The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Hot Yoga *faq* › Injuries & Older/Less Athletic Students
The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Hot Yoga *faq* › Injuries & Older/Less Athletic Students
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I am a 57 year old woman who, after 12 classes, injured my ribs/hips on my left side (either strained or slightly torn). I also have a miniscus (sp?) tear on my left knee, which makes it uncomfortable to get into some of the poses. I am being encouraged by my physical therapist to reconsider practicing this form of yoga as it may be too athletic for my body. Although I would like to continue once my body has healed (the results of this yoga systemically were quite wonderful) and realize there are other folks my age practicing, it is true we all have different issues with our bodies and possess varying degrees of athleticism.
The yoga studios in my area do not have beginner classes or classes for older students. Instead, everyone is thrown into the same classes, which are crowded so there is very little individual attention. I have considered doing 1:1’s with a teacher in order to better understand the positions, since when I’m trying to understand the alignment required within any given position and am, at the same time, dealing with the extreme heat, I become tired and therefore less aware of accurate alignment. This has set me up for injury.
Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions for me?
Hi! I think you have answered several of your own questions, really … you have stated your concerns quite thoughtfully and thoroughly. Others will have more input, but I will offer support for the fact that indeed, Bikram yoga is not for everyone and may not be for you.
Unless we modify like crazy (which is usually actively discouraged), we can definitely do damage. (Of course, we can do damage by modifying, too!) Iyengar yoga is more postural (strengthening) as opposed to Bikram, which is more stretching. Not everyone needs heat-intensive stretching … if your ligaments are of the type that are already “loose” you may wish to focus on other types of exercise and keep stretching to the minimum.
You have said it best! ” … it is true we all have different issues with our bodies and possess varying degrees of athleticism.”
For safety’s sake, I wish more emphasis was placed on that truth in Bikram’s approach to new students.
Hi Catrina
It seems as though your problems are more likely to be instruction related. There is also the possibility that the studio could be superheated. I can’t tell from your post. It is normal for people to feel fatigue during class. Whether that fatigue is because you don’t know many of the techniques that help you economize your efforts and yield greater results, or whether you are simply not fully acclimatized to the heat I can’t tell. But if you are in your first few weeks of practice then don’t be concerned.
I know when we talked about your questions today, Robert said that he would come and post and say that his issues with his lax ankle ligaments and his meniscal problems IMPROVE when he does yoga, they never get worse. That is his experience of course.
Remember that you are but a babe in the hot yoga woods. I really don’t think this style is too athletic. When you understand the techniques better (in whatever form you wish to learn them 😉 ) then you will get a lot more satisfaction from your practice.
There are ways to learn that. You can scour this forum for hundreds of tips and techniques. At the risk of sounding like an ad (which I don’t want to do) my manual would certainly help out and it would last longer than a private class.
Thanks Rebecca for your comments. There is really not much in this world that is for everyone. Oxygen is one that definitely is. :cheese: All bodies are different. There aren’t many there can’t do at least most of the poses taught in a hot yoga room (with or without the heat).
The principles that I teach are really not wild modifications but are based on sound biomechanical principles. Unfortunately it is an approach that is not used by many/all teachers. Every body is different and that includes teachers. Hopefully they bring something different to their classes in some way.
Iyengar yoga is considered postural. I don’t know if it makes it any more strengthening than this yoga. There are certainly occasions where some will teach a more anatomically aware or technique based class and I am not sure if it is confined to certain styles.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Gabrielle & Rebecca,
My thanks to you both for your kind and thoughtful responses. As I would like to “try again” once healed, I hope to do so with greater awareness of my body while practicing and both your responses provide me with helpful tools should I return. Although I am not particularly athletic, I am a healthy woman and have done some hatha yoga since the age of 27 (2 years of steady classes and now mostly at home), walk daily, and work out in the gym. That said, this has been a humbling experience for me as it means there’s much more to learn about the strengths and limitations of my body. At present, I am doing some rehab on my left hip/backside and was told not to doing anything other than stretching and walking until healed.
Gabrielle, I was told the studio is heated to 110 degrees. At a certain point in the class, windows are opened a bit to let in more oxygen and, I assume, reduce the heat. As for the teaching, my concern is that the room is crowded and the beginners are asked to stay further back in the room and watch advanced students in the more difficult poses for direction (not while practicing but sitting out during the first series of a posture). There’s very little individual attention and, if you’re doing a posture incorrectly, injury may follow. Also, there’s much emphasis on going deeper in the poses and working harder, which can also lead to injury if you’re not ready to do so. Although the heat does allow the body to open up and relax, I find it can be somewhat deceptive if your body is not yet prepared to enter a pose(s) more deeply or if the posture is being done incorrectly. In addition, as our bodies age, changes occur that need to be respected both in or out of a gym/yoga studio. Sometimes we forget this!
I truly am a Bikram baby and am most open to all the feedback you are willing to give.
Thank you both again. -Catrina… some will teach a more anatomically aware or technique based class and I am not sure if it is confined to certain styles.
Yes! Bikram should modify the training/books so that people will be more “anatomically aware.” New students should receive a handout detailing potential sites of problems and what to watch for. Perhaps even get a doctor’s permission to take the class!The potential for injury in yoga is great. I personally no longer believe that holding your heels while pasting your face to your legs below your knees, or leaning backwards so far you can reach your heels, are “NATURAL RANGES OF MOTION” as the teachers say. Not that we shouldn’t go a bit outside our usual motions, yes … but that far?
Think about it. Thinking is what the phrase “anatomic awareness” should have us do!
I speak from current pain (herniated L5-S1) and major expense and life disruption, though formerly healthy and FINE. I am fairly sure my looser ligaments, the heat, and the over-the-top stretching put me where I am. Others may be fine … but the care and watchfulness needed to prevent injury is far, far underplayed in the studio!!!
Not to be a thorn … Bikram yoga has many plusses … but there is this glaring deficiency in the area of anatomic awareness!
Shalom …
Hi Rebecca
So now you know one of the issues that has really motivated me to spend years writing my manual and starting this hot yoga forum and creating my pose tutorials! 😉
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Catrina
I was told the studio is heated to 110 degrees. At a certain point in the class, windows are opened a bit to let in more oxygen and, I assume, reduce the heat.
For me that is the upper end of reasonable temperature for the studio. If your room is really OVER crowded then there is a slim chance that the windows are being opened for more oxygen. It is more likely to allow the temp or even the humidity to lessen, to make conditions more comfortable. Sometimes it’s also psychologically easier for students when the windows are opened! 😆 It also means the system is not ideal – but I am not being critical of the system. I have a personal preference based on my beliefs that the upper level need be no higher than 105F.
the beginners are asked to stay further back in the room and watch advanced students in the more difficult poses for direction (not while practicing but sitting out during the first series of a posture). There’s very little individual attention and, if you’re doing a posture incorrectly, injury may follow. Also, there’s much emphasis on going deeper in the poses and working harder, which can also lead to injury if you’re not ready to do so.
I actually don’t believe that all beginners should be forced down the back of the room. I like to move them through the room so that there may be someone in front and to the side of them that I know knows the poses with great technique. This way the new student can look forward at themselves. They have good examples near them and can see their reflection too and they can see all that with their peripheral vision.
[Actually I have to say as a teacher, there is almost nothing worse than having all your new students together. They don’t feel as supported and they don’t get the good start that they deserve.]
It is not reasonable to expect that this is the way a beginner should learn. You ALSO need quality instruction. Otherwise you are going to learn what you see – and what you see may not be either seen or understood with clarity, or you could be learning how to do the poses the wrong way. What guarantee have you that what you are seeing is correct? If the level of expertise supposedly reduces as you move back from the mirror what chance have you if you are right at the back. There are plenty of regular students who like to move around the room so that they can experience different learning perspectives.
Yes I agree with you that doing a pose incorrectly can lead to injury. It really depends on the quality of teaching, the environment, the care and attention and how you are expected to learn.
Re the emphasis on going harder and deeper:
Do you perhaps attend a studio with a militant style? Without a basis of good solid technique and appropriate guidelines any student is at risk of injury.How can I help you Catrina? Is it with a pose by pose approach, with direction to other posts in the forum or asking your own specific questions? I think I have talked enough about the quality of teaching but really what it boils down to is how you are going to get your outcomes and ENJOY your experience and feel supported.
Please let me know what I can do for you?
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Thanks so much for all your feedback, Gabrielle.
Just want to clear up a couple things.
New members are not “forced” to the back of the room. When new folks come for the first time, they are encouraged to stay towards the back for better viewing of more experienced students. I have moved a bit around the room myself, but since I’m slower/less experienced, I feel more comfortable in the back anyway (the windows are also in the back and one side of the room, so it’s more likely I’ll get a blast of fresh air!).
As for the teaching style, I would not call it “militant” but do find they strongly encourage working more deeply into the poses. Of course I’m paraphrasing but one of the teachers did state that, although it was hard work – that’s often better for us. I am more familiar with a gentler form of yoga and Bikram seems much more athletic in approach. My body does struggle with the combination of high heat and a hard workout for 90 minutes, although it’s possible that if I were more familiar with the poses there would be less struggle. Also, for me, the teacher’s non-stop dialogue can be distracting. Example: While in a balance pose, the teacher provides instruction on how to deal with falling off balance – invariably I fall off balance!
Just want you to know that a friend lent me your book and it’s quite wonderful! It’s great to have as a resource, especially while taking a step back during my rehab. It would also be amazing to study with you, but it seems you teach in Australia (a bit far for me). That said, this forum is extremely helpful and I much appreciate your feedback and encouragement. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for further training (Marin County – California).
My best wishes to you.
Hi Catrina
Oh that’s good – a gentle suggestion is better than an order! I have met people who have been new to a studio but with a regular practice who have been ousted from the front by the teachers.
What I was trying to explain (but I don’t think I was as eloquent as I could have been) is that new students don’t necessarily benefit from being at the back with all the other newbies. A mix of students around the room is much better. A newbie at the front row can be perfectly fine – but is definitely easier for them to be behind someone IF they have NEVER done ANY yoga before.
There IS a lot to be said for working hard: it is very satisfying. Your job is to find the balance between the effort you expend and the amount you are able to surrender to the pose. This is often the path for many new yogis.
I really think that your difficulties do lie with your newness of your journey. That by now your heat acclimatization process is definitely over now – in the physiological sense. How you are responding to the heat mentally is a different process. 😉
No doubt you can now apply many more distinctions to your practice than was possible when you wrote your first post after having been to only 12 classes. Each day, each class brings a different kind of experience. It is wonderful how this path unfolds. In fact my guess is that you are still here because you are really being bitten by this hot yoga bug and you are seriously calling into question the initial concerns that your PT had that it was too athletic for you. I am sure you will proudly prove them wrong – and that will be a pleasure for both of you!
And for the record, if and when I run any kind of educational events, yoga retreats, or trainings it would be more likely to be in the US or thereabouts. So thank you very much for the lovely feedback about my manual. I appreciate it.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂And for the record, if and when I run any kind of educational events, yoga retreats, or trainings it would be more likely to be in the US or thereabouts. So thank you very much for the lovely feedback about my manual. I appreciate it.
Namaste
GabrielleNoooooooo, Gab!!! Not the U.S.!!! Ever since your questionnaire I’ve had this happy thought in the back of my mind that someday, maybe a year or two from now, after I’d saved up enough money, I’d come to your training in Australia, bring my husband, who’d golf every day, and we’d have a LOVELY time. Now you’ve spoiled my dream. 🙁
Hi Bonnie
Just biding my time at the moment. Well I’m actually working very hard producing ‘stuff’. I can’t and won’t make any promises as I really don’t know what will happen. I will certainly keep your wishes in mind! And as usual, Robert and I are always open to suggestions and ideas and feedback. :cheese:
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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