Shoshanah

Thank you again, all of you, for this input. I appreciate all thoughts and suggestions. I also appreciate the tone of this discussion: everyone feels open to exploring – which is the only way to be in the body, in my experience.

I have ordered Gabrielle’s manual and DVDs to begin an at-home practice. I think I do need to stay out of the heat for a time, much as I prefer the wet, hot practice room. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Rebecca and Barb, thank you for the reminders to be gentle and good to myself now. I have been focusing that way, but I think always we can do more.

I’ll check back in as I settle into the at-home practice. Namaste.

Shoshanah

Thank you Gabrielle, fraseram, Rebecca, outward1, and Suzi for your responses. I’m glad to have a forum in which to explore this question. It’s really been perplexing to me, and somewhat disappointing, as I don’t want to give up my Bikram practice. But that said, I have begun to wonder if I’m doing my body more harm than good right now by taking on an activity that continues to bring up these symptoms in the aftermath. I’m glad to have some perspective to work with here.

In answer to your questions, outward1, let me just say that the teachers at the studio where I practice are not “pushers” at all – they are very much more exploratory than militaristic, which is one reason why I fell into this practice. I have a background in movement therapy studies and years of practice in other yoga forms. I wouldn’t be attracted to a “push push push harder harder harder” kind of ethos in the yoga studio. I love exploring the inner movements of the body, so I really am inclined to hold back when I feel I need to and to definitely explore the outer reaches of my strength and flexibility when that impetus is present. It doesn’t matter where my day’s practice falls on that continuum – I’m basically still ending up with fever/chills/cough/joint aches 4 hours out.

I pay attention to hydration, and try to have downed at least 60oz of water through the day before a class. I don’t think the room is OVERheated, and I don’t think there is an undue amount of sitting out that happens on the part of other practitioners. I am drinking Emergence-C now 1 hour before class, and that did help for two nights but I’m back to the same post-yoga symptoms now.

A friend who is in the same class (and is 15 years younger than me) had these symptoms visit her a few times a few months back. I found out yesterday that the symptom visitation happened simultaneous to her changing her birth control pill prescription, so she was in hormonal flux at the time.

I’m beginning to think that this has possibly come on as a result of internal hormonal shifts, and that I might have to wait until my 51-year-old woman’s body reaches her new normal to go back to practice. I wish that wasn’t the case, but it’s sounding more and more like the right action to take at this point.

What do you think?

Many thanks to all for weighing in on this.

Shoshanah