I need help & advice regarding Pectus Excavatium (picture in thread)

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hello, my name is Jim and im 24 years old.
The reason im writing here is because I think that someone here might be able to help me with a matter im serious about dealing with.

The thing is i have Pectus Excavatium, but the problem dosent lie in the Sternum area like it usally does with most people that has it, mine lies at the Ribcage around the floating ribs and my upper abs appears to sink in, between the obliques and Outer upper abs, kinda hard to explain (therefore I provide a picture) Im currently doing three yoga stretches, the Cobra, The Camel and the Bow stretch, and also hands behind head stretches, im doing pullovers when it comes to bodybuilding wich i recently took up. Im so determined that im holding the Cobra stretch for five minuts straight, dosent matter if my arms starts to shake I just wanna keep going, sometimes my arms fall asleep around two minuts.
When the five minuts are up Ilet my arms recover then hold another five minuts, and all in total I hold the cobra stretch for an hour each day, and the other two for only five minuts, but if I notice that the Cobra stretch aint enough after a few months, I will increase the other two stretch to the same time length.

Well, I just can`t live with the fact that this is what im suppose to live with, and I know its possible to change the shape of my ribs if I focus, and try hard enough and maybe within time there is a chance it might work, and maybe is all I need.

I only hope that you might be able to aid me in this more daunting task, many people refer rib cage expansion as a myth, but I dont care, this is something I just must do even if it takes years, I just cant look away from this.

#2

Namaste Jim,

Thanks for all the info, however there are a few crucial aspects about your condition which you don’t mention that might help other members to give you a more complete answer.

  1. PE usually have very profound affects on the heart, please give more information regarding any affects of SE on your heart health. This will help others to recommend appropriate asanas.
  2. PE also affects the lung capacity and function, can you indicate if there are any limitations in your case. This actually affects your holding etc.
  3. PE is also associated with slumped shoulders and a rounded back, any of these present in your condition?

I was about in year three of my yoga practice when a guy with PE who had corrective and cosmetic surgery joined our class, at that stage he was over joyed with the positive results of the two combined. What I also remember was that he had a programme that focussed much more on stretches and correct posture than on just the few you mentioned. He left after a year and I never saw him again.

Good luck and I am sure yoga will yield positive results for you.

#3

All illnesses, or deficiencies are there only so we confront them, and undo it as much as it is in our power. There is no useless suffering.

I also had issues of self aprreciation because of my physical shape.
The issue can be approached form many angles.
It is obvious that your condition bothers you a lot, because it prevents you from living a “normal” life. The very reason you accpeted this challenge before you have been born to this life, is exactly to realize, and long for the things you are prevented now due to your present physical condition.

You must asess, what are these, you’ll have to let this longing resonate deeply in your soul. This longing will start the trasnformation … but the result will be unexpected.
The physical aspect of our body can be changed very very slowly, some traits can be shed or aquired through repeated earth lives, so sometimes we need to accept some handicaps. Simply, there might be nothing we can do about it, apparently. But there are always things we can do. I just watched the movie Redbelt recently, and the brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor ( a great performance of Chiwetel Elijofor ) says there: there is always an escape. :slight_smile:

I am sure that you will find this escape eventually.

with love and appreciation