I cycle a lot. Today I have sore hamstrings and the backs of my upper arms are sore. Should I wait until the soreness subsides or would practicing actually help the muscles feel good?
Thanks.
I would advisse you to [B]wait[/B] until the soreness subsides.
I’ve experienced this before,after cycling,and then doing asana (with devastating results.). My hamstrings felt that they wer going to literally snap. I would advise not do doing asana afterwards,unless you are extraordinarily mindful and gentle,and careful.This is to err on the side of caution,and caution is absolutely integral to fruitful,not harmful, yoga.
Just try and take your mind off it, for the time being.Approach asana when you’re ready,not before. You’d probably be better acclimitising your muscles to their new-found tension levels, by avoiding any potentially taxing,sophisticated or risky physical maneuvers, imeddiately after any ‘soreness’ occuring in the physical ,or muscular, body.
A passive stretch might make your muscles feel good, often do, but they may just want to spring back,contract even tighter, during or as soon as you finish, into even greater levels of tension,resulting from a [B]disorientation of your nervous system[/B]. These reflexes are designed to protect your body but they can really imbalance you, structurally and in other ways.
i would [B]not[/B] advise it.Wait.
Try some meditation and/or deep breathing.This can provide a more subtle, comprehensive & deeper level of relaxation.As you alreeady obviously know,moving one force one way foten can result in an equal opposing force in reaction.
Thanks so much for the advice! In the past, I have gone to a yoga class or two with really tight, sore muscles. The healing time seemed to last longer…not good for the avid cyclist. I tend to push myself through pain or discomfort instead of letting myself heal. I’m learning that with yoga, this is not the way to go about things. I also catch myself pushing in asanas…I guess that could cause soreness, too. I’m having a hard time knowing when too far is too far.
But, yes…I will rest and thanks again for your response.
From a yoga perspective, when you work the muscles in asana to the point of soreness it is best to allow the muscle fiber ample time to recover. As you well know, that is the process of muscle building - the repair of micro tears in the fibers.
Some people still “do” things when they have muscles soreness. And that’s okay. However if one opts to “do” then it is best to do gently without placing much load on the muscles that are singing.
I believe this to be the case whether yoga is involved or not. Muscles worked to soreness are given time to recover.
Thanks a lot, IA. I am currently taking it easy and plan to do so for a few days. It’s hard to abstain from yoga!! I’m hooked. 
I think what I did was push too hard in hip opening poses and injured what feels like my left hip socket or some tendon in that area. Owwie…
Thanks, again.
You needn’t abstain. Instead you just need enough sense to have an asana practice that does not tax the muscles in repair. Vary your asana practice.
I think I’ll just wait few more days. Better safe than sorry. Thank you.