yoga IS excercise!

[Guest guest]

Sat NAm, ya'll

I tend to forgrt this. I'm so accustomed to thinking of KY as a spritiual

practice that I forget it really is exercise. That cost me a minor but very

painful back injury yesterday. I was doing an excercise in the gym which which

utilized a part of my back that I had worked out very hard in KY class the night

before. In all these years, this is the first time I ever had to completely

drop a wieght and step out from under it. The injury is what's called a

"flexion failure". The KY position I'd been doing the night before was the

full Camel. Are there any other "gym monkeys" out there who lift weights and do

KY? How do you incorporate the two? Do you substitute any sets in either

practice?

 

Much more generally - it's about my spine while I meditate. My

understanding has always been that my spine should be STRAIGHT as a rod. Is

this true? Or should we allow the spine it's natural curves? My trainer at the

gym said that this may be contributing to the injury.

 

So I'm on my back for a few days with tons of bolster and muscle relaxers.

(I'm not even allowed to stretch to reach for my TV remote! They did recommend

some VERY light cat-cow work) I actually got off pretty light here. I've seeen

some doozy injuries in the gym and the core-strength and flexibility that I get

from KY probably saved me a helluva lot more grief.

 

Sleepily Yours,

Sat Nam, Leo

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

poor baby! just happened to me as well; i practice 4x week (a variety of yoga

including k.)

and on my off days i use the free weights in my house. i think i did my set

too quickly and i ended up w. pain throughout my back. a hot shower and a

heating pad did wonders. still a little sore today, but better. just do

everything slower.....

[Guest guest]

Hi Leo,

 

Are there any other "gym monkeys" out there who lift weights and do

KY? How do you incorporate the two? Do you substitute any sets in

either practice?

 

"Gym monkey" here. I've found (after trial and error) that I need to

be even more aware of what parts of the body I'm working at the gym

since starting KY. It's worked for me to substitute the weights for

KY from time to time. For the past 6 months, I've given up on

weights. Back injuries from a couple of car accidents and improper

training have put me in the same situation as you are now from time

to time. If you want to try something different for muscle

conditioning, you might want to give Pilates a looksee. I don't

think I will EVER go back to weights, and I am stronger and healthier

than ever.

 

Take care Leo. By the way, I really enjoy reading your posts.

 

Many blessings and hope you heal well and soon.

~Jeffrey

[Guest guest]

I have been weightlifting for almost 25 years. Weightlifting tends to

diminish flexibility, so KY has been critical to keeping me flexible.

Avoiding injury while weightlifting also requires body awareness and

attunement, which KY has enhanced for me. Most important, however,

has been the breathing and the mental concentration that I've developed

with KY. Contrary to most weightlifting advice, I inhale while lifting

rather than exhaling. This enhances my strength on the lift. The lung

capacity and breath control that KY has given me has make this possible.

Expanded lung capacity and breath control learned from KY practice also

increases my endurance and aerobic benefit when lifting. I like

weightlifting as exercise because, practiced with controlled breathing,

awareness and one-pointedness, it becomes a meditation.

 

Steve Porter