Disability Question

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hi,

I have just been introduced to Yoga through Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Because I only have one arm, I had never tried yoga before because I was afraid I might embarrass myself by not being able to do some of the poses.

I would really like to do more with yoga and wondered if folks might suggest some particular styles that would be more possible for someone missing an arm. I was REALLY attracted to Jivamukti because of an emphasis on a veg diet (I’m vegan) but the poses look way beyond my ability to do with one arm.

So, if you have some suggestions of a yoga style that incorporates a veg diet, I’d be very interested in learning more. However, even without a veg diet emphasis (I am going to eat vegan one way or the other) I’d be all ears:)

Peace,
revruss11

#2

Welcome.

You may maintain a vegetarian or vegan diet in any yoga practice whatsoever. And in the very sound one’s your dietary choices would be respected but guided. Unfortunately the label doesn’t mean much. I had a vegetarian friend who came home and made a Wonderbread sandwich with velveeta cheese and potato chips. When I made a quality brown rice burrito my vegetarian couldn’t handle it. Could also have been my cooking :slight_smile:

What I would suggest is to look at the practices which are malleable to the human being, rather than one’s which require the human being to be malleable to the practice. One’s I think would be helpful, in no particular order are Viniyoga, Iyengar, and the practice in which I train and teach, Purna Yoga.

I would also suggest seeking out a teacher with at least 500-hours of training with some therapeutic emphasis in that training. All the better if you can find a studio where they have a wall rope system. This will allow you three things, balance, alignment, and strengthening. These are significantly less available without the ropes.