Guest guest Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 Paul: Are you doing all of the finishing postures after your practice? And, specifically, are you doing urdhva dhanurasana (wheel)? I don't know how much of the series you're doing, but as you know the primary series consists of LOTS of forward bends. Urdhva dhanurasana is an important counter pose to all those forward bends. (Purvatanasana, which comes earlier in the series, may also count as a mild backbend. I'm not sure. Someone else might want to clarify whether it counts as a mild backbend.) But either way, make sure you incorporate three backbends into your closing sequence. It is possible your back is feeling a bit strained from all the forward bending if you aren't giving it a good counter stretch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 4, 2003 Report Share Posted September 4, 2003 I used to have this too. I found out it was because I was not doing the closing sequence inverted postures properly. Next time you do your practice, pay attention to whether you feel a crunching in your back during these postures and if the back pain starts right after this. Go to your ashtanga teacher and ask them to watch you do these postures and see if you are doing them incorrectly. You should not feel a crunching in your back. That means that that you have basically caved in and your back is not straight and your spine is out of line. If you cannot do these postures without feeling the crunch than you should come up with a modification until you do. I found out that I was not doing them properly during a class. The teacher told me to concentrate on getting shoulder stand and going into plow. She told me to stop my legs(in plow) when I begin to feel the crunch and that is basically where I should stay in the practice until my back got stronger. She told me not to do the other inverted postures because they were just a deepening of plow and they would only make the situation worse. You can do modified headstand with your feet on the ground and percede with the rest of the sequence. Your pain could also just be from muscle strain but only you can judge that. Hope this helps. ashtanga yoga, Paul Smith <paulsmith_0722> wrote: > Namaste Yogi's, > > I am practicing Ashtanga Primary series since the past three months and I have noticed that during my practice my back is absolutely fine; neither I feel the pain nor soreness. After sometime of completing the practice, I have a sore feeling in the lower back. I feel it when I bend or twist my back during the day. > Is it quiet common to have this sore feeling in the beginning of practice? Or am I doing something wrong!? > If any knowledgable and experienced persons could address my concern, it would be of great help. > > Namaste, > Paul > > > ashtanga yoga wrote: > > > ashtanga yoga > > > -- ---- > > There are 9 messages in this issue. > > Topics in this digest: > > 1. Practice in Montreal > "Kelly Mitchell" > 2. Heat... > "craghopper2003" > 3. Re: HELP - Knee injury - advice please > "Beth" > 4. Re: HELP - Knee injury - advice please > "Eskil Schilling" > 5. YogaForYoga Project - Request for teachers > dahaus > 6. Re: HELP - Knee injury - advice please > abulafia3000@o... > 7. Re: Heat... > "lashannasmall" > 8. *Slipping* into poses > "zekes7" > 9. Re: HELP - Knee injury - advice please > debra bobier > > > ____________________ __ > ____________________ __ > > Message: 1 > Mon, 01 Sep 2003 19:27:31 -0000 > "Kelly Mitchell" > Practice in Montreal > > Hi.. > I'm relocated to Montreal in a few weeks to attend the TTC in > Ashtanga yoga. I'm wondering about advice on finding housing while > there. Anyone here know of any yoginis or yogis in need of a roomie? > > Namaste, > k. > > > > > ____________________ __ > ____________________ __ > > Message: 2 > Tue, 02 Sep 2003 13:59:29 -0000 > "craghopper2003" > Heat... > > Hi all > > I don't seem to be able to generate the same heat/persiration that \I > did when first beginning Ashtanga. I am very new to this style and > was fascinated to see how much detoxing was going on, but as I say I > don't seem to be able to replicate this. > > Regards > > Tony... > > > > > ____________________ __ > ____________________ __ > > Message: 3 > Tue, 02 Sep 2003 14:45:39 -0000 > "Beth" > Re: HELP - Knee injury - advice please > > Thank you, everyone, for posting their knee injury experiences! > > I had exactly the same injury, left collateral ligament and maybe > more, putting right arm through in garbhapindasana a week ago. Be > wary of this pose! I've never had any knee injuries or problems, and > wasn't doing anything that was hurting or pushing into the pose at > all, and was in fact having a great practice that day. Suddenly I > heard a sickening but painless ripping! > Do you know when exercise experts say you can tell the difference > between a normal type of stretching and an injury? What a way to find > out! > > It didn't hurt or get swollen at all when it happened, but it hurts > now. Judging from everyone's experiences, it's going to take a while > to heal. > > I called my brother, a physical therapist, for advice. At first he > jokingly recommended amputation from the hip down, but after > explaining garbhapindasana to him, he changed the recommendation to > amputation from the shoulders up! His real recommendation was to rest > for about a week, ice it, advil, and go to the doctor if it wasn't a > lot better in a few weeks. He also recommended isometrics, > contracting the quads and hamstrings at the same time, which is > exactly what you are doing in a lot of the standing poses. Of course, > my practice will continue, incorporating knees in a much more > sensitive way.. > > Anu, what do you mean by the ligament getting infected? Do you mean > something that requires antibiotics? How often does this happen? It > sounds bad. > > Best wishes, Annie! Thanks for posting this topic. > > Beth > > ashtanga yoga, Anu wrote: > > Hi Annie, > > I might have (had) the same kind of problem for last six months. I > hurt my left knee in garbhapindasana so that the fibular collateral > ligament got maybe strapped too much and infected. The pain spread > all the way to the ancle and has been very difficult to cure. > > As yours, my knee got better and worse from day to another and I > couldn't make sense of it. I tried to massage it after every practice > with oil, kept it warm or gave cold showers but nothig seemed to > help. In the beginnig, all I could practice were the standing poses > and slowly, after a month or so, I started getting down to the > sitting poses but very carefully. Strangely enough, I could sometimes > do padmasana as well! I avoided to go down in the ardha baddha > padmottanasana for five whole months and had to be very very careful > with tiryangmukhaikapada paschimatasana and janu sirsasanas. > > I was quite desperate but then I found a way that started the > healing process - swimmig. Try swimming first carefully or just > making propulsive both horisontal and vertical movements under water. > Those helped me remarkably. I also avoided eating garlic, onion, > chilipepper, white sugar and various heat generating food. > > My knee is much better now and I have started to do all the asanas > properly again, except the garbhapindasana, which I do without > slipping my arms through my legs. I have also worked a lot with > opening my hips in order to avoid any kind of knee injure in future, > because I think that was the real reason for the whole trouble. > > > > Don't loose your hope. I've suffered various small injuries during > my practice. I can say that nothing has come for free in the famous > opening process (shouldes, wrists, right knee, back ecc.) but > everything has passed and been cured. Particularly, this knee problem > made me quite hopeless, but then again, I just had to be patient and > trusting. > > > > Good luck! > > Anu > > > > Annie Gurton wrote: > > Hiya all - Can anyone offer me some advice please? > > I damaged my right knee in Ardha Baddha Padmottanhasana about 6 > > months ago, and the injury seems to improve, get better, and then > > get worse, and each time even worse than it was before. Overall, > > there is a definite decline in the integrity of the joint. > > I think its a ligament. > > I can't bend the knee very much, I can't squat, I can't do any of > > the seated postures which involve a bent knee which of course means > > most of them (although, strangely, I can sometimes do padmasama.) > > I've tried resting it, but it doesn't seem to really get better. > > I've tried to 'work it through' and ignore it but that definitely > > makes it worse. > > I've worked out that it likes to be rested, elevated, and strapped > > up, and I do all those things, but nothing seems to really repair > it. > > > > Can anyone offer any general advice on its management, and specific > > advice on how to get it better? > > I have a nasty feeling that it is always going to be like this, and > > as it obviously seriously restricts my practice, that is a real > > bummer! > > Many TIA, Annie > > > > > > > > Sponsor > > > > > > ashtanga yoga > > > > > > > > Terms of > Service. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ____________________ __ > ____________________ __ > > Message: 4 > Mon, 1 Sep 2003 20:42:41 +0200 > "Eskil Schilling" > Re: HELP - Knee injury - advice please > > Hi Annie > > Yes that's really a bummer, when you cant do the practice, only good is you get a chance to practice detachment ). Anyway, I also had problems, not with my knee, but my ankle and wrist. Cold water worked very well, warm water was making it worse. But another thing that really worked well was a lot´s of linseed oil, which have a high content of omega-3 fatty acids. They really work wheel with any infection in the body, and many internal damaged are actually some kind of infected tissue. I put it in yoghurt, on bread in salads or smooties. 1 - 2 tablespoons a day should do it. If you eat fish, you get lots of it from fatty fish, or you can pop some fish oil capsules. Other sources are canola oil or walnut oil. With all oils apply the same rules; only buy the cold processed oils, and keep then cool and dark. And remember that linseed and walnut oil cannot be heated in any way. > > > > Become well soon > > Siva > > > > > Annie Gurton wrote: > > Hiya all - Can anyone offer me some advice please? > > I damaged my right knee in Ardha Baddha Padmottanhasana about 6 > > months ago, and the injury seems to improve, get better, and then > > get worse, and each time even worse than it was before. Overall, > > there is a definite decline in the integrity of the joint. > > I think its a ligament. > > I can't bend the knee very much, I can't squat, I can't do any of > > the seated postures which involve a bent knee which of course means > > most of them (although, strangely, I can sometimes do padmasama.) > > I've tried resting it, but it doesn't seem to really get better. > > I've tried to 'work it through' and ignore it but that definitely > > makes it worse. > > I've worked out that it likes to be rested, elevated, and strapped > > up, and I do all those things, but nothing seems to really repair it. > > > > Can anyone offer any general advice on its management, and specific > > advice on how to get it better? > > I have a nasty feeling that it is always going to be like this, and > > as it obviously seriously restricts my practice, that is a real > > bummer! > > Many TIA, Annie > > > > > > > > Sponsor > > > > > > ashtanga yoga > > > > > > > > Terms of Service. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ashtanga yoga > > > > > > > > Your use of is subject to > > > > > > > > ____________________ __ > ____________________ __ > > Message: 5 > Tue, 02 Sep 2003 15:28:39 -0000 > dahaus > YogaForYoga Project - Request for teachers > > Namaste. > > I started a project called for YogaForYoga. YogaForYoga is a community proj= > ect > dedicated to providing free classes for everyone in the physical healing ar= > ts such as > yoga, meditation, and qi gong. The nature of the YogaForYoga Project is to= > provide a > space where a community of people can meet, share knowledge and practice in= > a > supported environment. > > The first week of classes begin on September 8th and runs through September= > 12th > from 6am to 8am, Monday through Friday at the Cultural Integration Fellowsh= > ip > Building located in San Francisco at Fulton and 3rd Ave in the Richmond dis= > trict. The > Cultural Integration Fellowship has generously donated the first space to p= > ractice in > the mornings. Check them out here: http://www.culturalintegration.org > > I invite you and your friends to attend classes! > > Please bring your own mat, props, towels, and cushions for the classes. > > > We need your help! > We are looking for all kinds of teachers to teach during the week, and if t= > he project is > successful – we will need more teachers to continue teaching on an ongoing = > basis. > This is an opportunity to share your knowledge, gain new students, and mani= > fest a > supported practice of your art in the community. The project is open to all= > kinds of > physical healing arts and styles. Please email me if you have concerns or q= > uestions! If > you are interested in teaching, or know of someone who might be interested = > in > teaching, please do not hesitate to contact me: Michael Sands > Email: yogaforyoga and /or your can call me at: 415.246.5000 > > > Current schedule for the week of September 8th – September 12th: > > MONDAY Led Ashtanga Yoga– Basic 1st series with/ Michael Sands > TUESDAY Meditation – Michael Sands > WEDNESDAY Qi Gong – Angela Lee > THURSDAY Iyengar Yoga – Monica Desai > FRIDAY Meditation – Michael Sands > > My days are flexible for teachers who want to teach! This is for and about = > the > community. If anyone is available to share and teach on Monday, Tuesday, or= > Friday, > let me know. As the project grows, teachers and students will continue to c= > reate and > grow the curriculum. > > There is a Group's page for the YogaForYoga Project calendar, messag= > es, > schedule, group discussion, etc… @ yogaforyog= > a/ > So please feel free to join, post messages, and browse the calendar. > > Please feel free to forward this email to anyone who might be interested! > > Thank you so much for your love and support. Please feel free to email me w= > ith any > questions, concerns, possibilities, and love. > > Peace.M> > > > > > > ____________________ __ > ____________________ __ > > Message: 6 > Tue, 02 Sep 2003 11:38:26 -0400 > abulafia3000@o... > Re: HELP - Knee injury - advice please > > > I'm looking for an Ashtanga , house hold for a rooming /apartment share situation, in the New York area. > > > > > > > > ____________________ __ > ____________________ __ > > Message: 7 > Tue, 02 Sep 2003 17:26:02 -0000 > "lashannasmall" > Re: Heat... > > It could be several things. I'll start with the most obvious aspect > of room temp. Make sure to cut the air conditioner off when you > practice. If their are other people in the house, open the window > in your practice room. If you are not holding mula and uddiyana > bandha(I'm sure I spelled those wrong, but too lazy to look it up) > and breathing continuously throuhout the practice, you can loose > heat. The actual physical poses may be getting easier for you and > the heat you experianced at first may have been from sheer exertion > alone. Now that the postions are coming easier, you are loosing > that exertion heat. That is where concentration, bandhas and > breathing come in. They will keep the heat up. Also make sure that > you are practicing awareness when you do your poses. Your body and > your mind should not be lazy. Everything should be involved in the > practice. Dont forget the drishti. > > I know that in my practice, the minute I loose concentration, I > loose heat. Keep your focus and you should get your heat back. > > > > > ____________________ __ > ____________________ __ > > Message: 8 > Tue, 02 Sep 2003 18:38:33 -0000 > "zekes7" > *Slipping* into poses > > I am starting to *slip* into some of the more difficult poses; so > far, only padmasana , but I have a dull aching pain in my left > buttock (no pun intended). As I recall the ancient history of the > area, I recall injurying it in football practice in high school and > reinjuring it in the spring during a state track meet. If I am > visiting this old (40 yr reunion coming up!)injury, then how do I > make an adjustment and heal this? It is clear that this is a muscle > underlying the glute. It is not exactly painful, just aches. I get > some relief when I stretch forward. It warms up and starts to itch, > but I can't seem to reach the muscle and manipulate it. Any > suggestions and what muscle am I probably working with if it is not a > major muscle like the gluteus?? > > > > > ____________________ __ > ____________________ __ > > Message: 9 > Tue, 2 Sep 2003 15:19:21 -0700 (PDT) > debra bobier > Re: HELP - Knee injury - advice please > > Hi Annie, > > Sorry about your knee(s). It certainly forces you to > make changes in your practice. I was a runner which > destroyed my knees. When the arthritis is especially > bad I can barely bend the knee. The standing poses > have helped strengthen my quads and have helped the > knees a lot. Of course lotus and many other asanas > will elude me but this simply isn't important. I do > the ashtanga primary series most days, modifying the > asanas to my body and where it is that day. I gently > coax myself deeper if I can, while staying attentive, > using the breath and bandhas and practicing > mindfulness at all times. To me these things are as > equally important as the asanas. And I don't feel I > have to be an acrobat to have a fulfilling yoga > practice. I have actually been injured by over zealous > adjusters. I really feel when your body is ready to > open it will, through the breath not through force so > that is the way I approach my practice. Over the years > I have learned to accept my limitations and respect my > body. This has kept my practice fun and interesting > and something I continue to look forward to. It also > has kept me fairly injury free. However, on a more > practical note. I just arrived home from Asia and > after 34 hours of traveling, both of my knees were > very swollen, especially the left one. This isn't > unusual. But they were much larger than normal. It > took two over 2 weeks to get the swelling to come > down. What I did: > > 1) Iced, iced, iced. No heat for 3 days then I > alternated. I couldn't practice, it hurt to badly so > lying on my back I would gently raise and lower the > legs helping to naturally drain the fluid. And when I > could I moved into gently squats, nothing to deep. > > 2) I found some cream called EMU. This also had > glucosamine in it. It helped, too. As does glucosamine > in pill form. > > 3) Advil for inflammation. > > 4) One baby aspirin per day to keep the blood thin. > > I already take Omega 3 oils, c and e which also help. > > Not sure if I've offered up anything not covered but > since this something I have to deal with every day > wanted to offer what I could. Hope it helps. > > YogaBound.com Deb > > --- Eskil Schilling wrote: > > Hi Annie > > > > Yes that's really a bummer, when you cant do the > > practice, only good is you get a chance to practice > > detachment ). Anyway, I also had problems, not > > with my knee, but my ankle and wrist. Cold water > > worked very well, warm water was making it worse. > > But another thing that really worked well was a > > lot´s of linseed oil, which have a high content of > > omega-3 fatty acids. They really work wheel with any > > infection in the body, and many internal damaged are > > actually some kind of infected tissue. I put it in > > yoghurt, on bread in salads or smooties. 1 - 2 > > tablespoons a day should do it. If you eat fish, you > > get lots of it from fatty fish, or you can pop some > > fish oil capsules. Other sources are canola oil or > > walnut oil. With all oils apply the same rules; only > > buy the cold processed oils, and keep then cool and > > dark. And remember that linseed and walnut oil > > cannot be heated in any way. > > > > > > > > Become well soon > > > > Siva > > > > > > > > Annie Gurton wrote: > > > Hiya all - Can anyone offer me some advice please? > > > > > I damaged my right knee in Ardha Baddha > > Padmottanhasana about 6 > > > months ago, and the injury seems to improve, get > > better, and then > > > get worse, and each time even worse than it was > > before. Overall, > > === message truncated === > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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