bikraminseoul

Thank you for your reply – I am going to answer each question in order. I know I pretty much put everything on the table, but I didn’t want to be vague…lol! Thank you for the feedback you are giving me. I am realizing through this recent experience with hot yoga that I will need to probably do some additional therapy such as acupuncture, massage, etc. but I don’t have a lot of those options available to me at the moment.

I would like to know if you are doing any other exercise besides the 60 min Bikram classes.
I typically (over the last few years) walk or jog 2-5 miles a few times a week, but with the stiffness, and a very busy schedule, I have not done much of that in the last 2 months. I do, however, walk about 2 miles everyday to and from work.

Do you sit at a desk for your job or do you move around a lot?
I do a mixture of sitting and walking throughout the day.

You mention your injury (IT) is on the right side. Do you know how much longer your leg is than the other?
It is just by maybe a centimeter – nothing noticible, and has only been diagnosed by chiropractors. It was usually corrected by them with an adjustment – so possibly it is more of a pelvis issue than actual leg length. The slight scoliosis may play a part too…

Which leg is longer?
I am not sure…I have not really thought about it for awhile, but I think it is my right leg…

Both feet are hurting, right?
Yes- although my left foot, like my left leg, seems to have a harder time with the balancing and therefore is more sore. In the summer I pretty much only wear flip-flops – a practice I will be changing.

What about your sciatic/piriformis conditions are they on one or both sides?
Typically on the right, but has been on the left once or twice. It only occurs on one side at a time. I have been told that my piriformis muscle on my right side is really tight.

When you say that hot yoga exacerbates and heals, do you mean that while you are doing it feels good but out of class it doesn’t feel good, or something else?
Yes – it feels good in class, but I feel like I have had more issues with the sciatic nerve and stiffness out of class. I can REALLY feel the pull of my sciatic nerve on both sides of my body when in the some of the poses (especially in standing separate leg head to knee pose), but it is a good stretch. Also, I am noticing my balance issues so acutely that it feels like they are new issues, although I know they are not.

I appreciate that you are doing your best in the poses! Do you feel as if you are struggling at the moment in your effort to get where you want to get?
I feel that I am struggling at the moment with myself – getting past these issues of balancing my body. I really have to focus on my left side, and even though I can hold the positions, I do really struggle to deepen them.

Is the class giving you the joy of working your body? Or is it becoming hard work?
It is definitely giving me great joy both in working my body and helping to uncover some of these issues I have listed. It is not becoming hard work, I always look forward to class. I just want to learn how to get past this place and really be able to deepen my practice. I also want to do what I can to help my body recover from years of bad habits! 🙂 This is a journey for me, and I want to help my body be the healthiest that it can be!