i have been doing yoga for years. I started on my own and then was in a class. i have had 3 different teachers. Classes REALLY HELPED. i cannot imagine never having the class experience. i learned so much more/ Now i have alot of DVDS. They are wonderful.
Last week i had a laparoscopic hysterectomy. everything went but my overies.
The pain is FINALLY leaving…with the help of Gas X and i will be on pain meds a few more days.
I have been feeling so down. i was doing yoga up until the surgery. i did not know how much of a part of my life yoga has become until this surgery. I am sure i am also “down” because i have been “down” not able to do much. I just want to stretch out soo bad.
Does anyone have any info or know anything about what I CAN do when it comes to yoga? I guess i can practice breathing as this has all caused alot of anxiety.
Just wondering if there are any postures or stretches i can do. i know it has only been a week…just really hard…i miss stretching out the kinks and feeling flexible. neckrolls…Yes i could do those… anyways thank you…soo much:confused:
Visualization, Reading, I hope you feel better soon. Visualizing can be as powerful as stretching. If you cannot stretch.
Your doctor will probably have some advice on when and how much yoga to do. In the meantime, breathing, maybe some light and gentle office-chair-style yoga, if you can sit up.
Most likely you are supposed to be resting right now. Notice this post and the quality of your internal thoughts. Can you try to mentally practice with the idea of not practicing? If I were your teacher, I’d say this is your yoga right now.
Take a look at some restorative yoga. There are very gentle movements you can do that will not disturb your healing and may in fact help facilitate it. Good luck to you.
First of all, Lisa, I give you kuddos for facing your recovery with hope and a positive attitude! =) I would advise above everything to ask your Dr. what is safe for you to do at this time.
Once you are cleared to do postures by your Dr., I would recommend pranayama first. I teach Bikram yoga, and the pranayama from that system is amazing for getting oxygen into the blood, which will help you to heal faster and feel happier. I am certain that pranayama from other systems will be very helpful as well.
You as a practitioner will know what poses your body desires. If you want to stretch, and your Dr. says okay, then my friend, stretch your bad self!!! =) Its okay if you can’t do the poses the normal way that you learned in class- most poses can be modified- to do standing positions such as standing head-to-knee on your back on the floor, for example. Also, please do use props, such as pillows and belts, to give your core more support so you don’t have to engage sore muscles. For example: I love Bridge pose, and you can certainly do that one with pillows if you body is desirous of the stretch. Since I don’t know your body, I can’t comfortably give you further advice at this stage of my teaching career. I am certain, though, that if you call your studio and ask for a teacher’s advice, they can give you many poses and the modifications for them that will get you back to optimum health in no time.
I wish you joy, strength, love, and a swift recovery with many years of excellent health to come!!
Hello Lisa,
When I am working with a student recovering from a surgical procedure I tend to wait longer before returning them to full activity. In your case it appears that two weeks post-surgery is the “stated” point at which normal activity can resume. Therefore I would wait two months or more (for full activity) and go gently during that time.
As it relates to yoga, you can meditate as frequently and as long as you like. Of course the work would be to use breath, light, and color, infusing the pelvis with those three.
You can also do any gentle supine or seated pranayama which promotes the parasympathetic state of the central nervous system. Viloma I, Radiant Breath, or a gentle Ujjayi are okay presuming you’ve been instructed in these techniques. Please do not force your head back during pranayama as this increases the risk for injury of the vertebral artery.
From a nutrition and lifestyle perspective, calm things are best - no loud intense movies, reduced time around things that emit electromagentic fields like cell phones, computers, etcetera. Avoidance of caffeine and plenty of hydration in addition to the inclusion of deep, green leafy vegetables and other yin foods are best to support the immune system.
In terms of asana, again very gentle and supportive. While backbends are likely to be okay, if you are feeling down, their nature will simply take your mind deeper within. The conundrum is that back bends will bring you forward out of the past and brighten your feelings but they may place strain on your abdomen early on. I would be careful in taking weight on the belly and avoid tossing your head back in any back bends unless you are working with a teacher (see risk to vertebral artery).
I would prefer you work with a teacher during this time to customize a practice suited for you. But I understand for some this doesn’t “fit” for a variety of reasons. Giving you all of the do’s and don’t would not be appropriate for this medium. I hope this sliver helps.
Hello, I’ve been there. There is a lot of ‘clutter’ in your mind that has to go when you do joga, marijuana helps me keep focus, concentrate on the now and learn some breathing techniques form youtube dragon breath is a good place to start.