RE: ashtanga yoga Shoulder Injuries: A Different View

[Guest guest]

This is exactly what David Williams is stressing and has stressed for years.

Everyone is different and everyone's core strength is different. Ashtanga,

along with every other yoga out there is to be done for the enhancement of

your life and physical condition, not to injure yourself. He believes in

going very slowly in the practice and with tons of concentration on the

breath (as do most Ashtanga teachers) and he also feels that small

modifications are fine to do. The point is to do the pose to the best of

your ability and if you can't quite get there so what, one day you will. It

has made such a difference in my practice because now, rather then killing

myself to get into a pose, I slightly modify something and the next time it

seems I am able to do the same pose that much better. He stressed over and

over that this is something we want to take with us into our 80's and unless

I mentally accept my limitations and accept that it is ok to make

modifications I know I won't be doing this when I am 80. He also taught us

that inbetween each asana (not each side) to stay in upward dog and take 5

deep breaths. This time gives you the opportunity to rest for a moment,

regain your breath control and to relax your muscles for a few seconds. It

has made a great difference in the quality of my practice now. My teacher,

(who is certified to teach ashtanga) also feels that this is a great

enhancement to his practice.

Hope this helps.

Margee

>

> clk0893 [sMTP:no_reply]

> Thursday, September 05, 2002 4:24 PM

> ashtanga yoga

> ashtanga yoga Re: Shoulder Injuries: A Different View

>

> a different view well taken. your post has made me think. if the

> original ashtanga series was taught to 16-year-old boys, shouldn't

> there be modifications for us older more worn and torn folks. 50 jump

> throughs and jump backs is just too much for someone not in there 20s

> or 30s. I can see working up to that but to do it all at once is

> asking for problems. injuries are never worth it. you always hear

> that you "learn" from your injuries -- ya! you learn what an idiot

> you are. listen to tara and back off of BAD pain. you'll ruin your

> practice for months if you don't back off.

>

>

> ashtangayoga, tarawav <no_reply> wrote:

> > Hi all. I don't want to be a doomsayer but I worry when I see

> people

> > who are experiencing shoulder pain advised to "work harder,do

> more

> > pushups" or "work through the pain." Unfortunately, this kind of

> > advice is endemic in the ashtanga vinyasa community but is often,

> well,

> > just plain wrong. I know this because I once formerly a dedicated

> > ashtangi with a 5-day practice and now have partial thickness tears

> of

> > the rotator cuff that have stopped me from doing anything with my

> upper

> > body for the last 4 months, other than physical therapy, and may

> > ulimately result in surgery. I am also NOT ALONE. Since developing

> > this injury, I have run into a surprising number of yogis who have

> > damaged their rotator cuffs or worsened old rotator cuff problems

> > through advanced asana practice (whether ashtanga or other).

> >

> > Like many people, I was told my shoulder pain was an "opening," a

> > release of tightness built up over years of athletics. Others told

> me

> > to keep up my practice and it would go away. I listened

> > enthusiastically, but finally gave in when I could no longer sleep

> at

> > night because of the pain. Then, I started listening to my doctor

> > instead!

> >

> > Weakness is one thing, of course, but persistent aching in the

> > shoulders after practice or sharp pain when in chaturanga,downdog

> or

> > other arm balances can be a true warning sign that should not be

> > ignored. If it is pain that is stopping you from chaturanga rather

> > than weak muscles, the advice to do push-ups couldn't be worse.

> > Excessive push-ups are one of the number one causes of rotator cuff

> > tendinitis. Even if you are just weak, overdoing push-ups

> (especially

> > if your form is not 100% perfect) can lead to injury of the

> delicate

> > stabilizing structures of the shoulder. Far better to build up

> slowly

> > and not force your body into work it's not ready for. Let's not

> forget

> > that ashtanga was originally taught to 16 year-old boys. 50 year-

> old

> > women tend to already have significant wear and tear on the rotator

> > cuff (not to mention other joints) so might have to move at a

> different

> > speed.

> >

> > A torn rotator cuff never completely heals -- the options are to

> live

> > with it and hope to form good scar tissue or have very complex

> surgery.

> > Believe me, you don't want to have to make that choice (as I do).

> So

> > be careful with your joints -- treat them kindly and don't get

> caught

> > up in the myth that all pain in asana practice is a sign that

> something

> > good is happening. A slower practice that emphasizes relaxation in

> the

> > poses helps to build strong stabilizers and is a good foundation.

> Wish

> > I had learned that instead of practing dozens of jump-backs

> everyday!

> >

> > Good luck to all.

> >

> > Peace,

> > Tara

>

>

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