The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Hot Yoga *faq* › Scoliosis & Staying in hot room for too long
The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Hot Yoga *faq* › Scoliosis & Staying in hot room for too long
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Hi Gabrielle,
I am a new member here but I’m curious about your guidance.
I have a scoliosis problem since 12 (I’m 19 now) and I did a few X-rays for the past few years which showed my spine forming an S.
It has been affecting me emotionally, rather much.
But I stopped having constant back ache ever since I slept on a hard bed, and started practicing yoga. Which I’m all the more motivated to go forward…
Today, I broke down in yoga class becos I couldn’t do the Halasana pose.
I just lay on my mat watching the others do that beautiful pose that I couldn’t.
My instructor said I wasn’t supposed to do Halasana since I’ve scoliosis.
Is there any way scoliosis will be healed, completely, after years of yoga practice?Also, I am quite curious about the maximum duration one yoga instructor should stay in a hot yoga room. What if the instructor teaches hot yoga for an average of 2 hours a day and 5 times a week? Will it get unhealthy? Like leading to dehydration or weak health?
Looking forward to your reply 😆
Hi scoliosigal
In my experience, the more frequently and long term I do hot yoga, the less scoliosis I experience. I don’t know the series you’re doing, but if you’re doing halasana then perhaps it’s not the hot yoga style that I practise.
Still, a well structured class leads your body through a great range of motion including twists: Movements that will help relax the muscles that spasm in your back and that tighten up and exacerbate the curves.
Good posture is an antidote, mindful yoga technique, not crossing your legs when you’re sitting, using both legs evenly to stand. Do you sleep on your back now? That can help too!
Are you an instructor as well? Like anyone in the hot room one has to regulate their hydration and electrolyte supplementation to suit. It is possible to become dehydrated (with or without the yoga room, which poses its own issues!)
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂I can’t imagine there is anything detrimental to being in the hot room for several hours a day if you hydrate/eat properly. I mean, there are certainly places in the world that have those temperatures in summer naturally, and the human body wasn’t designed to require air conditioning. Certainly you need to get used to it and get used to drinking plenty of fluids and replacing electrolytes, but it’s not that abnormal.
I was stationed in Saudi Arabia one summer and it regularly got to over 120 degrees in the heat of the day, and it was HUMID too, being close to the water. It was like being in the hot room all day long, even in the shade. You just need to eat and drink enough and you adjust to it.
Hi scoliosisgal
Connie is right, acclimatizing is VERY important. The thing I want to add is, whether you’re used to heat or not, one can still develop the extremely important and risky condition called Heat Exhaustion or other heat related conditions.
The problem is that people think that they’re OK and so can ignore the very important seemingly innocuous signs of onset. Best thing to do is ‘Google’ them and know what to stay vigilant for.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Gabrielle,
Thanks for the response.
At least it makes me feel better to know that scoliosis can be cured with long-term yoga practices. One thing, I didn’t know sitting crossed-legs is bad for me too! I have been sleeping on my back, and honestly the ache is literally gone – it’s amazing.
I’m not an instructor but I was just curious about the temperature issue. 🙂Hi Scoliosis Girl,
I was discovered to have scoliosis when I was about 11 or 12 too, now I’m 31. At last check (a long time ago) I had a 47′ spine curvature, BUT I’m very lucky that I have had very few problems, except wearing a back brace for about 7 years.
In my early 20s I had a real complex about my scew-ness and thought everyone could tell, but you know what? They can’t. I discovered that in a teary discussion with my then boyfriend about my body and he had no idea what i was talking about. Now it’s my party trick to let people trace my spine and the only sadness I have is that I could have been tall:)
I don’t think yoga can actually cure scoliosis, but I do know that regular practice and strengthening of your back muscles definitely improves posture and the more firm your back muscles are the better you’ll feel and the straighter you’ll stand.
Good luck Scoliosisgirl.
And, it is hot!Hi there!
My curve is actually an S – from my x-ray result.
Well I just hope for the best for my spine. It’s true that I always have this sadness lingering in me because I could’ve been taller, too. My mom said I was born out to be very “long”, but now I’m just 5″3.
I will still continue to practice yoga because I am so reliant on it now!I’m sorry you had to wear a back brace for a good 7 years! You are so strong. I wore it for about a year or two when I was in high school, but everyone laughed at it – how it seemed like a skateboard. I stopped wearing as I lost the discipline and motivation, plus my weather here is always hot.
Continue to have faith…
Love n hugs. -
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