What about those of us with physical limitations/discomforts/disabilities?

[Guest guest]

Sat nam. I suffered a bad ankle sprain a few months back which has

forced my gait into a strange sort, and it has given me back problems.

I just got back into KY and meditation a couple of months ago. I am

awaiting time off at night from my job so i can attend the only

kundalini yoga class in Charleston, SC available. Until then, I am

gently winging it alone. However, in all the books and DVDS I see these

extremely healthy, fit people doing the exercises,and I can barely sit

in easy pose wihtout my back aching, supports and all. I don;t know if

I am asking for advice, just wondering really, if there are any others

out there with similar problems, or disabilities, and how they can do

these strenuous and sometimes antirecommended exercises? Thanks!

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam!

 

 

I have been helpig people out of pain for 15 years as a bodyworker.

I have been doing Kundalini for about a year. I am a differant man.

Waheguru!! Thank you Yogi Bhajan.

 

Mt fiance' has been doing Kundalini for about 10 yeears and is a KRI

instructor. Before we met her body was falling apart from working in

corporate america for almost 20 years. She says (and I do too) the

kundalini sets often are not enough to restore full structural

health.

 

 

In short: Get the book, " Pain Free " by Pete Egoscue.

 

WHY? Modern living denies us the necessary and proper motion to

maintain musculosketal health. Muscles loose memory of their primary

jobs and other muscles will compensate.

 

In otherwords doing Nabhi Kriya or the Allgator set with dysfunctinal

muscles may add insult on the injury.

 

The solution: DO exercises that ar designed to reboot proper muscle

functioning and do as much KY kriya's ad meditations as possible.

 

The Egoscue book is not based on the medical model nor physical

therapy but sees the body as a whole unit. And deals ONLY with

structure and function and the instructions are VERY EASY.

 

Personally my old Knee injury / pain and subsequent surgery to fix

the problem came back 4 years later. I got the book, fixed the

alignment problem of weight distribution through the knee and no more

pain. If I skip a few weeks the pain slowly creeps back in.

 

Yes, these exercises, like our meditation must be done daily to

maintain our posture and structure.

 

Good luck, Sat Nam! and be well

 

Sarabjot Singh

 

 

 

 

aliniyoga , " neffiehelium " <neffiehelium wrote:

>

> Sat nam. I suffered a bad ankle sprain a few months back which has

> forced my gait into a strange sort, and it has given me back

problems.

> I just got back into KY and meditation a couple of months ago. I am

> awaiting time off at night from my job so i can attend the only

> kundalini yoga class in Charleston, SC available. Until then, I am

> gently winging it alone. However, in all the books and DVDS I see

these

> extremely healthy, fit people doing the exercises,and I can barely

sit

> in easy pose wihtout my back aching, supports and all. I don;t know

if

> I am asking for advice, just wondering really, if there are any

others

> out there with similar problems, or disabilities, and how they can

do

> these strenuous and sometimes antirecommended exercises? Thanks!

>

[Guest guest]

Hello

 

I do sympathise because I too have suffered at the hands of fate and

have severely restricted movements of back, left arm and knees...a

physical wreck really. This was all due to injuries sustained after a

very long fall from a cliff, many years ago.

 

In practising yoga I cannot and never will be able to achieve _*all*_

the positions. That is a fact which will not change but it is not a

reason to discontinue yoga. A person with no legs cannot lift his leg up

and put his foot behind his head but that does not mean he cannot

practise yoga. It just means that he cannot practise one small part of yoga.

 

My study so far, together with a little dose of my brand of logic is

this: do what yo can do but do not force your body or your mind too

far. Only you will know how far that is. For example, when attempting

the lotus position it is not important that you achieve the full

cross-legged position with each foot resting on the opposite thigh. It

is far more important to keep back and neck straight but also relaxed.

This is to aid the flow of air into the lungs especially the lower

lungs and also to ease its expulsion. So, if you need to sit on a

cushion to achieve this you should do so.

 

I may be guilty of over-simplifcation but as a beginner I see the main

three subdivisions of yoga as:

 

1. Physical

2. Spiritual/psychological

3. A combination of both the above

 

* Numbers 1 or 2 will each benefit the practitioner in their

relevant ways and each will benefit the other. If the physical

part cannot be done 100% the spiritual/psychological part can

still be practised...that is if you are still breathing!

* Number 3 is obviously the best situation

 

We have to accept that if we are truly physically disabled that there

are limitations to our physical movements that yoga cannot necessarily

make disappear. If you force yourself physically, you will be stressed

both physically and mentally and you may also do yourself some physical

damage. Over-stressing your body will cause pain, discourage you and

therefore it will probably result in you giving up entirely.

 

I hope this helps a little by letting you know that you are not alone in

having such problems and also that there is a more relaxed way to

approach yoga. Relax and do what you can. As with everything, regular

and continuous practice without stress, will result in improvement.

 

Michael

------

 

 

neffiehelium wrote:

>

> Sat nam. I suffered a bad ankle sprain a few months back which has

> forced my gait into a strange sort, and it has given me back problems.

> I just got back into KY and meditation a couple of months ago. I am

> awaiting time off at night from my job so i can attend the only

> kundalini yoga class in Charleston, SC available. Until then, I am

> gently winging it alone. However, in all the books and DVDS I see these

> extremely healthy, fit people doing the exercises,and I can barely sit

> in easy pose wihtout my back aching, supports and all. I don;t know if

> I am asking for advice, just wondering really, if there are any others

> out there with similar problems, or disabilities, and how they can do

> these strenuous and sometimes antirecommended exercises? Thanks!

>

>

>

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