I get quite light headed when I come out of any of the forward bends. I’ve been told its normal. Wondering if anyone knows anything about this?
thanks
[QUOTE=The Blind Guy;50552]I get quite light headed when I come out of any of the forward bends. I’ve been told its normal. Wondering if anyone knows anything about this?
thanks[/QUOTE]
You are probably coming back to errect position too quickly, and there is a possibility of injuring a back muscle. When you are coming out of the forward bend, do so very slowly and with full awareness on the back muscle. Try to make the coming errect movement last about five to seven seconds.
This should sort out your problem.
Hello BG,
Welcome to the board.
If it’s not too much to ask, a bit more information about your practice - other than what is available in your earlier thread. What sort of practice have you been doing for the past two years? Are you experiencing the lightheadedness in ALL forward bending postures including the standing forward bend and downward facing dog? How have you been instructed to exit these postures relative to the breath? And finally is it just during asana practice that you have this feeling or do you get it at other times?
gordon
[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;50559]Hello BG,
Welcome to the board.
If it’s not too much to ask, a bit more information about your practice - other than what is available in your earlier thread. What sort of practice have you been doing for the past two years? Are you experiencing the lightheadedness in ALL forward bending postures including the standing forward bend and downward facing dog? How have you been instructed to exit these postures relative to the breath? And finally is it just during asana practice that you have this feeling or do you get it at other times?
gordon[/QUOTE]
I vary my practice. I’ve only taken a few actual classes, but I’ve done a lot of reading and such. Logistics are an issue when it comes to class. I have to inconvience a few people just to get there. LOL
I get lightheaded with standing wide angle forward bend and if I do forward bends a bit faster, like when I do them dynamically. Never been lightheaded from down dog. I’ve been instructed to come up with an inhale and to stack your vertabrae one by one. I only experience this when doing these poses. I did once after shoulderstand but that was because I had to get up and take care of a kid issue. 
Typically when I do shoulderstand I come back to the supine position and no lightheadedness.
As far as the type of yoga I do, I’m not sure. I mix up my practice with deep stretching poses and strength poses. Whatever combination I feel like doing that day. I also lift and run (occasionally) and use yoga as part of a balanced fitness plan.
Light headedness often results from a decrease in blood flow to the brain, due to a drop in blood pressure upon standing up.
At one time or another, we’ve probably all experienced mild postural hypotension from standing up too quickly. As long as it occurs only occasionally, there’s little cause for alarm.
Try coming up slower…
I am sure you will find that your friends in the yoga community will not be all that inconvenienced by assisting you getting [I]to[/I] your classes.
You have reached a community here that will also not be inconvenienced by assisting you get [I]through[/I] your classes.
It is generally a good idea to check in with a qualified medical team and/or practitioner to evaluate your overall health and well-being before starting any new exercise program.
You may be able to check your blood pressure yourself as many drug stores, and fitness centres maintain blood pressure cuffs. Often a fitness centre will provide a free evaluation before trying to hard or soft sell their packages.
Blood pressure reading below 120/80 is considered normal
Read more: http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/bloodpressurechart.shtml#ixzz1DmDh5GHU
Low blood pressure may result in diminished venous return and cardiac output to the brain as previously noted, so you will want to rule that out.
Your autonomic nervous system may not be optimally managed, but there is hope since an exercise program that includes yogic breathing, asana practice and relaxation, may diminish these symptoms in time.
In the mean while you may consider modifications in the pose and see if that helps, perhaps with greater knee bend or sticking with a flat back extension, you may enjoy the rest of the practice and in time return, or not, to poses you find challenging.
[QUOTE=DoYogaWithMe;51423]Light headedness often results from a decrease in blood flow to the brain, due to a drop in blood pressure upon standing up.
At one time or another, we’ve probably all experienced mild postural hypotension from standing up too quickly. As long as it occurs only occasionally, there’s little cause for alarm.
Try coming up slower…[/QUOTE]
thanks this is pretty consistent with what I’m hearing from other sources.
Yogamark, thank you for your repsonse as well. I’m in pretty decent shape and I do not have any contraindications at this point.
coming out of the forward bend (the way I was taught)
- come out on the inhale.
- first stage - bring your arms and trunk parallel to the floor
- next inhale - stand straight in tadasana
but I still will get lightheaded sometimes, it also has to do with sequence, daytime, and other things
Thanks citymonk.
I have not tried coming up with 2 breaths. I usually come all the way on one inhale.
As long as its not an indication of something more serious I can deal with it.
The BG, You are very welcome. I’m 6’2 and slim, so get light headed very easy, braking this it two parts worked well for me and for other fellows with same physiology and low BP:)
I’ve always been taught to bend your knees if you feel light headed coming up from a forward bend
By all means bend your knees and very wary of forward bends in general.
Here in Canada, back injury is the number one cause of injury reported to the Worker’s Compensation Board. Sprains and Strains made up 83% of the cases.
Instructors and fellow students pushing, sitting or standing on students in forward bends is down right dangerous, and with so few teachers have liability insurance, it is shocking, maybe even negligent.
I would be suspect of anyone who said that even with proper form, forward bends are not dangerous. How are you going to get proper form, without 1-1 attention and years of courting injury?
If you are getting any warnings from any body system it is very important to heed it, evaluate it, and investigate it. When your body talks, listen up.
when I started I used the “forgiving limbs” concept. Now that I’m more aware of my spine alignment I don’t have to do it anymore.