Getting your balance back

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Lately when practising yoga I’ve been feeling off. It’s been harder to maintain my balance (I’ve even been falling doing lunges) and I feel weak when trying to hold a pose for a long time. I’ve been feeling it off the matt, too. The last few times I’ve gone mountain biking I haven’t felt the rush I normally get from being on my bike, and haven’t felt balanced/aware enough to attempt obstacles that I would normally do without any hesitation.

I haven’t been eating well the last few weeks, mostly just seafood and grains, not nearly enough fruits or vegetables, and not enough water. I’ve been really stressed from a recent breakup and the decisions I’ve had to make because of it. It’s been affecting my sleep and eating patterns, and I’m thinking it’s probably what’s affecting my practise and general life/physical balance.

Has anyone else gone through something like this? What did you do to get your balance back? What can I do in yoga to help solve this?

Thanks!!

#2

So as you have said your stress has thrown off your whole life.

Best for me I’ve found is simple presence sitting. Its not glamourous but it works.

If you want to do some asana go ahead. A little bit. If you want to do a little pranayam a couple would be good.

Then just sit for like a half hour or whatever you can afford. Longer is better. Put a clock infront of you.

Make a declartion to your mind. “Alright you rascal I’m going to sit here and do nothing for xxx amount of minutes.”

Sit in comfortable posture.

Apply light Ashwini mudra and maintain it. This is IMPORTANT SECRET!!!

Not trying to do, control, think, analyze, or make anything happen. Not concentrating, or focusing on an object.

Just Rest in your own awareness.

Thoughts come.
Let them go.
Thoughts come and they sweep you away.
Gently back to awareness.

Just rest.

You get sleepy? Do a little Kumbak. Open your eyes for a peek.

30 minutes.

How nice. It will be a new you. Longer is better.

Come back and tell us what you find.

#3

While there are several layers of reply I might offer, it seems to me you’ve identified the problem already and in so doing have also identified the solution.

If this is a temporary condition resulting from some things you are dealing with in life then its fine to feel them, experience them, and not push them away or bury them under the carpet of doing - be that a gallop or a lunge.

Hydration and nutrition are critical for health in the human body. And while stress is obviously a choice (though we fight that view tooth and nail) it’s effects can be decreased when the body has the right fuel and rest. When it does not, then the nervous system (and other systems) have a tougher go.

From what you describe it sounds as though there’s an absence of grounding, rooting, connection to the earth. Fortunately there are methods in our practice to work with this. Asana, particularly standing poses, when done correctly with the appropriate actions can facilitate that rooting and draw earth energy up through the feet and legs into the pelvis for radiating into the rest of the physical body. This is why the actual connection with the ground is critical for effective asana.

Additionally, if you know the dosha of your nervous system and that of your musculo-skeletal system then you might find more methods for bringing those into “balance”. Generally speaking, certain foods are grounding in nature while others create the sense of flight. Root vegetables are recommended while popcorn is not, as example.

Hope this helps you move forward - or enjoy right where you are until you are not.

gordon

#4

Little more.

Maybe a timer with alarm set to time? Instead of taking peaks at the time. WHen you hear the buzz your done.

Ashwini Mudra is helpful to get the prana vayu moving upwards.

If the Ashwini Mudra becomes a bother or somthing the mind is focused on release it.

Continue to abide.

If you can put the tip of your tounge on the roots of your front upper teeth, and let the rest of your tounge rest on roof of your mouth . . . this is helpful.

Thokar Kriya or 1st stage kechari mudra some call it . . .

I also put foamy ear plugs in my ears a lot of the time. When I do the yogas.

I agree Gordon sometimes you need bumpy stretches. I can Testify. lol

#5

[QUOTE=equiyogini;33068]Lately when practising yoga I’ve been feeling off. It’s been harder to maintain my balance (I’ve even been falling doing lunges) and I feel weak when trying to hold a pose for a long time. I’ve been feeling it off the matt, too. The last few times I’ve gone mountain biking I haven’t felt the rush I normally get from being on my bike, and haven’t felt balanced/aware enough to attempt obstacles that I would normally do without any hesitation.

I haven’t been eating well the last few weeks, mostly just seafood and grains, not nearly enough fruits or vegetables, and not enough water. I’ve been really stressed from a recent breakup and the decisions I’ve had to make because of it. It’s been affecting my sleep and eating patterns, and I’m thinking it’s probably what’s affecting my practise and general life/physical balance.

Has anyone else gone through something like this? What did you do to get your balance back? What can I do in yoga to help solve this?

Thanks!![/QUOTE]
how long is a long time n holding the poses?

#6

My empathy goes out to you Equiyogini.

I’ve had a few ups and downs over the past year and when I’m ‘up’ I’m strong and confident in my practice, but when I’m feeling ‘down’ I’m weak, unbalanced and competitive. So I believe yoga (the body) totally reflects your emotional/ mental well-being, which extends to all the other parts of your life i.e. sleep, appetite, mood etc…

Treat your body with patience and compassion during times like these, it is simply showing you that things are ‘not right’…so listen to it, reflect on it, and work through it…and in good time you will begin to feel better and go back to being the strong, adventurous, and courageous yogini that you are :smiley:

#7

Advice from InnerAthlete is very sound and studied. Words of the Scales are also useful, especially, Shambhavi Mudra.

Try this as well: It seems you have moved a little away from the severest moments of stress. If that’s true, you can meditate on yourself to learn a few valuable secrets. While the difficulty in balance is physical, it is only a pronouncement or extention of a hurt to your own subtle self. If you become aware (simply aware not emotional) of that gross-to-subtle connection, it will heal the hurt and restore the balance quicker. This is a simple karma principle of redemption. When we live through any experience and become aware of the subtle cause that results in learning; and redemption. With its purpose over, it puts an end to the recurrence of that phenomenon in one’s life.

Soon it becomes a habit. Slowly all gross experiencing leads us to the subtle that brings us to the gateway of the soul. Its wonderful.

#8

Quick question: do you use Ibuprofen or any other pain reliever? Ibuprofen in particular will affect your inner ear and your balance.

Also, get checked for vertigo. A couple of years ago I experienced your issue and couldn’t figure out what was going on. I finally asked my doctor- he ran a few tests and diagnosed vertigo. He suggested a physiotherapy routine where I would lay on a plank and get inverted then right-sided. This sounded a lot like sun salutations to me, so I upped them several times a day. It worked.