6 days a week for 10 weeks) and am about to finish my 5th week..halfway there! I’ve improved a LOT but of course still have trouble, especially with triangle. I have worked to get my legs far enough apart and get my hips low enough, and sometimes I can hold the pose for the entire time and other times I can’t do it at all. I don’t know if it is an issue with my strength or my stamina. It’s probably both.

My biggest problem is that once I get to this pose in class my heart is usually beating so fast and my breathing gets very hard to control, so I go into the pose and then feel really nauseous and like I’m going to pass out, throw up or both. I start to worry that if I push too hard I won’t be able to get through the rest of class (the spine series especially) so I back off or take a break. I always tell myself that I will push as hard as I can in this pose, but once I get there my body (or my mind) can’t seem to take it. I have noticed, however, that when I go to the 6am class I seem to have no problem with this pose stamina-wise and can push myself through it. I don’t know if it is that the room is less hot and humid, my body is not digesting food since I haven’t eaten for 8 plus hours, or just a mental block, but it is a lot easier in the mornings and I can often go the entire class without taking a break at all.

One of my issues in life is that I’m a perfectionist, and I’m also naturally good at yoga (or so I’ve been told), so having this much problem with a pose is very frustrating for me. I’m sure this is a good thing because it will make me let go and not always strive or even care about being the “best”. I’m not a type A person at all, but I internalize a lot of things and judge myself harshly. Any advice or comments?

Thank you so much for replying! You told me just about what I thought…I was just unsure because I’m very new to this and figured that if the students weren’t paying attention to the teachers direction there must be a reason! I have been to 10 classes and stayed in savasana for a while afterwards to just unwind, relax and recover.

Today, however, it was a really hard session for me where I had to take a break during class for about 20 minutes (this never happened to me before). Perhaps it is because I live in Austin, TX and the heat and humidity has steadily been increasing OUTSIDE, so it was really hot and humid in the yoga room.

Anyway because I was so spent and eager to hit the air conditioning, I, for the first time, got up and left immediately after the teacher left. I don’t know if it was because my session was so taxing or because I left early, but I was very lightheaded and had to rest outside the room for a long time before I could change and go home. Anyway, I guess the moral of the story is that I should listen to my body, but try to stay in savasana until my heartrate at least stabilizes, so I don’t get so lightheaded and woozy feeling.

I tried paying attention to putting my ankles beneath my hands but that seemed to make it worse! My arms and legs are so freaking long its ridiculous. I can see why that would help..but maybe I am just not advanced enough to do this pose, not to mention that when I actually get into it I can’t stay there for long because either my feet start slipping or my heart just beats so fast and I get out of breath and have to rest. Is anyone aware of any modifications that would make this pose easier. I would rather do an easier modification than just have to sit it out. Its very frustrating to me because even though I’m a beginner, I have little to no problems doing any of the other postures.