Yoga at home

I’m reposting this. Yoga has been the most wonderful rehab for me. I’m so very happy I’ve found it during this difficult time of healing.

I’m adding to my yoga knowledge and practice right in my home, via youtube mostly! Yup.

I’m still not well enough to go to a class, nor am I well enough to make regular appointments with anyone, but I’m very committed to getting healthy, so slowly, slowly my yoga practice grows. It’s very gratifying even if very slow.

For someone like me who was once an athlete going this slowly can be difficult sometimes, but since my rehab is taking so long…my body is so damaged, I’m also learning patience as well as how to listen attentively to my body which are both great things to learn.

I wrote in a post a while back about yoga being ideal for rehab and it truly is. One can start while still in bed if they are bedridden and it can take one to great heights of physical fitness if one is so inclined.

I want to give an example of how I add to my practice. Today I had a very tight chest and shoulder area. I actually often do and some of what I practice already helps, but I thought, “I need more yoga exercises for this.” And so I did a search on youtube: “yoga open chest”

And voila — the very first video was just wonderful and really helped me feel better. At just six minutes long I learned a few new moves to add to my overall routine when right too.

Remember to modify any position you need to modify or skip it all together if it’s too painful or if you’re simply not ready for it. I rarely, if ever, do anything just like the teacher does it. The point is not be be just like the teacher. The teacher is a fit and healthy person. If you are sick or in pain like I am it’s absolutely necessary to listen to our bodies and only do what we can.

So to reiterate feel free to make any adjustments your body finds necessary. Absolute form isn’t terribly important when it comes to first learning yoga and accommodating oneself for comfort and lack of pain are actually very important. It’s all even more important when we’re ill or in pain. Just slowly move and feel your body. Yoga is among other things a mindfulness practice. Be mindful of your body. If it doesn’t feel good, stop. This is not to suggest it never hurts in a good way…it can and does quite often for me, but if it really hurts in a bad way, stop.

Some days I can do more than others. On occasion, still, I can no nothing at all. It’s really important to pay attention to our bodies so that we don’t do too much and become discouraged.

I thought I would share some of this from time to time since many people think you need to spend a lot of money to learn yoga. At least initially when one is learning simple stuff it’s really not necessary. Classes are nice and helpful no doubt. It’s good to have a teacher. But if you can’t afford it, or if it’s difficult to leave the house, learning at home is totally doable.

Also see: Yoga for the challenged nervous system

For my other posts on beginning yoga with more videos see these posts:

A collection of links: Information and inspiration for the chronically ill

And some inspiration watch this stunningly beautiful routine by a very advanced yogi…the sky really is the limit but we need only start laying on the ground or bed and stretching a bit! Remember, though, it’s completely unnecessary to EVER be able to do the below. I just thought it was beautiful. I have no desire or intention to ever be able to do anything approaching what she can do.

(if you’re offended by women in their underwear, which apparantely some people were, when this went viral, I recommend you skip this…I can’t see anything but sheer beauty here, so that is what I’m sharing)

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