Posts In: pain

by Laura McCorry

It’s easy to get caught up in living a moment to moment existence (which is not the same as existence in the present moment). You do the things that must be done to move from one day into the next – putting off until tomorrow everything but the essential. Until there is only enough space in the crowded shuffle of your brain to process the next step.

This is when life is hard. When a deep feeling of unease settles around your heart. If you could step back, you might see the problem, but you feel stuck. The body will tell you something is wrong and its strongest language is pain. 

Yoga helps. Get on your mat and start to move with your body. Listen. Find your alignment by what feels good and not how it looks. A hot cup of tea can do wonders. So can a phone call to a friend. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Do whatever it is you need to do to let the light back in. 

Open your hands and release everything you’ve been grasping and clenching tight. Turn your face to the sun, which can be the actual sun or your closed eyes summoning up all the loves in your life –

Your romantic partner. Your mother. Your dog. Anyone who has ever shown you kindness.

Think of them and feel the corners of your eyes crinkle. Let the light shine deep and illuminate the furthest reaches of your heart.

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

by Laura McCorry

When injuries occur in yoga, there’s often a reluctance to admit them and perhaps even a sense of shame. So many people come to yoga after injury and so many doctors recommend yoga* as a gentle exercise that anyone can do, that it makes sense: yoga is supposed to cure you, not cause pain.

But the truth is that yoga is a physical practice. Students are encouraged to challenge themselves. Many teachers tell you to honor your body at the start of class and then ask that you push your “edge” when the going gets tough.

Students and yoga teachers will likely find themselves with an injury at some point in their practice. In my own practice, injury, pain and soreness have all been powerful, if unwelcome, teachers.

Consider Why an Injury Occurred

I went to a class once with a very short warm-up sequence. I remember feeling rushed but wanting to “go with the flow.” Within the first two minutes, the teacher had the class in upward facing dog and almost immediately, I felt something shift in my low back and sharp pain followed.

For many people, upward facing dog is safe and even enjoyable when performed with correct alignment. For me, I need to warm up into backbends slowly. Looking back, I could have spent more time opening my body in cobra (a smaller backbend), I should have engaged my core to prevent sagging in the lower back once in upward facing dog, and I should have trusted the signals my body was sending.

Even if you want to kick yourself for all the reasons leading up to an injury, figuring out why you got hurt is an important step towards injury prevention in the future.

Modify Your Practice as Needed

Sometimes it’s impossible to know how you got hurt and whether yoga is the culprit. My feet are a chronic weakness for me and about a year ago I experienced foot pain for about four months straight. Any pose that put weight directly on the ball of the foot was incredibly painful, so in order to give myself time to heal, they all got tossed out: no more crescent lunge, no chair with lifted heels and definitely no toe stand.

With those modifications in place, I was still able to practice yoga and keep my feet comfortably grounded. I bought better, more supportive shoes. And one day, without being aware of exactly when, I realized that it had been a week or longer since I had experienced any pain.

Always tell your teacher about any injury or chronic pain you may be experiencing. They can suggest modifications to keep you safe and help you get the most out of your practice.

After Healing, Determine If You Still Need the Modification

This is the most difficult step because the instinct to protect yourself from future harm is so strong!

I avoided upward facing dog for a solid year and only recently have I started to re-introduce it to my practice. I didn’t need that long to heal physically, but emotionally I had built up a lot of fear surrounding that pose. Sometimes I try crescent pose with the back heel lifted and it feels okay, other days it feels like too much stress on my foot so I modify to warrior I with the heel down.

Once you know that your body is physically ready, give yourself time to emotionally confront any barriers between you and the poses you’ve avoided. Don’t compare now to what you were able to do before the injury – you could repeat the same mistake! Instead, move mindfully and ask yourself at each step how you feel.

May you all practice yoga in a safe and mindful environment and stay free from injury! And if you do experience pain from yoga or from another area of your life, I hope these tips keep you connected to your practice and help you heal.

 

*Please remember to seek medical attention when necessary and follow your doctor’s advice. This article is not meant to advise for or against medical treatment, nor to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

Yoga One offers a variety of massage modalities to meet your individual needs – as if you needed more incentive to relinquish tension and increase vitality! Let the magic hands (and elbows) of professional massage therapist Fawn Rangel get you back to your best self. But keep an eye on your shoes!

 

1. Why did you decide to become a massage therapist?

I became a massage therapist because I like to see transformation. People often come in to their session burdened with stress and muscular pain. After the massage, their stress has unraveled, their muscles have unfurled and they have rosy cheeks with a bit of a glow about them. The client leaves feeling better, less weighed down by daily stress and more in tune with his or her true self. I love being a part of that process! I also like that the transformation is simple; it doesn’t require special equipment or fancy gadgets, just my hands, an elbow here or there, and a little nurturing attention

2. What benefits have you or your clients received from regular massage therapy?

The benefits of massage are vast. Most clients report a significant reduction of stress and pain, increased energy, improved range of motion (especially in the neck and hips), and improved quality of sleep. Some clients say they leave a session feeling taller and more structurally aligned. Others have experienced less sinus congestion and fewer headaches.

3. Do you have a favorite type of massage? 

Personally, I really like to receive Thai Massage. It’s very grounding because you’re on a mat so you’re closer to the earth. It implements a soothing rocking sensation and gently stretches the body. When I give massage, I like to mix modalities. I primarily use circulatory massage with a little acupressure, deep tissue, TuiNa (Chinese medical massage), and table stretching.

4. Something interesting your clients might not know about you is:

I went to acupuncture school and am in the process of getting licensed. I also am crafty and like to make jewelry and paint on shoes.

5. What’s the best advice you give for how to really enjoy a massage?

I think it’s important to allow yourself a little down time after a massage. Some rush right back to work or even workout after a session, and that can really halt the benefits of massage.

Communication with your therapist is also vital. Don’t be shy! Feel free to tell your therapist the areas of your body you want them to focus on before the session starts. Let your therapist know when you want him/her to apply more or less pressure.

Stepping Through the Door 

I had been aware of Yoga One’s studio for six years before I stepped through the door for the first time. My office looked down onto the small businesses along 7^th Avenue, but not until losing a fight with a very heavy piece of furniture would we become acquainted. After numerous physical therapies, acupunctures and injections, I finally found myself sitting in a spinal surgeon’s office faced with the grim reality that my options were running out and going under the knife was looking more and more likely. Reviewing our final options, the surgeon asked if I’d tried yoga before. I hadn’t and immediately my internal Wikipedia pulled up the image of the sign outside the studio that was my only point of reference to this strange-sounding word.

I think it’s part of the curse of being British that we fear embarrassment more than speaking in public or large spiders, but I can honestly say walking to my first class that I was absolutely terrified. Perhaps I had built up an undefined, slightly suspect, pre-conception of exactly what went on behind that door, but it was certainly nothing I had experienced before. The mat, the blocks, the blankets, the belt; all so confusing. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was having a defining life moment. As confident as I might have been in other areas, in this world, I felt painfully self-conscious and overwhelmed. I had no idea what to do or say and I kept looking at the door.

Just at the point when anxiety was getting the better of me and I was getting up to leave, a soft voice spoke. Wren introduced herself and asked me how I was and if I had any physical issues. Her voice was so kind, I couldn’t help but feel that no matter what was going to happen in the next hour, I was in very good hands. And so over the coming months, I was introduced to this undiscovered country; the practice of yoga. Slowly but surely, the omnipresent pain in my lower back left my body. When I think about the alternative route that I might have taken, it reminds me that important decisions in life are sometimes defined by very small moments.

Stepping through Yoga One’s door was really just the start and the subsequent journey over nearly two years has been a joy. Sharing my journey with new friends and fabulous instructors along the way has been the true reward. I am profoundly grateful to Michael and Amy for providing this oasis in my life. 

If you’re reading this and have reservations about trying something new that sounds like a character from Star Wars, then I encourage you not to wait six years before walking through the door. For me, every time I feel the base of my spine and there is no scar I am reminded of why I’m glad I did. I hope you are too.