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Hi Mairi
It is difficult to really give a blanket opinion about any chemotherapy. Given that chemotherapy simply means therapy with chemicals, it means the regimen for any person on such therapy would be likely different from anyone else’s therapy.
Hodgkins is a systemic problem and chemo and irradiation is targeted at lymph nodes. So the problem could be that during treatment patients may actually be counselled against exercises like yoga because of the problems of lymph drainage.
You have yet to know whether the person who had chemo was being treated for a isolated problem or a systemic disease. There are a lot of questions unanswered so please ask more questions and do more research. And of course, your friend needs to be satisfied with the answers and make up her mind.
I have had students who would enjoy their practice and then have to go home and lie down with elevated limbs for 2 hours.
It is great to find references to exercise helping with fatigue for patients undergoing chemotherapy and it would make sense that one would feel better. Of course listening to the messages the body is giving is paramount.
I did a little research and found people who had Non-Hodgkins and Hodgkins Lymphoma. I did find a teacher in Brighton England called Emma who has recovered from Hodgkins (that should be enough to Google her). I would suggest getting in touch with her directly (call her) and ask her whether she did hot yoga during her chemotherapy or as part of her recovery after chemo was finished. At least you’ll be sure to be comparing apples with apples.
Rosemarie’s advice about nutrition is spot on. Go and look at oxygen therapy (hydrogen peroxide) make sure she’s taking good sea salt and hydrating well. It makes sense to me that exercise forms a strong part of your friend’s recovery. I guess what you’re asking is the schedule of when to start. The frequency will probably be up to her but I would suggest testing with 3 for the first week and work her way up, particularly if she’s been off line for a while. She’ll very soon work out what works for her. It can be a disheartening and discouraging to overdo something especially when sick and knock yourself out first go.
And yes, I too look forward to reading more responses and hearing of your friend’s progress. Please keep us posted.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Gluteus medius. #7691Hi Fonny
Before I get to reasons and questions etc, the next time you go to class, please can you make sure you are really bending your legs, bringing your arms as far around the back as you can, and don’t try to straighten your legs, just lift your hips.
Tell me if you have any further realizations (about what you’re doing with your arms and what you’re focus is on) and if the above helps you or not and then we’ll have more to go on
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: 30 day Challenge #7689Hi Caryn
I am so pleased you are at the other end of your challenge. Congratulations. It is an achievement. I guess at this late stage you probably would feel a little deflated if you decided to have a rest day! I can certainly understand that.
I guess we all take lessons from every experience. When we learn to give up the endurance test and listen to what’s going on it changes from being a sport to practicing yoga. And that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t do a daily practice. I really appreciate the contributions of our great community. And thanks for sharing your story.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts if you’re willing to share them when you get to ‘the end’.
Hi Cathi
I would like to talk more about the details of your issue. I do want to sit and think for a while, access my mental filing cabinet, and do some research too so that I can give you an opinion. Well, actually come up with some questions for you.
Hi Freia,
There are of course 2 sides to every coin. I would love to share my thoughts with you (all) about challenges and teacher training and how they relate…
Although I found Bikram teacher training very disappointing and tiring (didn’t learn anything except the ‘script’ and nothing to add to my pose knowledge) I did have a fun time!
There’s a good reason why people get a day and a half off each week during training. I fully benefited from that time off with lots of rest, and the Jacuzzi and I became well acquainted.
It’s NOT a blanket experience that your practice will degrade if you don’t take a day off. Some people need no days, 1 and more days off. It’s individual. And reflects our different bodies and constitutions (emotional and physical) and yes, our beliefs. And it even depends on how long you’re expecting to challenge yourself for (we won’t even get into the actual challenge component in this thread!). Most people don’t keep going without a break after their ‘challenge’ is finished.
2 things contribute to a degrading practice:
<> Poor technique is the cause of almost everything. And poor technique practised more often … well that’s going to amplify the problems many fold.
<> Insufficient rest time for your unique body’s needs (which do change, just to throw in a little extra challenge!)So what are the things that happen when you have (or what things cause you to have) poor technique?
Over-stressing your hamstrings, tugging on your back, going for stretches incorrectly, thinking it’s the depth and not the way you get the depth, practising poor breathing techniques, hunching shoulders, straining your back, and here’s a biggie, especially with a Bikram practice: the inability to engage the core muscles correctly (if doing at all).
All of these are related to poor technique and can come from inappropriately aiming for depth. All of these are exacerbated by relentless challenges of any length, 30, 60 and teacher trainings (hey, even just practicing for a couple of days) especially when it’s the bootcamp experience or attitude that overrides the outcome of practising or learning to teach yoga.
Most people who go to training do have the experience your teachers describe. I have dozens of questions I could ask about the beliefs concerning even the description of the experience, but I really want to keep it on topic. And we can discuss that all ‘elsewhere’. Suffice to say that many have drunk the Kool-Aid and easily succumb to the bullying, and could be using egos to practice. Perhaps their approach is wrong. I can’t judge that but I can surmise.
I haven’t drunk the Kool Aid but those who do are more likely to respond to their teachers telling them to ‘go stronger’ and ‘go harder’ and ‘go back til it hurts like hell’ or believing that overriding their own protective mechanisms (that allow them to grow and open) is a good thing!
The experience that all your teachers reflect and indeed most people who attend Bikram training, is not true for me. You see I DID feel like a goddess when I left (albeit a tired one who really enjoyed some rest!). My practice was great. I didn’t ‘succumb’. My body never ached. (And just so you know that I am human and it wasn’t all roses, I did have a couple of bumps on my road including an ear infection (dirty carpet!) but that didn’t affect my body or practice). When Robert met me in San Fran after the training I was so strong he called me the iron woman because I had abs of steel that some guys were openly jealous of (funny)!
So thank you for sharing your challenge approach. Meaningful results for people don’t have to be cathartic. And I think that’s part of what you’re saying!
So Caryn, go back and love your yoga again. It starts with you loving you.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Hamstring injury #7688Hi Tom
What matters is good teaching skills and good ability to respond to instruction.
Sometimes you’re better off at home or with a book or DVD. It would certainly be preferable to poor instruction in any public class. And always whether you are being taught by an able practitioner or doing it under your own steam, you still have to take responsibility and respond to your own body and what it’s ‘telling’ you.
Jeffery any progress on your problem?
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: lateral knee pain whilst attempting tadasana… #7687Hi Doug
Believe it or not simply sitting with knees and feet together in a regular kneel can make a huge difference to stabilizing and rehabilitating your knees. So do that when you can (anytime). I can’t say for sure if Supta will help you with the info I have from you. However I can ask you: Does it feel as if it works for you? That isn’t a stretch for that part of your leg really. It’s more for the inside of your knee and of course wonderful for the quadriceips and psoas.
So go kneel and also explore the yin poses and get back to me
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: lateral knee pain whilst attempting tadasana… #7685Hello Douglas
Alrighty … The first avenue is to go with your intuition about the tightness in your leg. In the meantime you must consider modifying the tree pose (unless you feel just discomfort – although I don’t think we’d be having this conversation if it didn’t bother!).
The easy mod on this one is to bring the sole of the foot to the side of the leg either high or low on the leg, just NOT AGAINST the knee.
For Janushirasana on the floor, bring your foot in to a point where that pain is not occurring. It could very well end up almost straight on to the mirror or the leg could be bent in a half way position with your foot located closer in to the leg but not at the crotch.
See how those work.
Then there are some yin yoga poses that could help you. Check out simple poses like bound angle pose, see what half pigeon feels like or even square. There are instructions online. Just know that you can adjust your legs as much as you need to to lessen the intensity. For example you’ll see pics of half pigeon where the front leg forms a right angle on the floor (shin parallel to the top of the mat as it were). However to lessen that intensity you will bring that heel right in toward your hip PLUS your hands will support your body so that you can ease into it.
I am not entirely sure if this is the definitive approach yet. But I am following your intuition on this one for starters. Thanks for watching the video. It’s good to know you can discount your feet in this one.
I was just wondering if you do lots of sitting or desk work.
Let me know what happens. Oh, by the way, yin yoga poses are of long duration and you can start with say, a minute each side and work your way up.
If that doesn’t feel like the right thing to do then let me know and we’ll work out what we’re missing from the equation and I’ll ask you more questions.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: why can't I have at least 30 min alone to do yoga?? #7682Oh yes, Liliana, just spend 5 minutes or 10 minutes, 2 or 20 whenever you get the chance. Just do ANY movements to access your body and check into your sensations.
There’s no need to wait!!!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Body aches? #7681Hi Denise
Thank YOU! Let me know how your first class goes. I’m here to help!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Bikram vs. Hot Vinyassa Yoga #7669Hi David (and Amy!)
Well it’s not really a question but more a commentary… Here are some thoughts:
Due to the flow elements and less static nature of the vinyasa series, there is less time to really give a lot of technique instruction when you are flowing through poses. You will notice that in times where you are still taking 5 breaths say, in Down dog that the commentary takes a different turn until the next flow.
What I LOVE about this other style (whatever place you go or whatever it gets called 😉 ) is that it is great core strength training that you simply don’t get from hot yoga. Proviso: If you don’t know how to activate your core in the first place. I also really appreciate the wrist and shoulder work.
I actually find the repetition of push up, up dog, and down dog rather satisfying and I also notice that I become very strong and with each successive salutation that I am noticeably more supple. So I really do enjoy them from when I take the opportunity.
I think your experience with the religious side in your recent classes is really studio specific and may not apply to all flow studios.
You are right that it is harder perhaps to learn the series because you are often with your head down!!! or looking another direction. However IMHO the repetition actually helps you work it out fairly quickly. I can appreciate that the mirrors in the hot yoga room make a difference and help you see different angles of people during your class.
So, that’s not a directly point for point answer of your 11, but it’s a start! 😆
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Hamstring injury #7668Hi Mario
Thanks for the sage advice. I agree with you and am so happy you chimed in with your experience.
The information in the Opening Up Your Hamstrings post actually covers the basic pose mechanism in several poses that you’ve mentioned.
Because it is SO important in the healing process, and to help Jeffery, I would actually say that I disagree with you here:
Do NOT do Standing Sep Leg Intense Stretching pose if your legs are straight. This is the main culprit of this problem and is oh so prevalent in most studios that I have to mention it here at the risk of offending you! You would be better off doing another Hands to Feet pose or a narrow stance Intense Stretch pose but with almost no pull on the heels at all and very little lift.
In Standing Sep Leg Head to Knee: If your healing leg is the one at the back, then if that is straight you will probably exacerbate the tear. The safety mechanism on this is that in order to protect it you will (unconsciously) go out of alignment (so is that a good thing?).
Ultimately what I resonate most with here is: Rest is best. And because we have limited info I strongly recommend getting a physical therapist to put their hands on it, assist with treatment to help heal and with exercises to help it get strong again without going through the pain of more tearing.
Don’t let your passion (aka attachment) for this yoga get in the way of your healing, because sometimes it will make things worse and cost you dearly (in time, in comfort and in head space!). There’s always a lesson ain’t there? 😆
Thanks again
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: YogaBody supplement really works #7666Hi Jeff
To the best of my knowledge there are no duty charges but then again I have never received a shipment in Canada! 😉
Probably best to go to the cart at Yoga Body site and add to cart and see what the shipping costs are depending on your chosen item…
Actually I just went and did this for you – it took a minute to find out that for the 3 or the 12 bottles shipping costs about $20 for either choice to Canada.
Hope that helps.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Ooops another chin to shoulder question… #7665Hello Ms Cyberry 😉
As usual a detailed question with a lot of thought!
I think that chin on the shoulder is more a proximity instruction rather than one of contact. I actually think it would be more correct to say chin over the shoulder (even though I can assure you I have said on a number of occasions “chin on the shoulder”!).
What I encourage students to do is actually work the front shoulder down at the same time as lengthening and strengthening that front arm forward. Actually when you activate that shoulder correctly the shoulder DROPS away from the chin which should be positioned directly over it!
In other words it’s all aligned on the midline. I also encourage students NOT to drop the chin but to keep the chin parallel to the floor. In this way with the instruction to drop shoulder and chin parallel to the floor or face parallel to the mirror, they ‘get’ that the chin won’t actually touch the shoulder.
So with that explanation of the chin and shoulder relationship I do ‘get’ what you’re saying. When you drop that hip into alignment you can action a noticeable shift of that front shoulder back and down which takes your shoulder out of reach of your chin!!! (Can’t do both but only one at a time! Nice noticing!)
Once you superpose that criterion on the pose it explains their relationship.
I would like to say however that without getting that hip alignment, you may get your leg up higher but it’s at the expense of a good backbend rather than deepening it. It just makes the pose look better but the technique is better with hip down. As I say, you can check into that bilateral sensation in your lower spine! That can disappear if it’s just about getting the leg up but feels great and effective when you drop the hip.
Does that make sense? Come back and wax lyrical…
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Michelle
Unless your style of Savasana offends your teacher’s sensibilities 😉 I wouldn’t really worry at all. Just make sure you are in alignment because that’s a good thing to pay attention to. But as far as benefits of corpse pose with your heels together or 9 inches apart especially if you feel you can’t surrender your quadriceps muscles, you will probably benefit more by introducing a bit of space.
As an experiment, see what happens from time to time when you hold your feet at different distances. You may find as you practise the skill of relaxation that it becomes easier and easier.
As far as your arms are concerned, check into your shoulders and make sure they are relaxed.
There is definitely a technique to this pose and not just in the physical approach. In fact, I created a pose tutorial on Savasana and meditation. That it is an in depth detailed recording of over 90 minutes surprised even me, that it could be examined at such length, going way beyond, lie there still in a particular way and focus on your breath. There’s a LOT more to it than one initially imagines, and it forms the cornerstone to your practice.
So take a curious attitude, play with it a little and see what you discover (and then let it go! 😆 )
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Hamstring injury #7663Hi Jeffery
Firstly OUCH!!! I read your post and had a visceral reaction to finding out about your injury. Bruised and swollen and also stiff. Doesn’t sound good at all.
It would appear you have torn some soft tissue. But I guess you already know that. I would probably go and see a therapist about it so they can really advise you as to your recovery. There will definitely be some exercises for you. Plus you will benefit from professional advice which goes beyond “the yoga will fix it” and help you work out what movements to avoid.
The problem with this style of yoga is that there are a number of poses in which you can stress and injure hamstrings due to what I consider to be poor technique. And couple that with the advice to push through pain and discomfort (with often a blurry subjective line as to which is which) and you’ve got a recipe that can be and for you has proven to be disastrous.
Please go and look at some other important related posts. Pop the word “hamstring” in the search box and see the plethora of threads which is one of the most popular subjects in this whole forum.
In it you’ll find the oft-referred to post called Opening Up Your Hamstrings With Hot Yoga. Although at the moment you should really be resting and recovering, otherwise you could really be worsening your problem.
I know it’s disappointing to have to put the brakes on. But see someone, read the posts, and avoid creating more injury. In your case light stretching may work but probably not more than being able to mobilize your leg and get movement there by walking and distributing whatever chemicals of inflammation are there and to prevent scar tissue from taking over the site (which could inhibit your healing).
In those hamstrings injury posts you will discover that there are plenty of people out there who have had nagging injuries that they thought the yoga would fix but actually irritated the problem.
If you have any other details to enlighten me then go ahead and let me know. It’s not often a single post can give me everything I need to know. But after reading the rest you will get a sense of what resonates for you.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Jeff
Thanks! So that tells me that the traction you are getting from your mat and towel is compensating for your lack of equal weight distribution…
Now you have something more to work on! Let me know how you go.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Jeff
You’re not making an excuse. I believe that it is possible that you are slipping on their slippery dirty carpet and others may be more used to it.
Those who are stable (particularly on slippery carpet) could be compensating for it by distributing their weight differently (more to the ‘front’ foot with or without bending the front leg more than 90 degrees, and relieving some off their ‘back’ foot).
I can’t really say for sure if you have your weight equally distributed through your feet in this pose. Can you tell me what your experience is? See if you’re able to drive the weight through your front heel and almost none in the toes themselves (pressure through base of toes is good).
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Body aches? #7657Hi Denise
It’s great to hear of your progress. So where to start? I do believe that you can check out the blog called Opening Up Your Hamstrings With Hot Yoga, look at threads about proper sit-up technique, and also your Janushirasana pose on the floor.
I can’t assume you’re doing everything in the best possible way for your back in the other poses. I could definitely give you some hints elsewhere but I need some guidance from you in order to do so. And (without it sounding like a whole lot of self-promotion 😉 ) the Hot Yoga MasterClass manual would have all of the answers for you with photos of the techniques and the mistakes you could be making (and then photos of the way to fix them).
To be told to get back to class with no guidance is not helpful! If your back was not hurting and then it hurts after you attend class, you can definitely make pose improvements to fix the problem! And if you continue to use the wrong techniques, well I guess I don’t have to tell you how risky that is.
Start with the above poses to review, see if you find some differences from your current techniques by trying out my suggestions … If you’re already doing the right thing in these poses then we can work out the next place to look!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Strong headache after the class! #7654Hi Tasha
Thanks Bonnie for your thoughts and advice! 😉 It’s worth working on the really obvious and often neglected parts of practice.
Having a headache can be a pain (that was a terrible pun but you know what I mean). It’s interesting that after practising for a while, headaches can for most people become a thing of the past.
It’s got something to do with the yoga asana themselves, something seems to shift. I stop short of saying it’s toxins! But certainly you are opening up your circulation and reinvigorating and re-accessing areas in your body which may have been stagnant that even lots of regular exercise cannot access.
I do know that for myself, in the past when I have had breaks from yoga, I have experienced headaches with increasing frequency the longer I was away. And I have felt them come on in class too. For me it became a sign that I was not doing enough yoga.
So perhaps re-frame it in your mind as something useful!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Stomach In? #7653Thanks Freia
Your contributions are always appreciated. I am looking forward to digesting the info in those links this weekend (when I get a little time)…
The danger with Pranayama (or just about any other pose delivered to a script adopted without question) I think comes with the misinterpretation of the pose instructions and the “law of unintended consequences” kicks in.
Hmmmmmm… 3 hours on breathing. Ha! 😆 Gotta love your yoga
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: lateral knee pain whilst attempting tadasana… #7643Hi Douglas
Let’s see …
>> I would like to ask what activity you have been doing over the last 3 years.
>> I would like you to confirm if it’s both your legs or just one in particular.
>> Can you tell me if it hurts in any other pose? Does it hurt at any other time?
>> What can you tell me about your stance, your feet, your alignment of your joints? Are you aware if you pronate or supinate your feet? And on that vein have you watched the free video Great Posture From The Ground Up because it may either confirm that there’s an imbalance or everything’s fine and we can consider other elements of knee health or posture issues.See you back here. 😉
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Stomach In? #7642Hi Freia
I haven’t yet taken a look at the links yet. So I thought I would tell you the first thing that came to mind…
Yes you are right. It is important to use your girdle or brace muscles for core strength. There’s no question of that and I am not at all disputing the activation of core muscles in my above answer.
The whole ball game changes when you coordinate that movement of the arms (and head) into the mix. In order to get that physical stretch of the torso and get maximum opening through the chest, under the arms, the shoulders and keep the torso/spine upright etc while getting a good deep full breath in the lungs, you can’t do that pronounced suck in the stomach action. You can engage your core muscles – but that’s not the same thing as drawing in the belly in that wholesale way.
Does that make sense? Willing to hear your opinion … as always
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Heart Disease #7636Hi y’all
Just letting everyone know that bix has sent me a private message. Bix, feel free to post that (copy and paste) if you feel you want to and if you feel it’s not too personal. I just wanted to close the loop so that it didn’t just end up in the air.
I will respond later, giving a little time to post if you wish!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Heart Disease #7635Hi
Freia, that’s my point exactly: The effect of heat on the heart is a load in itself. So exercising on top of that is an extra load. Thanks for bringing your voice of reason to the table (again!). 😉
At this stage we really do need to wait to hear from bix.
We can all give all our hypotheses (me included) but ultimately bix needs to give us more information. We don’t know if a cardio or a GP was seen, when it happened, what happened, what brought it on, and so many other questions that we can only speculate about.
So bix, it’s over to you
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Heart Disease #7631Hi bix
I first want to point out that we can’t give you medical advice but I can certainly give you some important information to arm yourself with when taking what actions you end up taking! Phew. Thought that was worth telling you!
Now … the great thing about many yoga exercises is that it exercises the heart muscle not just by using it as a pump to access the entire body but it tones the heart muscles itself.
I won’t comment on how or why you had your problem. I guess we could go down the path of nutrition and hydration and electrolytes in future conversations (if you want to ‘go’ there) but let’s just take this at face value for the moment.
Lee raises some important points. Both about what your doctor recommends in general, and also about doctor’s ignorance of the importance of yoga. So ultimately your actions are your responsibility based on how you process the information.
I will say this:
Being in the hot room even without doing the yoga is in itself extra exercise for the heart.
If you haven’t been exercising in the heat for some time due to the occurrence then the first step could be to simply sit in the hot room during class and doing nothing else but breathe (and meditate!). This would be fantastic for you. It would help stress the heart positively by normal physiological processes to acclimatize to the heat. I think that for me this would be the logical first step because the stress could be more than necessary in your recovery process if you were to expect to just return back to yoga with the same intensity of exercise you had before.
If and when that feels OK then the approach could be to approach your practice in a step by step approach. Do the second set of each pose, graduate to the first set of each pose and then finally to the whole class. Of course you would only do what feels right for you.
As for the risks: There is a risk in STOPPING exercise altogether. And there is a risk in doing too much. That goes for everyone.
So bix how long did you stop the yoga for? What do you intuit would be the best course of action for you given the responses here? Would you like to delve a little more deeply down some other avenues (mentioned above)? I don’t want to presume to give you advice especially given the very small amount of information in your original post.
Please let me know. And my best wishes for an easy and satisfying recovery.
And btw: Lee that’s very impressive to lose 100 pounds! Thanks always for your contributions. I appreciate them greatly.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: YogaBody supplement really works #7622Hi David
It could be that you really have a good diet and you are getting what you need and so the supplement is not adding anything to your constitution. If you are not getting any benefit then you’re right to let it go!
Thanks for your feedback!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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