Morning Stiffness and Lymph Node Aches and Pains

Hi All,

I’m new to the boards and have been inspired to post because of some physical changes I have been experiencing since starting my hot yoga practice.

I have been practicing since April of this year, so for about 8 months. I started out practicing 3 days a week, but for the past two months I have upped my frequency to 4-5 days per week. I LOVE hot yoga. In most ways, it just makes me feel blissful and relaxed and I feel better able to handle stressors in my life as a result of my practice. I see positive physical changes in my body in terms of increased strength and flexibility and overall toning of my muscles.

Conversely though, I have started experiencing a couple of unpleasant side effects that I am guessing can only be the result of my practice because it is the only variable that has changed in my life during this time. Since I increased the frequency of my practice, I have noticed a) increased stiffness/discomfort in my muscles, especially in my back muscles, when I wake up in the morning and b) noticeable discomfort/aches in the lymph nodes in my neck.

As far as the morning stiffness, as I mentioned, it is primarily in my back, although I do feel it in other places like my shoulders and hip flexors. Does anyone else experience this? Is it possible I am contorting myself in weird ways in my sleep that are leading to this, or is it possible that I am practicing too much? I have a memory foam mattress topper on my bed, so I think I am getting the support that I need from the surface I sleep on, and I did not experience this prior to starting my hot yoga practice, so I can’t help but feel they are related.

As far as the lymph node discomfort, I would like to note that none of the lymph nodes are enlarged at all. Neither do they really feel noticeably sensitive to the touch; however what I do feel is an achiness/discomfort in my inner ears and extending down into the lymph node areas in my neck. I would also like to note that this discomfort has not been severe enough to cause me to visit a doctor, just something that I am actively aware of. I know that practicing yoga increases lymph flow…is it possible that my lymph nodes are working harder at flushing toxins and I am “feeling” them more as a result?

Any advice or similar experiences that anyone can share would be helpful. I just want to know if what I am experiencing has any basis in normality and/or if it is truly related to my hot yoga practice or something else.