Yesterday, Day 7, I took it reeaaally easy. Having seem my Osteopath (maybe better referred to as my HEALER) the night before, I'd had parts of my body moved around and manipulated, and I did not want to mess up the work he'd done (not least because it would have caused me more pain and injury time in the long run).
The problem with my "back" turned out to be two ribs that had stuck together when I overstretched in a posture. Apparently my shoulders are so tight (well I knew THAT!) that the rib could not move back to where it should be, and got stuck. Nice. Because of that, the ribs underneath (not sure how many exactly, but it couldn't have been many, as it was quite low down in the ribcage) had also shifted a little out of place. It sounds really unpleasant, and believe me it's not the most comfortable or pleasant thing having someone grab onto you and twist you so your ribs move with a "crunch, crunch, CRUNCH", but it's actually not as bad as it sounds! The movement itself is more uncomfortable than painful, and if anything, you feel a release after the bone moves.
The best thing was, that he didn't tell me I had to miss yoga the next day, even when I told him about the challenge. He said to take it easy, and he would review the situation when he saw me two days later. So with that advice I went to class 24 hours later, and had probably my most inactive class that I can remember. I chose to sit out Rabbit and Seperate Leg Head to Knee, because the strong front compression had been hurting. I didn't go into my full range in most of the postures, and probably only worked 20% as hard as normal. I figured it was important to get my health back to 100% so I actually had a chance of completing the challenge...take one step back to take two steps forward later kind of thing. I certainly still had a workout though, because it was HOT.
So now, on what should be Day 8, after visiting my Osteopath for a second time, while I am much recovered (about 80-90% I would say) he asked me to avoid Yoga today. I was happy to oblige, as I checked with the studio, and it is allowed to make up one day missed a week with a double the following day. I'm feeling so much better today that I might even be ready for Advanced tomorrow, so I might do a double Beginners and Advanced. I feel reassured that it's ok to practise coming out of this injury, particularly after finding out today that a very experienced teacher I know had the same injury. I saw her practise Advanced a day after it was healed, and she commented on how it had actually helped. That's all the encouragement I need to hear :)
Friday, 31 July 2009
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Days 5 + 6
Day 5 was ok, considering the injury. At some points during the day I was definitely wishing I had not started the challenge before hurting my back. But it was a good class, only sitting out one set of Triangle, and still being careful in Standing Head to Knee. I was reassured by the teacher (same one from Sunday) as to the injury potentially not being very serious. She said she had experienced something similar, but could not think of the name for it-but maybe something is caught in the muscle etc?
I got the chance to catch up with the teacher a bit before class. One thing I was really happy about was that she said she would see if she could send me some information on something she was talking about in class on Sunday, which is awesome as I love reading about scientific studies into yoga. Another teacher has trained to be an Osteopath, and has conducted research into the
tourniquet effect. She's written a paper on it and will check if it's ok to pass on to me. That would be amazing. I spent a while not too long ago searching on the internet for the original studies Bikram conducted in Japan in the seventies, but I was never able to find any information.
It was a hot and humid class. The type where sweat starts dripping as soon as you walk into the room. It's a shame I can't go into the postures as deep as I normally would at the moment, as it would be the perfect climate for it. The injury definitely distracted me during class, and I was not as focused as the last few days. Still though, I felt better in class than the day before, and was even well enough to do some Lotus after class. I could tell it had been a few days as it hurt more than it has done lately. It will be interesting to see how I cope with Advanced on Saturday (if I'm even better enough to make it then).
Day 6 was uneventful. I made it to a morning class-the first of the week. 6.45 is not my favourite time of day to practise. It's so early that when I'm not used to getting up at that time, I'm much more inflexible. It's also a rush to get to work at 9am after that, as it's literally 45 minutes to get
showered and ready, and commute into London Bridge. I really had to go to that class though, as it would not have been ideal to go straight from the Osteo, when things might be hurting and manipulated after the session.
It was an ok class. There was a moment that amused me when the teacher told me I was ready to go deeper in Standing Head to Knee. I've been modifying the posture, so as to only kick out and keeping my body quite upright, as compressing any further hurts. I had spoken to the teacher about my injury, and that particular posture just 30 minutes before, but it was obviously too early in the day for him to remember. I know that feeling!
I also bumped into a girl in class that had been on my yoga holiday a month ago, and it was good to catch up with her. There are drinks in two days to catch up with everyone, but I don't think I will be able to make it because I'll have to go to yoga. That's one of the good things about this challenge. You just have to make time for yoga, whatever else is trying to get in the way. Having the option to do something else is no longer possible, and yoga becomes priority number one. Not that it is ever particularly a low priority anyway...
I got the chance to catch up with the teacher a bit before class. One thing I was really happy about was that she said she would see if she could send me some information on something she was talking about in class on Sunday, which is awesome as I love reading about scientific studies into yoga. Another teacher has trained to be an Osteopath, and has conducted research into the
tourniquet effect. She's written a paper on it and will check if it's ok to pass on to me. That would be amazing. I spent a while not too long ago searching on the internet for the original studies Bikram conducted in Japan in the seventies, but I was never able to find any information.
It was a hot and humid class. The type where sweat starts dripping as soon as you walk into the room. It's a shame I can't go into the postures as deep as I normally would at the moment, as it would be the perfect climate for it. The injury definitely distracted me during class, and I was not as focused as the last few days. Still though, I felt better in class than the day before, and was even well enough to do some Lotus after class. I could tell it had been a few days as it hurt more than it has done lately. It will be interesting to see how I cope with Advanced on Saturday (if I'm even better enough to make it then).
Day 6 was uneventful. I made it to a morning class-the first of the week. 6.45 is not my favourite time of day to practise. It's so early that when I'm not used to getting up at that time, I'm much more inflexible. It's also a rush to get to work at 9am after that, as it's literally 45 minutes to get
showered and ready, and commute into London Bridge. I really had to go to that class though, as it would not have been ideal to go straight from the Osteo, when things might be hurting and manipulated after the session.
It was an ok class. There was a moment that amused me when the teacher told me I was ready to go deeper in Standing Head to Knee. I've been modifying the posture, so as to only kick out and keeping my body quite upright, as compressing any further hurts. I had spoken to the teacher about my injury, and that particular posture just 30 minutes before, but it was obviously too early in the day for him to remember. I know that feeling!
I also bumped into a girl in class that had been on my yoga holiday a month ago, and it was good to catch up with her. There are drinks in two days to catch up with everyone, but I don't think I will be able to make it because I'll have to go to yoga. That's one of the good things about this challenge. You just have to make time for yoga, whatever else is trying to get in the way. Having the option to do something else is no longer possible, and yoga becomes priority number one. Not that it is ever particularly a low priority anyway...
Monday, 27 July 2009
Day 4
Today's class was really tough. I left work early because I'd been feeling like I was coming down with something all afternoon. I couldn't think straight...and to top it off the chest/ribcage area that I've injured was really hurting, and I felt ill...I suspect it was because the injury was so painful. It was hurting to take any more than shallow breaths. So I left work as I wasn't feeling good, and managed to make it to an earlier class than planned, with another of my favourite teachers, which was a nice surprise. My favourite classes are the weekday 4 and 5pm classes, which I get to practise if I've worked an early shift (or just if I leave work early!).
I was up for the class, and feeling good about it, but my chest was really hurting when I went in. In Standing Head to Knee my chest felt so compressed and sore. I had to just hold my foot in second set, with no kicking. It must have been extra hot, as the teacher kept opening the door a lot, which is unusual. I was completely oblivious to the heat or anything else because of the pain. Sometime in the Standing series, my chest stopped hurting and the pain flipped to my back, about five times worse. It hurt to lie down when we took savasana.
Somehow I pushed through the class, only avoiding sit ups, and not going into the final Head to Knee as much as normal. It did hurt to push myself up after every Savasana. It was worst just lying down. Funnily enough, I was so focused on breathing into the pain the whole way through class, that my focus and concentration were great. My teacher even said I'd looked fine after class. Aside from the pain, I would say it was a great class!
I was reassured by my teacher, who said that she's had a similar injury, and that I'll be fine after seeing the Osteopath in two days. I hope she's right. I trust experienced teachers, which she is, to be able to make a judgement on injuries. So many students go to class to heal injuries, that they've seen it all before. She told me to do a second set of Spinal Twist after class, which I did. I certainly wasn't going to be practising any of the Advanced postures!
It's not the best time to be injured! But I'm determined to complete the challenge. I've decided the only thing that will stop me is Swine Flu!
I was up for the class, and feeling good about it, but my chest was really hurting when I went in. In Standing Head to Knee my chest felt so compressed and sore. I had to just hold my foot in second set, with no kicking. It must have been extra hot, as the teacher kept opening the door a lot, which is unusual. I was completely oblivious to the heat or anything else because of the pain. Sometime in the Standing series, my chest stopped hurting and the pain flipped to my back, about five times worse. It hurt to lie down when we took savasana.
Somehow I pushed through the class, only avoiding sit ups, and not going into the final Head to Knee as much as normal. It did hurt to push myself up after every Savasana. It was worst just lying down. Funnily enough, I was so focused on breathing into the pain the whole way through class, that my focus and concentration were great. My teacher even said I'd looked fine after class. Aside from the pain, I would say it was a great class!
I was reassured by my teacher, who said that she's had a similar injury, and that I'll be fine after seeing the Osteopath in two days. I hope she's right. I trust experienced teachers, which she is, to be able to make a judgement on injuries. So many students go to class to heal injuries, that they've seen it all before. She told me to do a second set of Spinal Twist after class, which I did. I certainly wasn't going to be practising any of the Advanced postures!
It's not the best time to be injured! But I'm determined to complete the challenge. I've decided the only thing that will stop me is Swine Flu!
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Days 1-3
I officially signed up for the challenge today, after deciding to do it on Friday, mainly because I was not sure if it was allowed to count Advanced classes as part of the challenge. I practise Advanced on Saturdays at a different studio (same owner) and I had the opportunity to take a class with the owner yesterday. She seemed to think it would be fine to include Advanced, so knowing that, I signed up this morning.
I loved Friday's class (Day 1). I was in a very good mood (maybe because it was Friday?!), going into class with energy and positivity, so much that I could not have failed to have a good class, and because of that it was my strongest class for a while. It was a 7pm after work, and was only about half full, which is unusual at my studio, it being the only studio in the City of London ("the City" being what we in London call the square mile business district, not the entire city of London!). I take Advanced class with the teacher, Hortense, and she injected energy and enthusiasm into the class. I don't normally take her classes, just because they don't normally fit in with my schedule, but I will try to go to more, as I really enjoyed it.
Day 2 was Advanced, and again, it was my strongest Advanced class for a while. I really think it's due to all the sleep I caught up on this week. I had not been taught by the owner for a while, and I found her really encouraging. It's also nice to see her do the postures, as she's so good at them, and it's something to aspire to, although I think it would take me at least ten years to get that good! In yoga, we're sometimes encouraged not to have aspirations to have the posture look a certain way. I think it's ok to have some aspirations if they can be your inspiration, and as long as they don't make you competitive, and you are still able to focus on your own practice. I feel like I know where I am with my own practice, and I don't think it's a bad thing to sometimes look at someone else in a posture and think "Wow! One day..."
Aside from that, I've done something funny to the area around my lower ribcage. I'm not sure what exactly, but I noticed a week ago that it was swollen, and made worse by Advanced. Also, a particular point on my back started hurting at the same time, so I suspect it's referred pain from the same muscle, or something. It went away in the week, but now it's come back after the Advanced clas. I'm seeing an Osteopath this week, so I'll probably find out then what I've done.
Today (Day 3) was another good class. It was with one of my favourite teachers, Nina, and I haven't been able to make it to one of her classes for several weeks, whereas I'm normally a regular. On the way in I got to chat to her, and she asked where I'd been. I absolutely love her classes because she's such a genuinely nice person. She knows so many students by name, and I think she really wants to help everyone in the room get better. She's constantly shouting out tips for the class as a whole, and for individuals; new, regular or advanced. Today in half-tortoise she did the stretch where she walked her hands up and down my back. I love that! Although
I do always feel bad for teachers that do that, because by that point in class it's so sweaty...
I hadn't been entirely sure if I'd make it to that class, as it started at 9am on a Sunday, and the day after Advanced I'm always stiff and achy, enhanced by the fact that it was early morning and I'd just got up. That can sometimes result in a really bad class for me, so I did quite a few stretches beforehand so that my body was more ready. I was so glad I did make it to that class in the end. After feeling a little tired at the end of the balancing series, after the teacher gave me the back stretch I felt sooo energised, and finished the class on a high. Hopefully I will have some more like that on the challenge, as I seem to be having a good run at the moment.
I loved Friday's class (Day 1). I was in a very good mood (maybe because it was Friday?!), going into class with energy and positivity, so much that I could not have failed to have a good class, and because of that it was my strongest class for a while. It was a 7pm after work, and was only about half full, which is unusual at my studio, it being the only studio in the City of London ("the City" being what we in London call the square mile business district, not the entire city of London!). I take Advanced class with the teacher, Hortense, and she injected energy and enthusiasm into the class. I don't normally take her classes, just because they don't normally fit in with my schedule, but I will try to go to more, as I really enjoyed it.
Day 2 was Advanced, and again, it was my strongest Advanced class for a while. I really think it's due to all the sleep I caught up on this week. I had not been taught by the owner for a while, and I found her really encouraging. It's also nice to see her do the postures, as she's so good at them, and it's something to aspire to, although I think it would take me at least ten years to get that good! In yoga, we're sometimes encouraged not to have aspirations to have the posture look a certain way. I think it's ok to have some aspirations if they can be your inspiration, and as long as they don't make you competitive, and you are still able to focus on your own practice. I feel like I know where I am with my own practice, and I don't think it's a bad thing to sometimes look at someone else in a posture and think "Wow! One day..."
Aside from that, I've done something funny to the area around my lower ribcage. I'm not sure what exactly, but I noticed a week ago that it was swollen, and made worse by Advanced. Also, a particular point on my back started hurting at the same time, so I suspect it's referred pain from the same muscle, or something. It went away in the week, but now it's come back after the Advanced clas. I'm seeing an Osteopath this week, so I'll probably find out then what I've done.
Today (Day 3) was another good class. It was with one of my favourite teachers, Nina, and I haven't been able to make it to one of her classes for several weeks, whereas I'm normally a regular. On the way in I got to chat to her, and she asked where I'd been. I absolutely love her classes because she's such a genuinely nice person. She knows so many students by name, and I think she really wants to help everyone in the room get better. She's constantly shouting out tips for the class as a whole, and for individuals; new, regular or advanced. Today in half-tortoise she did the stretch where she walked her hands up and down my back. I love that! Although
I do always feel bad for teachers that do that, because by that point in class it's so sweaty...
I hadn't been entirely sure if I'd make it to that class, as it started at 9am on a Sunday, and the day after Advanced I'm always stiff and achy, enhanced by the fact that it was early morning and I'd just got up. That can sometimes result in a really bad class for me, so I did quite a few stretches beforehand so that my body was more ready. I was so glad I did make it to that class in the end. After feeling a little tired at the end of the balancing series, after the teacher gave me the back stretch I felt sooo energised, and finished the class on a high. Hopefully I will have some more like that on the challenge, as I seem to be having a good run at the moment.
Thirty Day Challenge
After three years of Bikram Yoga, I've finally made the decision to sign up for thirty consecutive days of classes. It's something that I've wanted to do for a long time, but until this month, my studio hadn't offered the thirty day challenge (that I've been aware of). Without the board in the studio, where participants put a tick next to their name for every class of the challenge they attend, there wasn't anything that motivated me enough to go for it before. I've had the intention to do my own challenge inthe past, but always made an excuse as to why it wasn't the right time. Now my studio is offering the challenge, with the condition that it must be started any time in July. With time running out, and a strong desire to do it, that was enough motivation to sign up.
On Friday evening, as I lay on my mat, I contemplated how much I was looking forward to the class. Experiencing that feeling before class is not a regular occurence for me these days. It used to be during the first year or so, when I started this yoga, but the last few months I've often felt that going to class was a chore. Don't get me wrong. I love this yoga, and I normally leave a class feeling great, but sometimes it feels like an effort to get there in the first place, when factored in with a busy life in London...a job that can be stressful, seeing friends, commuting, a relationship, other after-work work commitments that are becoming more common these days, cooking, and not forgetting about sleep. So in the enjoyment of that moment, anticipating the class that was about to begin, I made the decision to sign up for the challenge. With only five minutes before the start of class, there was not enough time to quickly pop out to reception to sign up, but I promised myself I would sign up later.
I decided to do the challenge for three main reasons. Firstly, I want the physical achievement of thirty days in a row. I'm interested to see how my body reacts to being pushed in the heat for a month with no days off. I'm expecting it will be tough, but I hope that it will be achieveable, especially considering that I normally go to class five times a week, so this should not be too much of a jump. I can recall doing eight days in a row several times, so I'm most interested to see what the effects are on my body after the eight day mark. I expect that I will have sore, tight muscles a few days in, and I will probably lose some flexibility in the short-term because of that. I'm hoping that after the challenge, I will have some increased flexibility.
The second reason, which is more important to me, is that I'm hoping to improve my focus on the breath, which is something I've become more interested in over the last few months. I feel like I've gone to another level in my practice since I started paying attention to my breath. It amazes me how much easier it is to go through a class when breathing correctly. The times I don't focus on it, and don't breathe correctly, I can find myself feeling dizzy and lightheaded, particularly on humid days. Breathing correctly, the humidity becomes less of an issue, and it's possible to concentrate more on the physical posture practice.
The final thing I want to get from the challenge is to see what mental changes I might make. I'd like to completely banish any type of distraction from my practise, and to be able to focus completely on the moment, the posture, the words spoken by the teacher. I'm often able to do this now, but I'm interested to see if I can make it even stronger, for example in classes after a particularly stressful day at work I would like to stop my mind wandering to the events of the day. If I can learn some lessons to take out of the studio into everyday life, then all the better for that too.
So I decided to write this blog as a record of the challenge, and any changes I notice that happen to me because of it. Thirty days doesn't seem like a very long time to me, so it may be that I achieve very little, if anything in that timeframe, except being able to say I did it. I'm interested to see though.
On Friday evening, as I lay on my mat, I contemplated how much I was looking forward to the class. Experiencing that feeling before class is not a regular occurence for me these days. It used to be during the first year or so, when I started this yoga, but the last few months I've often felt that going to class was a chore. Don't get me wrong. I love this yoga, and I normally leave a class feeling great, but sometimes it feels like an effort to get there in the first place, when factored in with a busy life in London...a job that can be stressful, seeing friends, commuting, a relationship, other after-work work commitments that are becoming more common these days, cooking, and not forgetting about sleep. So in the enjoyment of that moment, anticipating the class that was about to begin, I made the decision to sign up for the challenge. With only five minutes before the start of class, there was not enough time to quickly pop out to reception to sign up, but I promised myself I would sign up later.
I decided to do the challenge for three main reasons. Firstly, I want the physical achievement of thirty days in a row. I'm interested to see how my body reacts to being pushed in the heat for a month with no days off. I'm expecting it will be tough, but I hope that it will be achieveable, especially considering that I normally go to class five times a week, so this should not be too much of a jump. I can recall doing eight days in a row several times, so I'm most interested to see what the effects are on my body after the eight day mark. I expect that I will have sore, tight muscles a few days in, and I will probably lose some flexibility in the short-term because of that. I'm hoping that after the challenge, I will have some increased flexibility.
The second reason, which is more important to me, is that I'm hoping to improve my focus on the breath, which is something I've become more interested in over the last few months. I feel like I've gone to another level in my practice since I started paying attention to my breath. It amazes me how much easier it is to go through a class when breathing correctly. The times I don't focus on it, and don't breathe correctly, I can find myself feeling dizzy and lightheaded, particularly on humid days. Breathing correctly, the humidity becomes less of an issue, and it's possible to concentrate more on the physical posture practice.
The final thing I want to get from the challenge is to see what mental changes I might make. I'd like to completely banish any type of distraction from my practise, and to be able to focus completely on the moment, the posture, the words spoken by the teacher. I'm often able to do this now, but I'm interested to see if I can make it even stronger, for example in classes after a particularly stressful day at work I would like to stop my mind wandering to the events of the day. If I can learn some lessons to take out of the studio into everyday life, then all the better for that too.
So I decided to write this blog as a record of the challenge, and any changes I notice that happen to me because of it. Thirty days doesn't seem like a very long time to me, so it may be that I achieve very little, if anything in that timeframe, except being able to say I did it. I'm interested to see though.
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