More whining.
I forgot to mention the other pose that hurts - baddhakonasana. This was a pose that was always very easy and enjoyable for me. I could easily reach my feet with my chest, chin on the floor. Not so much lately, though. I think that psoas is involved in this pose, because the pose became really hard for me all of a sudden. My knees are still very close to the floor, but torso is hovering above the feet, half a foot or so. And it is painful. If I get up and start walking after doing this pose - I can barely walk for a minute or two (that is how I made a connection with psoas). So in this case I am again not sure if it is an aggravating pose or is it releasing the spasm. Oh, well. I feel old. Compared to practically everyone else blogging here, I am a newbie in ashtanga. So my question to all of you, ashtangi masters, is: is it a common phenomenon - to go through many-many aches and pains when starting Ashtanga, or is it just me? During my seven months of practicing, I can remember only a handful of days, when nothing was aching. It is completely different from what I experienced during my previous six years of practicing "other" yoga, when I was gradually getting rid of one health problem after another. When I started Mysore, first I hurt both knees (Janu C, then a teaching accident), then the ankles (Mari B, D, lotus - because of the knees), then the hamstrings (in all forward bends), the collar bone (supta kurmasana), and now psoas. Is it possible that I am too old to start such a demanding practice? I hope not... :(
6 comments:
we should lend you a copy of lino miele's book. he started ashtanga i think in his 40's and he mentioned that for a loooong time he was achy. and then, with consistent practice, everything started to open up. it was as though ashtanga was purifying his body after years of abuse (not that you've abused your body or anything). but i thought this was inspiring.
I would appreciate it very much! I am craving the experience of the others in my situation. Thank you, Rayna!
I don't know if this will be encouraging or not, but I have experienced that aching as well. It seems to come and go, pretty much inexplicably.
Ibuprofen and a hot bath?
Alfia...for me at age 50 (and also a newbie with just 1 year of Ashtanga) it's about making sure I am taking plenty of MSM, eating lots of greens and Vitamin C. My practice has improved immensely because both of those help me to recover a bit quicker when I do poses that make me sore. Lots of water is important too. And then as Yogamum suggests...sometimes it's definitely time for Ibuprofen and Epsom Salts bath :)
Cheers!
hi alfia
i agree with yogamum and bhakti yogi - ibuprofen (advil) comes to the rescue of my aches ocassionally.
cheers. arturo
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This is wonderful! It is good to know that there are people out there going through the same stuff, and dealing with it successfully.
I did not know about MSM, thanks, Bhakti yogi!
Yogamum and Arturo - two days of rest and a epsom salt bath helped without ibuprofen! :)
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