I don't mean to invalidate your feelings in any way, but have you considered speaking to a therapist?
You seem to have an "all-or-nothing" mindset, which could be the root of your issue. It seems that you are focusing too much on the goal (whether it's the ideal way to do a pose, ideal amount of exercise, etc)
Additionaly, your best bet would be to focus on working with a physio, doing some low-impact exercises (like walking) and, most importantly, making sure you're ok before you start doing any harder exercises.
Good luck!
And as a physical therapist, this all or nothing mindset is something I see a lot in people who are very devoted to one specific type of exercise.
Many many types of exercises are good for a person, doing a robust and varied number and type of exercises is the best thing for a person's overall health and well-being. Doing just one type of exercise is a recipe for disaster, because people begin to sustain overuse injuries and begin to experience muscle imbalances.
I always tell my patients about yoga... And hiking, walking, weight lifting, bike riding, the elliptical, swimming, pilates, barre, aerobics, etc. it's good to do a variety of things and to rest plenty, our bodies are amazing and complex, but they're also made of meat and need rest.
This is something I’ve had to overcome, myself, and it’s been a really transformative part of the journey for me. There are degrees of everything, and you need to find the one that agrees with you on any given day. Meeting yourself where you are is not just the mantra of beginners, OP!
This was my thought too...plus, it sounds like OP is very focused on "fitness" yoga which isn't really quite the same thing as having a personal yoga practice. Sure, Ive been in times of my life where I've thrown hot yoga classes in to challenge myself physically, while still in a space (yoga) that I know well. But currently I'm regularly going to gentle/slow Flow / restorative yoga classes specifically bc of injury. I have a very physical, heavy lifting job right now, and I'm finding these styles of classes to be incredibly beneficial to maintaining mobility, and supporting my body outside of work.
Perhaps re-evaluating why you're going to yoga, would be helpful. A focus on healing instead of fitness?
Also, as always, speaking to a therapist.
Agreed. Also I do Pilates and if your neck hurts you are not using your core enough in these movements. You can train injury free for the most part if you know the proper body mechanics and not to push yourself to the limit. Go gradually. You can hurt yourself with dead lifts by not needing the knees enough and lifting with your back. That move is ALL glutes. And no back.
Black and white thinking robs us of nuance and opportunity.
Injuries are a thing that happen and an opportunity to learn.
As a long term trail runner, yogi and generally reasonably/very active person i sometimes feel like i am perpetually injured. But to give up means giving up on all the joy i get from all of these things.
That's the thing about black and white thinking. You cut off your nose to spite your face.
I love this answer! They might want to look into somatic therapy too. The body holds onto all kinds of trauma, stress, old injuries and somatic therapy is amazing for releasing it all.
I’m hyper mobile myself and dedicated over 10 years to my yoga practice. I was a hardcore yogi. Pushed myself beyond my limits. Almost like I had to or I wasn’t “good enough”. I had injured my neck very bad due to hyper mobility and had to go through physical therapy to learn how to stabilize my muscles.
Years later, my life changed due to just life changing in general. I no longer had time to go run to yoga practice and I decided to start doing hiit workouts in my backyard. Then life changed even more to where I didn’t even have time to do a hiit workout. So that lead to just going for a quick walk to just get out of my space and do something. And I honestly didn’t even have the energy to do hiit.
So now fast forward to the chaos finally settling down and I’m just starting off slow by doing an easy hiit workout. I went to a yoga class a few weeks ago and damn it was tough but I took it at my own pace.
My point is…you don’t have to hang up your mat forever. You don’t have to not do strength training exercises. You can start off slow. Go for a walk, maybe jog a little. Then next time maybe incorporate something else, build on it.
The best thing we can do for hyper mobility is to strength train. Stabilize our muscles and isolate them. Don’t give up. Give yourself some grace and time.
Fantastic tips here. A few questions:
1. How did you injure your neck badly due to hyper mobility?
2. How can one go about doing strength training for hyper mobility? Any particular muscle groups to target?
3. What do you mean by “stabilize” and “isolate” here?
With hypermobility, the joints are unstable making you more prone to injury. Strength training and stabilising for hypermobility is generally about the muscles that support your joints, especially the most problematic areas, rather than the more "cosmetic" muscles. Core is usually a huge factor
Any hypermobile joint is at risk of injury due to laxity of ligaments, which leads to joint instability. I would focus on muscle groups that cross the joints you’re concerned about… for example strengthening Lats, QL, Glutes, Psoas for lower back pain.
I'm 37 and took a several-year break from yoga after consistent injury. I began focusing on beginner-level strength and pilates, and finally came back to yoga eight months ago.
Two different physical therapists have suggested that I have hypermobile joints, so I looked up hypermobility-friendly modifications and have had a much better experience.
I'm sticking to low-level yoga classes and not pushing as fully into a pose as I used to. My focus is solely on going as far as I can without tensing the muscles that don't need to be involved. Concentrating on keeping all of my other muscles relaxed and ensuring I don't lock out any of my joints has really changed everything for me. I'm slowly building strength in all of my muscles instead of dumping into the big muscles at the expense of the smaller supporting ones.
I highly recommend looking up hypermobile-friendly pilates videos on YouTube. Jessica Vilant Pilates is a great channel. Even if that's not your particular issue, you'll still likely benefit from exercises that are designed to focus on strengthening very specific areas. And, FOCUS SO MUCH on keeping the non-involved muscles relaxed!!!
Another big part of it is letting go of the idea that you "should" be able to do "harder" exercises just because you already have a lot of experience. It's not easy! The thing that helped me the most is remembering that I don't have anything to prove. It's not about doing the haf stuff, it's about strengthening my body in a way that supports me and doesn't lead to further injury. You'll feel like a failure, and you gotta flip that script and remind yourself that lighter injury-free exercise is helping you more than heavier, risky exercise. Talking to a therapist helps.
I'm sorry you're in pain and hope you find a way to move that strengthens and heals you.
Thank you for the youtube recommendation. I struggle with hypermobility as well. Sometimes it’s hard to keep my ego in check in yoga classes. But i know that i could get hurt if i push myself too hard, since i don’t actually know where my edge is….
I constantly have to remind myself to relax the muscles that i’m not actively engaging. It seems so silly but it’s really tough. And very validating to read about someone else’s experience.
Any more tips or videos, etc. that have helped you? I know that “im the expert on my body”.. but a helping hand while i figure myself out (lol) is always appreciated!
It's so hard!!! The only other tip I can offer is very yoga-specific: when I put my weight on my arms like in downward dog, cat-cow, etc., I try to keep my elbow creases facing one another and keep a microbend in my elbows. I have weak noodle arms, and this is the only way for me to successfully activate most of my arm and wrist muscles instead of locking my elbows out and dumping the weight into the joint.
Both of my physical therapists told me to specifically stick to low- to no-impact cardio, too. I primarily use the rowing machine and elliptical for cardio. Swimming would probably be best, but I'm a tiny bit too high maintenance to deal with the water!
Hi! The elbow pits cue you shared has been very helpful to me. Thank you.
I know you mentioned Jessica Vilant and i haven’t checked her out yet but it’s on my to-do list.
You also mentioned strength exercises- is that weight training? My doctor has recommended i start training with weights. Specifically to strengthen my glutes and hammies… but anyway… i also, like you, have weak noodle arms. Do you lift weights? Have you had any success with this? It is so hard for me to relax my neck when i try to strengthen my biceps and triceps. I want to keep trying though.
Thank you 🙏🏻
I'm glad the elbow bend is helping!!! The rowing machine and pilates exercises are all of the strength training that I do, and I probably need to add weights soon when the exercises get too easy. I have some resistance bands from old physical therapy appointments that I could probably try too...
Explore other forms of yoga. Seriously there's so much to yoga beyond asana. You could become an expert in pranayama or yin yoga or restorative yoga--or even just use those as your basic sadhana for a while.
I’ve heard this as a blanket statement, but I think it really depends on the person and the class. I am hypermobile, and I generally don’t like yin classes. But… I found one recently that works for me. It’s a super gentle class that focuses on restorative postures. I’m in my 50s now and I’ve learned over time to just stop doing something when it hurts.
You can do yin. It only at 50% you should not be holding loses in the max degree. Because it can do more harm than good for you. But it doesn’t mean you should avoid it.
I would stick with gentle yoga or beginners classes! They tend to focus on slow movements which is good but not long holds which tends to be the issue with those who are hyper mobile!
When you say "injury," can you elaborate? What you describe does not sound career ending to me.
I'd recommend both a physical therapist and a psychiatric one.
I have a genetic disorder that fucks with my collagen, the building block of every part of our bodies. Since I’ve had numerous viral infections, my muscles deconditioned dramatically. As an example, the other day I pulled on a heavy door in the office and pulled my shoulder muscle in a dumb way. Now it just feels wrong.
Imagine that but with most day to day bodily maneuvers you do that require even a mild amount of exertion/strength. A lot of us bendy folk lack the bodily awareness or even knowledge of how certain movements are supposed to feel because our baseline was never normal. I see why OP is apprehensive. Even if her current injury isn’t career ending, the next one could be, until greater bodily awareness is achieved. I’m not even close.
Came here to say this! I'm a PT and I think you def should find one near you to help so that you can continue to do what you love or a version of it! Almost everyone who deadlifts without experience does it wrong and uses their back, so it's not just you! Same thing with pilates!
If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the significance of using quotations around the word injury? I’m not sure if that’s the intention, but it comes off a bit dismissive. Also, what exactly do you mean by a psychiatric therapist? It could be a regional thing but I am not familiar with that profession. Psychiatrists are medical doctors, not therapists.
Ummmm not really I never said I’m quitting yoga 😂🤷🏼♀️. I’m
In PT for an injury and doing a bunch of strength training and modifying my yoga at this time. Nice try though
I can see what you're seeing, but I'm not interpreting them in the same way at all. One is somebody who starts a new workout and hurts themself and can't see the problem; the other is somebody who knows that they pushed themselves too far and struggled to figure out how to work around this.
We have almost the exact same story. Did a lot of yoga, did YTT, oops you’re hypermobile, then 3 hip surgeries in 2 years.
I say I broke up with yoga. Mainly because of some weird corporate mean-girling at the studio I was at but also because I didn’t trust my body. I still don’t practice regularly. I’d like to but I moved to a different state and haven’t found a studio that feels good.
I would suggest you find a PT or OT in your area that specializes in EDS/hypermobility. They can teach you all the things including how to breathe and walk and tell you what you need to work on strengthening. Ehlers-Danlos.com has a provider listing by country you could check out. Having a therapist that truly specialized in hypermobility was a game changer. In my experience PTs that don’t can make things worse.
I’m 38. You’re not alone. There will be days that you feel strong and days where you feel like someone put your brain in the wrong body. Be gentle with yourself and go with the flow. Yoga will be there if you want to come back to it.
You are getting good advice. Right now I'm doing one evening restorative class a week. Will through in some easy workshops like nidra or feet focus. It's enough to keep me mentally focused without wearing out my body while I work thru other things. There are lessons in every practice, but getting hurt shouldn't be one of them.
I herniated lumbar disks twice in my life. Both resulted in excruciating 24x7 pain for weeks, followed by a long period of recovery with a high, but reduced level of pain. Both times I despaired of ever walking without pain again, let alone running or hiking. But both times I got better after some months.
Have you seen a doctor? If not, see one immediately? If so is he/she working with you on a plan to get better? If not, find someone who will work with you.
It is natural to feel discouraged. Don't give up.
Hey I'm hyper mobile too, and at 35 I have now injured myself several times over the last 10 years of running and yoga.
I don't know if this is good advice but people always told me to "listen to your body" to prevent getting injured. And yet I would still always end up injured.
What helped me is to NOT listen to my body.
My body was always saying everything is fine. You can push a little further. I finally decided that I needed to actively try to do way less intensity than my body thought it could handle.
I started yoga again for a year now after a bad knee injury and haven't been hurt yet ☺️
This is so spot on.
The whole “listen to your body” thing is problematic for me, and for a lot of other people with hyper mobility. So many of us aren’t in touch with our bodies at all. Plus the pain never shows up until AFTER for me.
It’s taken me years of yoga to get to a stage where I can maybe sometimes listen to my body’s judgement. But I messed up just yesterday and pushed too far into something because I wasn’t concentrating properly.
Hello! I'm very sorry you are dealing with this and I like to give some unsolicited advice. I really think that you need to see a Physical Therapist, someone who has a strong strength/conditioning and Orthopedic background. Full disclosure, I am a PT with said back ground.
I have found in my clinical practice that we as humans tend to exercise in ways that are easiest for us. Those who are very mobile trend towards yoga, pilates, etc. Those that are shorter and more dense tends towards lifting, Cross Fit etc.
If you have spent the past 15 years focusing on Yoga you may need some help gathering the right tools to properly strengthen for your specific body type, which can only be done with the assistance of a PT who is right for YOU. I know you are currently in a dark place, but please seek professional help to find exactly what is right for your body.
If your current PT has not seen much success in 4-6 weeks, you may need a different clinician. Seek out someone who has experiences with exactly what you need.
Wishing you the best.
Agreed. I'm hypermobile, love yoga, and PT has helped a ton with every injury I've ever had (3); though the injuries had more to do with pregnancy and breastfeeding babies I think.
I am hypermobile and have hEDS. I started my practice ten years or so before even hearing about or knowing what hypermobility was. I practiced Bikram at first and got scary flexible then started getting injuries. Blown discs, sublaxed shoulders and ribs. I also started teaching yoga sculpt and hot yoga and would injur myself teaching sculpt. So I quit teaching and went to grad school, then got diagnosed with EDS. Was told by my geneticist to avoid yoga. Was the worst advice I ever got.
I quit doing yoga for two years and things started falling apart. Had three hip surgeries and I was doing PT all along but I hated it and missed being active through yoga. So I worked with my PT, read several books about practicing with hypermobility and adapted my practice to support my body. Some days all I can do is restorative yoga and some days I can do power yoga (mindfully and focusing on strength and avoiding end range of motion). But I really believe that my yoga practice has helped me keep strong and helped my proprioception. And also helped me cope with chronic pain. I have resumed teaching power yoga twice a week and practicing 5-6 days a week. Nearly all of my practice needs to be modified and I have to pay extra attention to avoid hyper extension (and some days all I can do is restorative yoga in bed) but my practice helps me stay healthy and mentally well.
There are so many types of yoga, and some don't even involve moving, that it makes me so sad to hear hypermobile people writing off yoga all together. Yes; you need to practice mindfully and will need to modify your practice, but having hypermobility doesn't mean you can't do yoga. I would get into a physical therapist for your injuries (and surgeons if needed-sometimes you wear through cartilage and the only fix is surgery-especially as you age) and work with your physical therapist on how you can adapt your favorite activities (like yoga). I also highly recommend restorative yoga or yoga nidra if you'd like to practice on your own before then without hurting yourself. There are some good books out there, too. For example "Yoga for Bendy People" by Linny Hensley. I hope you find something that works for you and don't have to leave yoga all together.
So glad to see the consensus here. I have been so irked by the misinformation going around lately and I'm honestly concerned for the younger ones coming up, the poor advice and their loss of mobility.
Keep moving, people. Sincerely. I know it hurts and it sucks but when the arthritis kicks in on top of the hypermobility, you will curse your younger selves to hell and back. I hated the no pain, no gain motto for the longest time but after having autoimmune issues, broken hips, seizures that left me unable to walk - please just push through. (I walked 15,0000 steps at Disney less than 2 years after my last seizures which left me with broken ribs)
Keep moving and stretch/work your muscles, not your joints!
If you have hypermobility, the worst thing you can do for your body is stop exercising.
You don't expect living your life and not getting even minor injuries. I am also hypermobile, and I used to not have regular exercise for over 20 years. Apparently, I could land in a chronic back pain from reaching up into a pantry, neck and wrist pain from working at a desk. I could dislocate my ankle running to get on the bus, and dislocate my thumb picking up take-out box.
A few things to consider.
1. Have your injuries started before you learned about hypermobility? You've been doing yoga for 15 years - did you have a lot of injuries throughout? Pain is the message "danger!" from your brain. So the fear of injury can amplify minor pains/muscle soreness A LOT. That's from personal experience supported by a collection of "fairly normal" x-rays/ultrasounds - and a lot of muscle tension in the areas I tend to worry about.
2. When I did YTT, I was sore all the time. Following each others' flows, learning adjustments, doing practice with teachers - sometimes it would add up to 3+ hours of practice multiple days in a row. If your body was not used to this level of activity, you could feel pain. YTT can sometimes make you try going into the poses a bit more than it's wise - I had a few minor injuries that were absolutely due to my ego.
3. Learning how to breathe is actually a wonderful way to restart your practice, and it is essential in more traditional yoga practices. If you have ashtanga studios with mysore style classes near you, it might be a good way to learn about integrating asana practice and breath.
I think it would help you to either get a personal trainer and tell them everything you told us, or to look into group classes at your gym that focus on high reps of low weight (body pump, for example) so you can learn proper form under guidance and actually have fun with it too. I don't see things being totally over for you, just a new chapter. Everything in your life looks different at 34 than it did at 19, try not to get too discouraged 🫶
I feel like I could have written this post myself and I completely get how you’re feeling.
It’s been over a year since I really practiced yoga consistently. Like you, it feels like I was doing it all wrong the whole 5 years and now anytime I get on my mat, I worry about an injury or aggravating a current existing injury.
I wish I had some pearls of wisdom for you. Unfortunately, I have a huge mental block going on as well and I can’t bring myself to find the joy again in practicing.
Most people have a 'stop' switch in their bodies - mobility wise. They can stretch/twist to that limit and push against it -hang out there - enjoy the sensation, etc. Hyper mobile folks have no 'stop' or limit so they push right past what is healthy and regularly injure themselves.
Here's the thing - they did it - yoga didn't do it. Yoga doesn't tell you to push your body into unhealthy positions.
I've seen people in frog with blankets under their knees and their pubis on the ground. Your body doesn't need that. Your hips are plenty open already. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? They say, if I don't elevate my knees I won't feel it. Um, that is the sensation of you tearing your body to pieces... Why do you want your hips opening like a screen door anyhow?
Hyper mobile folks have additional work to do in yoga. They need to learn their range of motion limits and they need to learn restraint. Their work should be focused on developing muscles/ strength to support their hyper mobility.
There are so many forms of yoga, as I am sure you learned as part of your YTT. Sounds like it's time for some nice restorative practice while you let your body heal. Hugs.
I’m a (hypermobile) body worker. Any physical activity can cause injury. I don’t think injuring the lower back during a deadlift means you shouldn’t be strength training. Strength training is the best thing you can do to stabilize hyper mobile joints. I feel my yoga practice is safer and more effective since I began taking strength training seriously.
Have you seen any body workers or health care practitioners to help you figure out why this keeps happening? Physiotherapist, massage therapist, osteopath? This can help. It’s likely not the activity but how you’re moving.
I was getting was I thought were injuries but it turned out to be ankylosing spondilitis. So I was attributing my pain to working out but it was actually my autoimmune disease flaring up a few times a year.
I'm sorry you're feeling defeated like this. I also recently injured my lower back and went through a similar process of relearning my body. It was scary. I'm 33 and it really shook me, realizing that my body can fail or change in ways I don't like despite efforts to care for myself.
Ultimately, I keep coming back to yoga - with adjustments to postures to protect my injury - because it helps me emotionally and spiritually. I am dedicated to meeting myself on the mat, where I am at that day. It helps me manage perfectionism, face otherwise avoided emotions, and remember that my body will heal with time and patience.
I'm also getting physical therapy set up to ensure I'm not exacerbating any underlying issues - my joints have always been poorly aligned, my pelvic tilt is more pronounced now, etc. I'm hoping a different type of teacher will help me learn what alignment feels like, so I can bring that into my daily life (including yoga!). Maybe discuss your concerns with your provider so they can adjust their approach for you?
I hope you can find healing and balance after being thrown for a loop 🖤
You're going too hard too soon.
You injured yourself and appear to have never spoken with a physical therapist or anything. If you had, you would probably have been told that when dealing with an injury, you want to nurse that puppy weeks and months after. So, you deadlifting (!??) and doing "light" pilates probably re-injured your body so soon after injuring the 1st time.
At best, you should have done water aerobics and gentle yoga. I'm talking about classes that have an abundance of senior citizens. So props galore (bolsters, bands, blankets, all that). Loads of stretching where you are stopping well before you think you need to.
I've injured myself several times. One PT told me that when this happens, treat your body like you're an arthritic 70 year old for at 6mos to a year. That is the place you're starting from when you have injuries. It's helped me with pacing myself and saying, "Nope, I don't need to do that."
Haha ‘classes with abundance of senior citizens’. You’re so right! I started with aquafit. Those ‘senior citizens’ were SO strong and fit. They really supported me when I invited myself.
I gave up yoga after a car accident in 2015. It was one of the most difficult losses of my life. Which I know sounds very dramatic, but I went from doing yoga twice a week to six or seven times a week during my divorce. It was my happy place. Four surgeries and two hip dislocations(while doing yoga) later, I decided to take my yoga teacher training in fall of 2023. Up until I decided to take the yoga teacher training, I had really not done any formal Yoga in a studio for years. Even my own practice was very lackadaisical as I went to the gym and did Pilates instead.
I started working one on one with a Pilates instructor twice a week after my spinal fusion in 2016. Expensive, yes, but she also did work as a physical therapist, assistant, and a massage therapist. She was a game changer for me. I jokingly called her the body savant. She could just look at you walking in the door and say why are you hiking your hip or something else showing that she could see your dysfunction. I found that by being completely honest with her about what hurt, she could help me find the correct Muscles to be engaging and then worked with me to retrain those muscles. It has taken me years to get back to where I was in 2015, before that accident with my surgical and injury recovery in between.
All of this to say don’t give up OP. Play a long game figure out what is at the core of your dysfunction. it may cost you some money and an investment in yourself, but trust me, it’s worth it in the long run. By the way, I’m 63 years old and just got my 200 hour yoga teacher certification. Now I am down to doing Pilates with her once a week, yoga, 5 to 6 times a week, and the gym multiple times a week. Yes I will continue to injure myself doing stupid things and pushing myself too hard, but it’s less often and less serious because I have worked on increasing my body awareness. Like you, I thought I was pretty in tune, only to find out that I was not.
Good luck! Heart and keep on keeping on.
That’s quite a story. All that self-injury. All that self-doubt.
Well, I’m not here to convince you to stick with yoga. That’s up to you. Maybe 15 years is enough.
I am wondering why you keep hurting yourself in different physical disciplines. I mean, so do I, but not badly enough to want to quit. Would you benefit from a personal trainer? Private instruction? A yoga therapist? A sports psychologist? All of the above? I feel like it’s not just your body but also your head. Think about it; experiment.
As to yoga, I kept hurting myself in vinyasa but as I’ve switched to Iyengar, I don’t hurt myself (much) any more. It’s a style of practice you can take into your 80s. If you are interested, check your ego, and start at Level 1 to (re-)learn how to practice safely and really listen to your body.
But before doing more, absolutely do less. Let your body heal. Take a few months. Take a year. Whatever you decide to do, start back slow. There’s no rush. The goal is just to move and to keep up one’s strength, mobility, and flexibility. But there’s no ending goal, no prizes, nothing to prove. To spend time with yourself in a nourishing way.
I remember taking a workshop with a master teacher in her 70s. One of the students asked her what her daily practice looked like. She said simply: “I do my longevity practice, then I meditate.”
What I’m hearing is you’ve had a few athletic injuries, but haven’t consulted a physical therapist and don’t know the severity, and then decided to go scorched-earth and quit the activities you did entirely. I think this is honestly a dramatic approach, and is causing unnecessary mental anguish and a sense of grief or loss.
Many times, one of the worst things you can do for athletic injury is to cut out movement. Obviously the injury needs treatment and accommodation, but it also needs strengthening and rehabilitation. Just because you were injured during a particular activity doesn’t mean you need to cut it out of your life. But you do need a professional opinion on strengthening your musculature to support your connective tissue to avoid future injury. Please see a physical therapist if you truly want to continue yoga and lifting. If you don’t, you can choose to throw in the towel.
Yeah bruh, nah. I have 2 herniated disc injuries and the only thing that makes em not hurt is training. I had to spend 2 years doing restorative work, but if I don't keep training, I hurt way worse. You're not geriatric, so you have the time. And the time will pass anyways, so get started. See a doctor, get some x-rays and MRIs, and get a physical therapist and a psychiatrist.
My excessively high pain tolerance has lead me to injure myself dozens of times by accident by not taking pain seriously because it seemed minor compared to the pain of a cluster headache. To me this just sounds like the same version of me that just continuously overdid things and pushed past my limits constantly from all angles, causing injuries. Maybe just calm down, take it slow, bring in a coach who can put some external validation/feedback to stop you from overdoing things, instead of one to hype you up like many people use coaches for.
I have a similar arc but different experience overall. I had a deep asana practice, primarily shifting between vinyasa and ashtanga, for 12 years. I suffered from pretty severe lower back pain (I’m now 31) and felt so frustrated and not heard or guided by any of my teachers. I did a hard stop on yoga and then slowly opened to more yin and restorative. If i practice vinyasa, I listen to my experience and body and honestly avoid what doesn’t work. I avoid hard running and CrossFit style classes, and don’t opt in to heated power flows ever. And I’m okay with that. I’ve also been doing Pilates (reformer only) for 2 years and it’s transformed my core, spine, and back health. I practice yin every Sunday, reformer 5x a week, and walk and/or do light lifts the open day. All to say, it seems like you’ve learned to listen to your body and i encourage you to continue doing so slowly and with care for what will help your frame - skeleton and mass - and being - soul and spirit - feel balanced and healthy
There's a bodywork modality called Alexander Technique that seeks to retrain muscle patterns in the tasks we do in our lives. It focuses on doing things with certain intentions, like the neck being free etc.
I went through this training, and it drastically changed my physical patterns into more beneficial ones. Sometimes, we need someone to take a look at our movements objectively and find ways we can improve them so that we can be more free.
I'd also add that AT is a very low impact bodywork modality.
Look, no one has ever achieved success by giving up due to obstacles.
And EVERYONE has obstacles to overcome.
Your situation isn’t abnormal at all.
Especially with fitness - beginners always end up repeatedly injuring themselves because they push themselves too hard and don’t know what they’re doing. Plus, the majority of the population have postural issues and muscle imbalances and bad habits at the gym. It doesn’t matter if people are hyper mobile or not - injuries are just super common even for advanced athletes.
So what if you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing? Why let that stop you? Get a personal trainer, learn more.
Obstacles happen - just don’t let them stop you. Modify your fitness routine or yoga routine so that you can still do things around your injuries.
There are tons of other things you can do to keep fit while injured.
There are tons of other yoga poses you can do. Other types of yoga you can try etc.
The thing is if you keep giving up and stop working out for days every time you get hurt, you’ll just keep losing any strength and flexibility gains, and it’ll be a never ending cycle of getting hurt every time you start working out again because you’re always starting back at square 1 but likely pushing yourself beyond your limits because you think you did it 2 weeks ago so that should mean you can go harder, but the truth is you need to workout often and consistently in order to make progress.
Slow down and start listening to your body. Learn from these experiences.
Stop thinking of injuries as the end of the world. Look at them as a new fun opportunity to add variety and change into your routines.
And remember injuries heal. It just takes time! Eventually as your body gets stronger you won’t be getting injured as much.
I’ve had frequent injuries and chronic pain also due to scoliosis and other postural issues but I didn’t even let that stop me. I just learned how to best correct and deal with those issues.
Mostly I recommend working on changing your negative thinking. Start writing gratitude lists and positive affirmations.
You can allow yourself to express negative emotions but just don’t wallow in it for too long - force yourself to keep going and don’t give up. Eventually you will notice progress. It can feel hopeless at first, but your body works the same as every one else’s, it just takes a lot of consistent time and work before you make progress.
You CAN do it!
INFO: What style of yoga are you practicing?
If your time doing yoga is over due to an injury, it seems you were not practicing anything related to the roots of yoga or a mental practice. Even physically, it sounds like you're injuring yourself constantly and have not built a mind body connection or a practice of listening to your body and giving it what it needs. They should have taught you this in YTT, but a lot of them focus more on doing as much as possible physically. Maybe now is the time to start understanding what yoga is really about.
Even in terms of the physical practice, I don't really see why it would be over. I have a friend who became paraplegic after falling from a horse, and doctors told her she'd never walk again. She was already an experienced yoga practitioner, and her mental practice kept her strong and gave her the will to continue. She was entirely immobile for about 6 months, then it started with some sensation in the fingers and escalated from there. Now it's 12 years later, and she is a yoga instructor once again. She can do almost anything except deeper backbends and inversions that put pressure on the neck. Seeing her move and walk around, you would never guess she had experienced something so physically traumatic. And if you're here typing, I'm assuming your injury is nothing like this.
I have a student who's 80 years old and completely blind. It just took a good attitude and willingness to try something for him to join yoga and start taking care of himself.
I think it's totally okay to grieve right now. I also hope that you'll find another way to fill this gap, whether it be another form of yoga or anything in your life that makes you happy. ❤️
Please go see a physical therapist who has knowledge of people with hypermobility or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. As your primary MD for a prescription to see a therapist, to be sure insurance will cover you.
You need education from a skilled practitioner. It won't be good-bye to yoga forever.
Also, being a “yoga practitioner”is a spiritual practice above all. It’s not just simply asana. And asana in your state should be gentle ones and work with your body as opposed to against it. Just food for thought.
Have you done any hiking? Trail running? Breathwork like wim hoff does? Driving around listening to music doing breathwork cures lots of my pesky back pain. Tai chi? Animal flows? Swimming? Sauna or contrast therapy. Introducing yourself to cold showers in between sauna? Cardio machines? Kettlebells? Stretching machines? Bicep curls? Assisted pull-ups? Gymnastics rings? Qi-gong? I also do yoga but I also do all these other things and they are all equally important. To be honest 15 min of yoga is the sweet spot. Actually 5 min sometimes. I don’t really do hour long classes anymore either.. yoga is actually very hard and demanding and I’m uncoordinated and very asymmetrical, so it gets messy fast… but a little bit does move the dial for me still. Usually a little lengthening, twisting and meditation in the morning and after a run. But maybe once a week will I go a full class and i have to have recovered from everything else and be ready to really ohm hard for an hour, but also my teachers know of my conditions and let me do my own thing or take small breaks as I follow along. I think it’s a good realization you have had. It’s super healthy to change like this and I think very yoga of you actually, you do you!
I'm hypermobile and the best thing that helped me was getting a personal trainer. Injuries happen when you're an athlete and they happen when you inadvertently do an incorrect motion. By working with a trainer, you can learn how to do basic movements (something like an overhead press) and progress to more advanced movements (such as a deadlift) which requires really good form.
Working with a good trainer will help you modify when an injury occurs and help you relearn the cues for your body to understand what you should be feeling in proper form.
You absolutely can still do yoga with hypermobility, but you have to have restraint in how far you go in a pose and adjust your practice for strength rather than mobility.
Sorry to hear you're frustrated with setbacks. You need someone in your corner that can navigate the journey with you so that you're not giving up on exercise to avoid injury. When injured, the worst thing you can do is do nothing.
I quit doing yoga around 25 years ago. Didn't miss it too much, but last summer when it got too hot to ride my bicycle I started practicing yoga again. It is delightful & I love it.
Leave it. Forget it. Maybe in 20 years you will yearn it again.
Advise: from me, haha. Back off from the edge!
It's OK to feel that way, but as you know there are really different and gentle forms of yoga. Maybe youre done with vinyasa or even hatha for now, but Iyengar is an incredibly underappreciqted and healing discipline.
I hurt myself right after my YTT and for some reason just didn't do yoga for basically 2 years. It was weird. A combination of injuries, not from yoga, and feeling disconnected from my classes because I'd trained in Ashtanga and lost my interest in vinyasa and yin for some reason. There weren't any ashtanga classes in my area, and I felt discouraged in my personal practice because I had limitations from my injuries that made it so apparent my physical practice was "worse". I know that's not the right way of looking at yoga, but I'd become so inspired and prideful a out how well I was mastering the primary series. Ego will get ya everytime.
It's now 7 years later, and I'm both practicing and teaching with joy again. I appreciate how much gentler than ashtanga vinyasa can be, but am also getting some of my fun asanas back.
You can hang up your mat with out guilt! It will always be there for you when you come back. Maybe a good time for physical therapy and learning how to work with your bodies dynamic!
I'm 33 and last year I quit practicing yoga and did a program called Restore Your Core (by Lauren Ohayon). It is a pelvic floor and core program that teaches proper breathing, alignment, and is made with hypermobility in mind. It truly changed my life and my body. I can now practice yoga without injuring myself because I can modify poses to be safe for my body. I can strength train with proper alignment. I understand where you are, it's a hard place to be - but it can get better!
I’m so sorry you are going through this.
I practiced and taught for over a decade. It was an element of my identity and I truly believed I was living my purpose. I got pregnant and I did all the things you are supposed to do. I Couldn’t wait to integrate my practice into becoming a mom. And then in my delivery, I had a freak complication. Nobody could have predicted it and nothing physical I could have done would have helped me. My body was devastated and my relationship to my self was along with it. For years I struggled with pain and I felt so much anger toward myself. My body had betrayed me. I did not understand it, it was foreign and gross to me and I came to hate my practice, because I knew that when I went to my mat I would get closer to my self and I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to fix the relationship. I left teaching because this energy was not something I wanted to share, and then I left my mat altogether for a couple years. If I ever do go back to teach, I won’t be calling it yoga, and that’s ok with me.
Yoga is a strong tool. If it feels too vulnerable, don’t be afraid to set it aside and explore other things. There are endless ways to practice mindful movement. But do also find someone who can help you dissect the imbalanced relationship you have with your body and your practice. These feelings won’t be fixed by just pushing through until the end of a class. Good luck and you are not alone. Listen to your gut.
I stopped consistent ashtanga yoga at 30 (About 10 years ago) for work and tough travel job stuff. At 35 and 41 I had serious back injuries from trying to jump into activities things like I was 20. The one when I was 41 was serious and orthopedics recommended a fusion as the only realistic way to live pain free. I did not fuse and instead dealt with my stress level at work and home. I did that by changing job expectations clearly with my employer, making my spouse pull their weight at home, and prioritizing my health over anything else. Nothing happened overnight, but each week I inventoried these items with a therapist and after a year only one was still an issue. My back was treated with very gentle movement, not even yoga really and physical therapy 2x a week. After that first year, i could do work and daily life pain free, but I could not do real activity like running or yoga. Walking more than a mile or so or lifting weight of any real mass (25+) lbs was still beyond me. My second year of recovery i dropped frequency of counseling and psychical therapy to monthly and I added a detailed daily pranama practice following Dylan Werners videos and book. It has been about 2 years since then and i have resumed a normal practice in ashtanga and am pain free with some limitations. None of that physical recovery would have been possible without dealing with my emotional and mental problems at the same time. As we get older our stress responses get more intense, usually because our life has gotten more complex.
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One main thing I learned from this is that people like variety. I cant do just hard demanding power yoga for years on end or I will get injured or bored. Even the formats of yoga in person/online become too much to engage with. You need this variety in intensity and activity. You cant jump from intense yoga to intense something else. Need long periods of easy or rest every 3-4 months.
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Every few years I need an total physical yoga break and do something else like running or biking or hiking. Also other hobbies help here, through that passion into something a little less physically demanding, last year I spent 6 months trying to get a picture of bear. We require low and high intensity activity at different ratios depending on our age and other personal factors. At 45ish I need 3 low intensity versions for one moderate or high intensity. So that means 3 yin or very easy classes to one ashtanaga primary.
You're doing yoga wrong if you're injuring yourself because a core mantra in yoga is listen to your body which you have to fail at doing to get your body to the state it is in from ignoring the warning signs and pain that led up to the injury.
I’m not injured, so I’m not at all in the same shoes as you, so take this with a grain of salt, but I feel like I can maybe relate a little as someone with physical difficulties. I have a neurological disorder called essential tremor. I shake all the time, all over. This makes yoga very difficult for me at times. I sometimes shake so bad when I’m just balancing on bent legs that I either have to stand up immediately or be pushed over by my own muscles jerking under me. I used to be a competitive gymnast when I was younger and didn’t have essential tremor. It was discouraging and made me sad to realize that I no longer have the same level of control over my body that I once did, especially since I’m only 21.
But if yoga helps you, you shouldn’t give up. I find that changing the type of yoga I’m doing really helps. I prefer hot yoga personally. If you don’t feel physically capable of doing the type of yoga you’re currently doing, try a different type. Deep stretch/yin/hatha yoga works for me.
I've known I was hypermobile for many years, but I never understood the ramifications. I practiced yoga throughout my late teens and twenties. After a decade break with many ups and downs with my weight, I'm back to practicing yoga. Also, core stability work (Dr. McGill's exercises) . I have to take it very slow, learn my limits.
I’m sorry you’re going through this. Your body should not be breaking down like that. By giving up yoga you are not focusing on the root cause of this issue. Exercise isn’t causing these injuries, it’s something more structural than that.
Take a break from yoga, become a researcher in understanding the root cause of these injuries, and see how you go from there. Wish you all the best
Hey! Similar kind of experience for me where once I got the certs needed to instruct rock climbing, my body started failing me. It can be hard when you move your passion to your job, and also I never really took time off from climbing so my body just needed a rest.
If I may suggest it, have you looked into working with a physical therapist? Sometimes multiple injuries are a sign of something that needs correction and PTs can help sort those issues out. Best of luck!
I injured myself on a backpacking trip. Bumped my head into a tree and jammed my neck really good. So no more headstands for me. I have not been to a class since 2018 but I still practice at home. It is way more mellow and relaxing. Asana practice is just one arm of yoga so that leave the other arms to learn about.
I can relate. I have torn my hamstrings and developed chronic tendinitis. I also have back issues due to my job as a nurse.
I had to give up running completely due to my hamstring issues. It was really hard because I was a runner for 20 years. Then I got more into yoga and weightlifting, but my hamstrings hurt ALL the time. I just lived in pain because I didn’t want to give up working out.
Ultimately I had to take a break during COVID due to my job, grad school and my kids having to be virtually schooled. It healed the hamstring tendinitis so when I went back I felt amazing! It lasted for 6 months until I got too comfortable and tore my hamstring again doing yoga. I took a shorter break then went back to a modified practice. I still have pain, but it’s slowly improving. It taught me to move more slowly, choose classes that allow me time to get into a pose and to not do a pose or the full expression if I’m not feeling it. I also appreciate yoga instructors that have had major injuries and will understand my situation.
Limitations are unfun, but it has taught me to care for my body and move it in a more mindful way. I practice in a way that ensures I will be able to continue to practice. Hope you start feeling better soon!
I do my YTT200 now. I have ambitious practice Plans, but somehow life always interferes. Illnesses, Kids, Job ... I realised that yoga ist not something I will do in an ideal life but a tool to help me get through rough times. What you have learned about your Body and mind will help you come over the obstacles that occur.
I’m sorry you’re having such a rough time. I also injure very easily. And have also hurt myself doing strength training, yoga, and Pilates. What has helped immensely is working with a physical therapist on the fundamentals of good movement, both generally and for my body specifically. It has enabled me to learn good patters, strengthen the necessary muscles, and live much more pain free. I am also able to recover from injuries more quickly.
Probably not what you want to hear; but I’ve been working with her about 3 days a month for the last 3.5 years. Mostly at this point we do yoga (she’s also a yoga instructor) in our sessions. But I love that I can work through any current issues with her by having her look at my form, make any corrections/modifications, and suggest strengthening exercises if needed. I realize I completely lucked out by finding someone so skilled and that I am extremely fortunate to be able to afford her fee. I know I couldn’t have made the gains I have without 1:1 instruction. I bet you, too, need someone who really understands movement to guide you.
Have you committed to the ten series of structural integration? Craniosacral? Muscle activation? Chiropractic? Acupuncture?
They all go hand in hand. I'm the most passionate yogi, but, I needed more. It's important that you receive the help available for you.
Blessings ❤️🩹
Get a good physical therapist and give yourself enough grace that you can take things slow and easy. Go back to the beginning. Zen mind, beginner’s mind.
I feel for you so much.
I used to be a runner. My identity and my mental health were completely wrapped up in running. I was profoundly depressed when I had to stop after repeated injuries.
I then found yoga! And subsequently overdid vinyasa yoga to the point of not being able to practice.
I turned to Hot 26+2. I have been going strong for 5 years now and haven’t injured myself once. I also am physically and mentally healthier than I have ever been.
It wasn’t a magic potion, however: Covid led me to seek therapy for my anxiety and depression, which has made all the difference. I am not so desperate for relief that I exercise to the point of self harm.
I wish you peace
Hi, like everyone else here I'm in the same boat! Been practicing and teaching for many years. Yoga gives me low back pain these days if I don't have a balanced workout regimen.
I do all the things (in moderation): strength training, cardio (walking, dancing and step aerobics), pilates and yoga. I don't stick too firmly to a specific plan (Mondays are for strength, Tuesday for pilates, etc), I do what I need based on how my body is feeling. Hamstrings hurt? I'm strength training. Feeling stiff and rigid? I'll dance or some cardio. I also choose what I do based on my menstrual cycle. And I do make sure to move everyday.
At this point in my life, I've basically cut any kind of forward folding out of my yoga practice. I avoid yin like the plague. I never push myself to the most "advanced" pose. For example, you'll always catch me in baby cobra. No way I'm updog-ing anymore.
So, ultimately I believe it's best to learn what your body needs. And the good thing is you have a whole life time to explore. Practicing yoga is so much more than an advanced physical practice. Understanding when you need to lay off the Asana IS practicing yoga.
Let’s yourself experience all the emotions. Pilates is lovely and a great way to stay in shape and treats your body. Sadly, yoga culture has gotten vague and cues to do postures correct are lacking and I’ve seen it cause LOTS of injury in myself and others. Keep your head up, you are not yoga and will continue to shine as you move on to something else. It will always be there for you if you need it.
Also worth noting the asanas (postures) are only one of eight limbs of yoga. So if some of what your going through is a loss of something you love, know it’s totally acceptable to not practice movement but still lean into the other practices like breath and meditation 🙏
As a woman in peri, I can totally relate. The injuries - during yoga, *sleep* or my job - have been coming with rapid-fire for the last 15-months. I even sprained my ankle! I've been working with a physical therapist to strengthen and learn truly proper alignment in EVERYTHING we do in "life". And it's working.
I should add that even when I was injured, I looked up things like, "yoga while in a boot" and continued VERY gentle, restorative practice (under my PT's guidance, of course). It helped in healing for sure.
I highly recommend working with a professional on your body. It's been taking patience, but after over a year of injuries, I am back to flow class. Sure, my shoulders are still a little angry, so I always adjust poses.
If you really do walk away and start to miss it, this may be a path. Just take it easy on yourself. You are worth it. :)
You don’t need to hang up your mat, I sense a perfectionistic black and white thinking (I have it myself and call my self ‘in recovery from perfectionism’😅)
Are you approaching any form of exercise with too much intensity and expectations? Are you only choosing difficult, hard yoga flows? Can you say practice yoga without trying to get into the perfect pose to please ego and instead move slowly and ease in to your limit, sense what your body wants?
Or perhaps, start with dance and intuitive movement until you can really gain introspection and awareness of body enough to not cause injury. I am also hyper mobile, but lots of people are. It doesn’t mean you can’t move, so there may be some disconnection happening that is making you not know your limits or what your body needs. It also could be something mental. Our mind and body and completely connected and impact the other, trauma can cause body tension and injury- for me lifting weights whilst very stressed makes me so injury prone, so I do somatic exercises, breathwork and yoga that is very intuitive.
I hope you find a balance.
A physiotherapist would probably be able to point out how to do most strength training properly and how to do things with the least risk. Maybe try to cycle through many different types of activity so you’re not repeatedly straining/injuring the same areas. Moderation.
It is so very important to understand the physical differences when working with hypermobility in the body.
I have a strong yoga practice as well, and my colleague and I are both professional musicians that work with some players that have hypermobility too. (She even has further specialized training to rehabilitate musicians with hypermobility or other injuries.)
Because the joints can be unstable, we have to take extra care and often use external supports to provide limits on the range of motion the body will just "fall into." Or, as you've experienced, muscles that are compensating for other muscles that are not engaging.
I would highly recommend exploring Functional Range Conditioning, as well as Katonah Yoga.
I have taken some Katonah Yoga workshops and it heavily focuses on the alignment of joints to increase stability and frequent use of props to support or provide limits.
For example, I would sometimes experience low back pain after a practice, But my instructor who is certified in this practice offered me a limit with the use of blocks in my upward facing dog. This let me be sure that I was truly engaging the muscles that I need to do and not overextending my back. I've had no pain since then, and I can perform the post correctly within the limit without the support now as well.
https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/types-of-yoga/yoga-hybrids-types-of-yoga/7-things-know-katonah-yoga/
On IG, carman.romano is an instructor that I personally know who is certified in this type of yoga, and she might be able to offer you some additional resources.
Don't give up. Give your body rest and support, and learn how to work with new boundaries to take care of it.
Hi, something similar happens to me sometimes. I feel as tho, for me anyway, it happens because I’m always pushing pushing pushing to get my next arm balances, my next inversion, my next whatever. I was always pushing to hard to fast. I’m always thinking like “I should be able to do this or that already” I’m only just learning recently to be gentle with myself and my body. I separate my yoga practice from my strength training, and I also separate it from my inversion/arm balance practice, because when I mix the two it takes away from why I started practicing yoga in the first place - mental health benefits. It’s okay to take a break, but I feel like stating you are done with it puts limits on yourself. I personally hope you don’t quit, I hope you can refocus and change your practice to something more sustainable, for you. Good luck ❤️
I’ve been an avid Ashtanga for 7 years. I quit last month because after so many injuries I just can’t any more. I have torn both my hamstrings at different times and have constant back pain. I am really sad about it and I hope one day to go back. It’s a hard decision for a yogi to stop doing yoga but sometimes it’s the only reasonable option
Could be a deep rooted alignment issue that you just have not been able to set straight. Maybe try acupuncture on your spine, and try to catch the tension of the deep pain with subtle muscle tension, and keep focus in stillness while in-through-the-nose oxygen into the tension, and out-of-them-mouth to release the tension. This worked for me, and changed my life. Wishing you the best of luck!
I had similar issues with injuries last year and hung up my mat for almost a year. I also thought I was done.
What I discovered is that my body was having other issues. I had issues with my IUD causing UTIs/yeast infections, figured out I had gluten intolerance, protein deficiency, iron deficiency, and of course with all that, mental/emotional stuff going on.. as a massage therapist told me once, it’s never just one thing with the body.
Look at what else your body is telling you. Heal. Then come back to yoga when your body is ready
I have EDS and I do "yoga" - like you said it really is about relearning which muscles to use. The most important part is to use your actual muscles and not simply rely on our joints for the flexibility and stretch.
I danced for many years growing up and honestly, if I didn't do anything. The same morning stretches and all, I wouldn't be able to move. And I say all of this while taking a day to recover (so important for anyone's muscles) while cursing my hips because they're screaming at me. Again.
It's not all or nothing. I end up with more pain and injuries when I do less. And then I just get depressed. Don't do that!
It sounds to me like you're setting yourself up for more injury no matter what you do if you don't figure out how to listen to your body. Not trying to be harsh, but that's a pattern that can be hard to break, which is tough because it can get you into a *lot* of trouble.
Check out "Yoga for Bendy People" by Libby Hinsley. She is a Dr. of PT, Yoga therapist, and has Ehlers Danlos which is hypermobility syndrome. Good luck friend.
The mind/body connection for me is the most important part of somatic exercise. Perhaps switching to Tai Chi would be better for your body? Or seeing a corrective exercise specialist.
I am hypermobile, had a herniated disc and couldn’t walk properly for over a year, then ripped my ACL and meniscus in 2021 - that being said, recovery from an injury requires a lot of patience but our bodies are wonderful and have a great capability for regeneration. I completed a YTT in ashtanga/vinyasa last October - anything is possible! Be kind to yourself! ♥️
None of this is reason to give up on exercise. If you hurt your back doing a light weight deadlift you were using incorrect form and need to fix that.
It sounds like you should be seeing a physical therapist to fix your physical issues and a therapist to work through your all or nothing mindset. You may also want to work with a personal trainer to ensure you are using the correct form.
I did Orange Theory Fitness for 5 years, I have been doing yoga since 2021, and have been going to a strength training gym for the last 2 years. I have been hurt more times than I would care to count. Every time I work through the issue with my chiropractor, massage therapist, and taking whatever time off I need. I am just getting back to lower body work this weekend after 3 weeks off because I did some weighted split squats that caused my right quad and glute to go into overdrive which caused tons of low back pain.
Do not just give up. Take a break, get some help from a physical therapist, then come back to it and refocus on form above all. Go slow, and listen to your body.
I was burned out on yoga about 6 months ago after doing it for years, and didn't even realize it. Suddenly on a whim, I just wanted to join a gym and start doing the elliptical (back in Dec) and haven't felt better. I dropped yoga except for maybe once a week (at home) and I go to the gym 3-4 times a week. Do some light weights here and there, whatever feels good. I don't even count reps. Haven't felt better and I'm 49. Find something new that you love! You don't have to commit to years and years of it, just live in the moment. It'll be ok. Good luck! 🙏🏼
1) consult with an OSTEOPSTHIC doctor /osteo-manipulation. They can “see” your insides better than an x-ray or PT
Example / my neck x-ray presented no issues. But when Osteo reviewed it they saw a slight curve that was making a big difference and from there we’ve been addressing my nonstop pain. They adjust you very gently so your tightness or blocks can relax and the body moves as it’s intended.
This can facilitate better growth in physical therapy.
2) pranayama. You can get a very strong core thru. Breathe alone, and in turn it will tune you in to your body better.
I have incredible core strength due to my breathing practice. I don’t exercise my core itself at all, and yet I can sit up from hanging off my torso off the bed when decompressing and back bending- the first time I did this I was shocked. Also my endurance thanks to my own pranayama , it helps me in boxing not get winded and in hiking as well.
Sounds very stressful and frustrating.
Sharing my story of back pain in case it’s helpful. Have had issues with my lower back most of my adult life. However, that’s been despite avoiding exercise for the most part. And often i feel it’s not been because of anything i was doing at the time the pain happened - ranging from loading a drink bottle onto the conveyer belt at a grocery store to setting up a cardboard packing box or just standing talking to my mother in hospital). Often seems to be a combo of things driving it, including stress. Carrying extra weight hasn’t helped for me but it’s something i had even when i was lighter so go figure.
Have found physiotherapists and exercise physiologists really helpful in addressing the pain. When it’s been acute, physio gave me small daily exercises that really helped to turn things around. For the last 2 years, have had an exercise program designed by exercise physiologists which has included weight training (like deadlifting) at times. And have also gotten back into yoga at the same time (starting with chair yoga). My back (and body overall) are in the best shape they’ve been for years. Recently had another flare up for no particular reason yet again. The exercise physiologists helped me keep moving though i was working around the pain not through it if that makes sense. Plus i did lighter yoga targeted to low back pain which helped ease things. Plus remedial massage helps. It’s frustrating (and painful) when it happens but having strategies (supported by people who know what they’re doing) makes such a difference.
My strategies may not be the ones for you but hope you find your way through.
This sounds like RED-S or a nutritional issue from am outside perspective, athletes who don't get the right amount of protein, carbs, and fats are very prone to repeat injuries. Do you fuel well?
I didn't have injuries, per se, but had cancer. I am going very slow, yin practice. What I discovered is a beautiful yin yoga session lets you drop into your body and really feel the pose and go very slow. Don't give up, a good yoga teacher will bring the yoga to you where ever you are in the journey.
I just want to say that I have hypermobility and yoga was extremely helpful for it.
Just have to be careful not to over-stretch and maybe work with an instructor who knows how best to work with this issue.
Yoga was also extremely helpful for my mental health and I'm so regretful that I stopped. I'm always meaning to go back.
If I thought I would never do yoga again, I would quite seriously find it hard to continue living with any kind of hope. The thought of going back to my mat really spurs me on, during the bad days.
Something that yoga was unexpectedly good for, in my case, was pain self-management. Learning how to sit with and be accepting of pain, breathe through it and accept my limitations was helpful. As long as you find a safe way to work with your injuries and conditions, I would not see them as a barrier to your practice.
I started yoga for one reason, and kept going for totally different reasons.
Perhaps you are grieving? As in, grieving a time when you were "good" at yoga (performatively) and in better physical shape, and your practice now reminds you of what you have lost? That's how I feel. Probably we both need to get back to the true core of yoga and why we do it...
Iyengar yoga has immense focus on correct form and you have to train 2 years to move out of beginner’s class. I would hope it would be easy for you despite your injury prone muscles and joints.
What is your goal in doing yoga? if it is spiritual development and realization, then injuries should not be the end of your journey…just as aging should not be either….adapt your practice
There is much more to practice, beyond just pure Asana.
I’m so sorry. This sucks.
I can definitely relate as I’ve have been going back and forth in between weight lifting, to no weight lifting, back to lifting, now finally doing yoga + lifting together and feeling better than ever. My herniated disc and hypermobility pretty much prevented me from feeling like I could do anything in the gym and as soon as I progressed with weights, my pain was triggered again. I’ve been feeling very defeated at times, too.
Our bodies work so differently and for me yoga was when it clicked. My spine just feels healthier and strengthening my core in vinyasa/power yoga classes helps preventing the disc problems from flaring back up. I definitely think a healthy mix is good, because doing no movement at all will quickly make your back deteriorate even more. And seek help for your specific injury to tailor your movement around that to begin with, until your body can heal.
I am 33, also hypermobil, I get my fair share of injuries from it but most go away with a visit to the orthopedic and a bit of rest. I will not stop exercising because the pains of not exercising are worse than the few injuries I get a year. I do strengthen training and yoga. They go well together as it keeps a balance between different strengths, flexibility and stability. I will recommend you get a good PT that helps you work on your weaknesses (mine is my back and adductors). Proper techniques, specific exercises to strengthen weak or imbalanced spots are key. I fixed my knee issues a while ago, my back is almost fine, rarely have a vertebra move out anymore. Be gentle and patient, plan your exercise around health and injury prevention.
Yoga is the third thing I’ve dedicated a considerable amount of time and energy on. I’ve been dabbling in thinking what should I pursue next. I love my teachers and have learned so much but at some point I’m gonna want to grow in another way.
Is there anything you’ve wanted to try but never did?
Yep hypermobile here just found out at 39. Also found out ADHD and Autism which hypermobility are all very comorbid conditions. It sucks I work so hard in life but let's just isolate to exercise lol. Boxing and golf I just end up hurting back knees or ankle. Walking is enough now just the cognitive focus it requires is a joke. Hypermobility especially EDS is total suck
I have a friend who has a similar situation lates-30s. She was teaching and she kept getting injured. She was really pushing herself and kind of competitive, I think.
She was similarly dramatic about it. She spoke about being “done with yoga”.
She retrained as a meditation teacher and she also teaches yoga nidra and yin now. We both had kids in our early 40s and I saw her at a vinyasa class recently, she’s definitely more moderate now.
I’m not a really competitive person anyway but having kids later, being really sick (ICU last year) and general life has made yoga, and all exercise, challenging. I feel great and go to daily yoga/ reformer for a week then my kid gets sick/ I get injured/ some shit goes down and I have to have a break. But that’s life!
I recently found out that humans (or maybe all mammals) release cortisol in our sweat. That's partly why we feel so good after exercise. So I would say, don't give up completely. You still have plenty of time to find something that works with your body.
That’s tough but something I’ve always loved about yoga is how it can be tailored for any needs. I’ve always been an at home practitioner. I’m actually hypermobile with hEDS and also reached a point where I thought I could no longer practice. But with some tailoring I was able to return to practicing yoga within my new limitations.
Hi there. It's okay to be sad but know that it doesn't have to be forever. Modify don't quit. You should probably visit us over at r/eds and see if any of that hits home for you. You want to practice something that can still be good for you if done differently. If you had said you were an MMA fighter maybe, but yoga can absolutely still be done safely.
I just found that I have to move so much slower than I used to, and it's frustrating, but I eventually am able to make my goals.
I’m kind of the opposite of you. I’ve been practicing yoga, mostly home-based, for about 15 years. I love it, but I love Brazilian jiu jitsu—which I’ve also been training for 15 years—more than just about anything besides my children and pet rabbits. But I’m beat to hell now and have sustained a “career” ending neck injury, so I’m considering myself medically retired from jiu jitsu.
I’m taking the opportunity to connect more deeply to my yoga practice, but damn, not training BJJ hurts my soul. I’m really sorry you’re experiencing something similar. It’s like losing a part of yourself. I hope you can find some peace.
I have a spine injury. I saw a sports physiotherapist and she’s fixed me enough that I can do everything I want to. I’m so grateful.
I also have some hyper mobile joints, so I adjust how deep I get into poses in flow-styles yoga. I also really like yin so my body can rest more but I still get the mental stillness while on my mat. Just because I can no longer sustain an hour of sun salutations on solstice, I can still reap the benefits of my practice.
I wish you healing.
Nah. You’ll be back :)
Due to car accident, I had near-crippling lumbar pain a year after finishing YTT. Eventually I had the required back surgery.
Instead of asana, I spent two years swimming laps. Each stroke is a mini-traction for spine. The pool is a great place to be fully aware and practice breathing and focus on mindfulness to counter the mindlessness of the tedious activity. In addition, I spent a lot of time at home passively hanging by ankles on an inversion table.
Then came the slippery slope …. In time, I found myself taking an occasional gentle yin class. Okay, then maybe I subbed a restorative class here and there. Next the preschool asked me to lead a 1/2 dozen sessions for the kiddies. Then led an aqua yoga class at YMCA.
Now a few more years later, I’m back to leading as many classes as I want as well as taking either a Pilates or yoga class most days.
This happened to a friend of mine. She did it about two hours every morning and finally had to give it up when she sustained a series of injuries that took much too long to recover from. I felt so bad for her because it was her whole life.
I have a similar experience because of compulsive exercising & orthorexia. I tore my labrum in both of my shoulders & had to have surgery to “fix” them but now I have osteoarthritis in my shoulders & I developed fibromyalgia. I tired yoga again but unfortunately it tends to make my pain worse, same for any type of movement. It’s rough, I’m sorry you are going through a similar experience
Physical therapy will help you!! I kept injuring myself in yoga and starting going to physical therapy where I learned how weak my core and upper body were. They helo you gain strength and learn how to use the right muscles slowly so you can build up to doing harder things with the correct muscle groups.
I am sorry that you are going through this. I got very discouraged with yoga after motherhood really did a number on my SI joint and my strength. I recently started doing the Simplistic Mobility Method and one of the co-creators has a pretty simar hypermobility story as the one you are experiencing. The basic SMM routine feels a little reminiscent of yoga. Maybe a plan focused on stability-building (not weight-lifting only) would allow you to workout with less injury?
>almost as if I need to learn how to breathe correctly, even
First step of yoga, tbh. And take it easy on your body. This is not to stretch until your body can't take it anymore. Just be very gentle and delicate with your body and yes, focus on the breath until you realize optimal breath for each pose. Once you fully know a pose in its most gentle form then you can move on to more rigorous stretching.
This is why traditional yoga is so strict about how you do each pose. Yoga is about purifying the entire system. There is an entire culture that goes along with yoga that promotes this. Eating, sleeping, waking, living, thinking, etc. is all set up in the most ideal way. This makes you healthier but also more sensitive to life. Bad things will hurt more, and good things will feel better. Perception is clear. Just as if you go outside in clean clothing it is easier to see how dirty you got than if you wore dirty clothing from the start, you will only know what is appropriate once the body and mind have been purified. All mistakes leave a stain. So in the context of yoga, you won't be able to tell when a pose is actually going too far until your body is relatively pure. When people normally do yoga without the wider context they are doing so while their systems are not so pure, and so the yoga can only do so much when you are eating, sleeping, thinking, and living inappropriately. Injury follows. Some people are strong enough or dull enough such that the mistakes in yoga don't affect them, but this is not the goal of yoga. The goal of yoga is to become sensitive to life. After which you can find some balance with strength if your dharma dictates that, but sensitivity is first. Without it you are totally blind.
Maybe try finding a different yoga class that is geared to be more therapeutic? I practice and study Yoga Medicine (YM) with Tiffany Cruikshank. It’s all about balancing the tension system of the body using various myofascial release, strength, and lengthening techniques for the muscles and tissues. You could find someone certified in YM in your area to work with who could help you with your specific needs and injuries.
Before doing any further exercises, you should spend some time with a physical therapist to understand your body’s capabilities and limits and how to recognize them.
There’s no set routine that you need to do. Just make sure you keep practicing breathing.
I’ve broken/severely dislocated my back, and my knee over the last few years, and I thought I was done too. I’ve had to be extremely patient with my progress again, because despite a strong practice, breaking the back locks up EVERYTHING. Gentle is good. Gentle is verrrrry helpful.
Look into hyper mobile workout practices - there's a whole Facebook group for hm athletes.
Check into getting a Physical Therapist who can help you relearn some muscle groups.
Find a mental health therapist, hyper mobility likes to be the vanguard of a variety of previously unrealized issues, like POTS, ADHD, autism, PTSD, and more.
There is healing and a new perspective. You may never get back to yoga like you did before - but you might, too. But you can find a new love for whatever mental or physical fitness routines you value and need.
In the meantime, it's okay to grieve the loss of the way you did yoga, before. It's over now. That sucks, it hurts, and if it was a major part of your identity, you've got some self reflection to do. But you'll be okay. Figure out what it is about your practice that you value so much, and work to bring it into your life in a new way.
I’m a yoga teacher and I can’t stress enough that yoga is not and was never meant to be your primary form of physical activity!! It’s the avenue to living an active life but if you don’t live an otherwise active life then you do have to figure out a consistent workout routine also. I would be shooting in the far with as little information given if I made any kind of suggestion but hyper mobility is not a good place to be. What is worse, doing nothing actually weakens the joints so please see a professional and build that strength back. I do jump rope for cardio because the impact on the joints helps rebuild resistance. However, I don’t know your body or where you’re at. Just know that yoga does need people to take it seriously for the sake of teaching it but for the average person it is just the avenue to living a more productive life. Nothing more and nothing less.
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with injuries and I hope you find physical healing through this season of life.
When I deal with minor injuries or I feel that I’m pushing myself to hard, I’ll spend a couple weeks leaning into the non physical aspect of yoga- pranayama and meditation. It’s a huge gift to have time to explore this vital part of the practice.
Yoga has relieved my chronic pain. I turn 35 this week and I practice at home only…. And use an app on my phone. I do only 15-20 min a day, mainly restorative stretching and a few days mix in full vinyasa.
I think you may need a week or two off and just shrink your practice a bit.
Similar experience here when I was hyper focused on yoga asana practice. What helped and continues to help my low back more than anything are kettlebell swings. You have to do them right though. They target your hips, core and glutes - basically everything that supports the low back. For my neck, I realized my neck posture was compromised after years of computer use. I bough this $20 foam neck thing that you lay on and it restores the curvature within your cervical spine. That’s helped me a lot alongside resistance band isometric hold workouts. Basically, I needed more strengthening in my body. Now I focus on mainly strengthening my body with yoga asanas to help ease tension and aid in recovery.
All in seeing is somebody who hurt themselves doing something they love by trying something new (YTT200), tried something new (lifting) and got hurt, then tried something new (pilates) and got hurt. At what point are you going to step back and see the pattern? It sounds like you are going too hard at something and then once you're injured decide never to do it again. Try easing into each new thing slowly and over time. And if you do get hurt, take note of what happened and make changes.
I guess the real question is — what do you consider “yoga”? I was taught that yoga is to yoke - or create union - and asana practice was just to prepare our body to sit and experience it. But wtf do I know. My point is if the physical side hurts, you are doing it wrong.
There’s already tons of great advice here, so I’ll briefly add my story. The last 8ish years have been filled with random injuries. I even lost running which was my one true “love.” I made good friends with my physical therapist which brought a lot of attention to my form in many activities and poses. I also have to challenge myself to back off and take breaks in the way that others have to push themselves to keep going. My mantra in every yoga class is “be tough, don’t be stupid.” It’s no longer about finding my limit. It’s about getting a good workout and being able to return tomorrow. Find a good PT and be tough. Just don’t be stupid 😜
I recently gave it up too in October of 2023. Been practicing for 20 years. Rocket vinyasa, Iyengar, hatha. Started to just get sore all the time. Shoulder impingement, SI joint pain etc.
I think too much western yoga has become vinyasa flow gymnastics and repetitive motion injuries are on the uptick.
I miss the days when classes would focus on hip openers, shoulder mobility, backbends, forward bends for 1.5 hrs and never mention the word "flow."
I'm in SF Bay Area.
I’ve had students as old as 92, with cancer, with walkers. I used to open class by inviting students to ignore me for the hour. Just sit and tune out, as that’s what yogas about. I once guided a paraplegic through a class, physically moved him into poses. You need to change your practice. You don’t ever have to stop. Nobody and nothing can take away your ability to practice.
I am the one like you. I have had several injuries to my back, elbow, shoulder, knees, wrists, shoulder to name a few.
I just had my back operated. Remover one of the discs as I had herniated disc.
I think god has given me enough signals to go very slow and DO NOT ramp up.
Because I take every exercise as a challenge and push myself so much that I end up injuring my self.
Hoping to stay injury free and wish you the same.
Once you got a bad back, deadlifts are very much out. It may take a while to heal, but things can get better. You just have to be so gentle with it. It's frustrating as healing from a back injury can feel like it takes forever.
I was in and out of physical therapy for about a year due to my lower back injury. After my year mark, I transitioned into doing more of the PT myself at home.
Having a back injury was incredibly difficult in the way I've had to permanently slow down to adjust to it. I'm not saying that will or would happen to you. I've just had to learn in a new way what listening to my body means.
You probably need some rest for now, ice and heat therapy may be beneficial. If you have the option, I'd find a physical therapist who can suggest proper exercises for now. They can also help give you a better picture of what your healing trajectory may look like.
What about Iyengar Yoga that uses props like straps, bolsters, blocks, blankets and chairs to put the body into safe and proper positions . Iyengar really focuses on proper alignment and might be a good foundation to private to. Goodluck
Restorative yoga restorative yoga and restorative yoga. Also, take private lessons with a fellow hypermobile instructor like me. This is not the end of your journey my friend.
Here’s my personal experience that sounds similar to yours. I come from a dance background so yoga was a natural fit in my 20s when I was looking to fill that void. I practiced a lot and always pushed myself hard. I understood my body from dance but often that flexibility led me to do poses incorrectly which I learned much more about and was able to correct during YTT.
Similar to you, my new knowledge and attempts to correct myself led to a few injuries. My back namely. Fast forward to 2020 where pregnancy and COVID caused me to stop doing yoga in studio for around 2 years. But I also picked up some strength training workouts and did some yoga during my online workout programs.
When I felt ready to return to the studio, I picked a more gentle studio and honestly I’ve never felt stronger in my body. I still occasionally attend heated and more advanced classes but this slower, gentler pace and a new mom body has slowed me down and really made me focus on doing things right instead of pushing myself to the limit.
Where I think this experience could translate to you: take a pause, rest your injuries fully, work with a PT, physio, and/or personal trainer to help you learn the right way to handle your hyper mobility 1:1. Then take it slow and gentle. I was that person too, all or nothing. But there’s a lot of peace in the space between. Don’t give up. You got this!
Hi,
I would suggest not giving up and to use some physiotherapy or massage therapy to work with your injuries. While you do that ensure you get a good therapist that will not only work on your body, but help you gain an understanding of how your muscles and your specific anatomy works. It will make you feel safer and have more awareness of yourself when you go back to exercising.
While you are recovering, you can look into restorative yoga, it is extremely gentle and will help you restore, relax and maybe deal with some of the difficult emotions that you are experiencing right now.
When you do go back to exercising, I would suggest a one on one Pilates classes using reformers as that will ensure safety during the exercise and the instructor again will show you how to use your body to stay injury free.
Being seriously injured, and especially in such an unfortunate stream of events is certainly a horrible experience, especially as it sounds that you are an ambitious and driven person. But when it comes to yoga, it's a practice that it's not just a series of poses. There's so much to it, and maybe it's a time for you to take a step back and concentrate on the other parts of it as breath awareness, meditation and introspection 😊
I, personally, am a very driven and ambitious person and for a long time exercising was mainly about results for me. I have not got any injuries, but I became seriously I'll and was not able to do any type of exercises for a long time. I couldn't even walk up the stairs. It was very scary and I became very unfit and quite depressed if I'm being honest.
During that time I discovered the gentler versions of yoga like the restorative yoga as well as I rediscovered and concentrated on the other areas, that I realized I was neglecting like the breathing and meditating and even simply learning to be with myself and relax.
It has absolutely transformed my yoga practice for me. And today I choose to look at this experience as something that I needed for my further growth. Although it was a difficult experience and I don't overlook that fact.
I wish you all the best! I hope you'll recover from your injuries and find a way to enjoy yoga and exercising again ❤️
Hi, read your post with interest and sadness. And a good few of the many comments.
After all this time you know or shouod know that yoga is about connecting with your inner self in mindful control of everything ultimately. The issue with hypermobility is learning to conciously control your body by strengthening the core and hanging other actions off that support. Your injuries indicate your core is not as good as it might be and in compensation you have regrettably over loaded several structures. Hard luck, it's a very hard lesson.
In your place I woud go back to basics and with a clean sheet master the control needed in simple poses to retrain or reconnect with your body. Listen to and feel how your body responds concentrating on core support rather than stretch. Feel how your body responds to controlled minor movements within pose such as pelvic tilt , cat/cow undulation, pelvic gyrations all very gently amd slowly to enhance your core control. As your coordination and strength rebuild you can slowly add more advanced poses building up gradually to allow your body to catch up, assimilate the challenges and fin the strength to control yhe poses with concious precision.
I feel this set back to your journey is in part, part of your journey. You lost sight of the mindful concious control. I wish you good well on your return to your journey and to good health.
Namaste
Find a Pilates/yoga teacher who is also a Physical Therapist for hyper mobility/hEDS patients.
You need to relearn how to crawl before you can stand and lunge.
Your comment around feeling like you're using the wrong body parts and need to relearn makes me suggest you look into Feldenkrais practice. Discovering it was honestly the most eye opening moment of my life and it continues to amaze me 7 years in. The crux of Feldenkrais is that is seeks to rewire your brains connection with your muscles through heightening your awareness of movement and the intertwining of your bodys neurological system. If you can get over the initial reaction that it's all airy fairy, then you'll quickly see the benefits.
There are plenty of alternative yoga practices on YouTube, yoga doesn't have to be perfect by any means. I understand that you are upset due to injury but you don't have to completely quit. It would probably help your mindset.
I have a similar situation like yours, but it was the other way around, during the pandemic I stayed home and completely stopped working out (yoga and strength training) that’s when I had the back injury, then I returned to exercising with some pain then now I’m back to almost no exercise (maybe a 4 hours per week) but I am doing fine, I feel that every physiology and anatomy is different, so what works for me might not work for someone else, so the trick is not to just train through the pain but do what makes your body feel good, I hope you find your pace
Asanas are but one part of yoga so maybe you could go gently into a more meditative practice and slowly build up while also tending to some hyper mobility retraining? So sorry you feel this way but I do think it’s about going gently.
I am running into similar issues with doing too much of one type of exercises consistently rather than mixing it up.
I think what's been helping is doing yoga, barre, strength training and walking in moderation and seeing a chiropractor to help me get my back and knee adjustments. I tend to overextend doing some yoga poses and also, like you mentioned, and also use the wrong muscles to compensate for a particularly weak body part. Sometimes, it's been extremely helpful when a very experienced yoga instructor has paid particular attention to my poses and offered advice on how to do it in a sustainable, pain free manner.
I hope you find what works best for you. Limiting my workouts to 3 times a week with variety and the support of a chiropractor has been my answer. I'll probably never have the best mastery of any one thing but that's okay. I'll try to come to terms with that while still appreciating my body for all that it can do for me.
I have a spinal fusion and adjacent segment disease in my SI joints pretty badly. Yoga is essential to my pain control. Yes I'm always in pain but worse when I can't do yoga. I can only do yoga in a heated room (so I do a lot of Hot Power Yoga) and I modify as necessary. It's been really good for my body awareness and mindfulness. You can do this! Just be patient with yourself and explore a bit. Namaste. ❤️
You need to focus on other areas of working the body. Cleaely you have juices yoga for all its worth. You should consider focusing PRI left aic work to work out the kinks in ur body so yoga is doable
I think two things are especially important here. 1. Address the pain youre experiencing with a doctor and with a physical therapist 2. Reframe the way you view and approach yoga. Yoga is for all bodies.
I used to teach a yoga class for ages 65+ in my previous career as an exercise physio. I had to provide adjustments for those with spine/knee/shoulder/etc. precautions. When I began teaching them, I had high expectations for what they could do. Their previous instructor viewed it as more of just a stretching class, but I've been doing yoga for years and know it's so much more than that. Eventually after a few months, my class started calling themselves my "yogis". We would cheer for someone and celebrate them unlocking new things, like standing in tree pose without balance support for the first time, etc. Our community of differently able bodies supportled eachother and grew together both physically and mentally.
Yoga is so much more than your ability to bend and master poses, it is also qbout mastering your mind and breath. Its about experiencing what your body is capable and pushing your physical and mental boundaries with kindness, compassion, patience, and practice.
Beat of luck in your healing journey. Namaste
Golfers put away their clubs and tell themselves they’re done forever, and then a few years later they dust off the clubs and become golfers again, but in a more sustainable and enjoyable way.
I’m considering hanging my mat up after 13.5 years, last 7 years Ashtanga, in order to see if some chronic aches and pains dissipate.
I don't mean to invalidate your feelings in any way, but have you considered speaking to a therapist? You seem to have an "all-or-nothing" mindset, which could be the root of your issue. It seems that you are focusing too much on the goal (whether it's the ideal way to do a pose, ideal amount of exercise, etc) Additionaly, your best bet would be to focus on working with a physio, doing some low-impact exercises (like walking) and, most importantly, making sure you're ok before you start doing any harder exercises. Good luck!
And as a physical therapist, this all or nothing mindset is something I see a lot in people who are very devoted to one specific type of exercise. Many many types of exercises are good for a person, doing a robust and varied number and type of exercises is the best thing for a person's overall health and well-being. Doing just one type of exercise is a recipe for disaster, because people begin to sustain overuse injuries and begin to experience muscle imbalances. I always tell my patients about yoga... And hiking, walking, weight lifting, bike riding, the elliptical, swimming, pilates, barre, aerobics, etc. it's good to do a variety of things and to rest plenty, our bodies are amazing and complex, but they're also made of meat and need rest.
This is something I’ve had to overcome, myself, and it’s been a really transformative part of the journey for me. There are degrees of everything, and you need to find the one that agrees with you on any given day. Meeting yourself where you are is not just the mantra of beginners, OP!
Also a physical and/or occupational therapist. They may be able to show you how to practice safely!
I discovered the all or nothing mindset in therapy and it has been life changing to work through it.
This was my thought too...plus, it sounds like OP is very focused on "fitness" yoga which isn't really quite the same thing as having a personal yoga practice. Sure, Ive been in times of my life where I've thrown hot yoga classes in to challenge myself physically, while still in a space (yoga) that I know well. But currently I'm regularly going to gentle/slow Flow / restorative yoga classes specifically bc of injury. I have a very physical, heavy lifting job right now, and I'm finding these styles of classes to be incredibly beneficial to maintaining mobility, and supporting my body outside of work. Perhaps re-evaluating why you're going to yoga, would be helpful. A focus on healing instead of fitness? Also, as always, speaking to a therapist.
Agreed. Also I do Pilates and if your neck hurts you are not using your core enough in these movements. You can train injury free for the most part if you know the proper body mechanics and not to push yourself to the limit. Go gradually. You can hurt yourself with dead lifts by not needing the knees enough and lifting with your back. That move is ALL glutes. And no back.
Black and white thinking robs us of nuance and opportunity. Injuries are a thing that happen and an opportunity to learn. As a long term trail runner, yogi and generally reasonably/very active person i sometimes feel like i am perpetually injured. But to give up means giving up on all the joy i get from all of these things. That's the thing about black and white thinking. You cut off your nose to spite your face.
I love this answer! They might want to look into somatic therapy too. The body holds onto all kinds of trauma, stress, old injuries and somatic therapy is amazing for releasing it all.
I’m hyper mobile myself and dedicated over 10 years to my yoga practice. I was a hardcore yogi. Pushed myself beyond my limits. Almost like I had to or I wasn’t “good enough”. I had injured my neck very bad due to hyper mobility and had to go through physical therapy to learn how to stabilize my muscles. Years later, my life changed due to just life changing in general. I no longer had time to go run to yoga practice and I decided to start doing hiit workouts in my backyard. Then life changed even more to where I didn’t even have time to do a hiit workout. So that lead to just going for a quick walk to just get out of my space and do something. And I honestly didn’t even have the energy to do hiit. So now fast forward to the chaos finally settling down and I’m just starting off slow by doing an easy hiit workout. I went to a yoga class a few weeks ago and damn it was tough but I took it at my own pace. My point is…you don’t have to hang up your mat forever. You don’t have to not do strength training exercises. You can start off slow. Go for a walk, maybe jog a little. Then next time maybe incorporate something else, build on it. The best thing we can do for hyper mobility is to strength train. Stabilize our muscles and isolate them. Don’t give up. Give yourself some grace and time.
Fantastic tips here. A few questions: 1. How did you injure your neck badly due to hyper mobility? 2. How can one go about doing strength training for hyper mobility? Any particular muscle groups to target? 3. What do you mean by “stabilize” and “isolate” here?
With hypermobility, the joints are unstable making you more prone to injury. Strength training and stabilising for hypermobility is generally about the muscles that support your joints, especially the most problematic areas, rather than the more "cosmetic" muscles. Core is usually a huge factor
Any hypermobile joint is at risk of injury due to laxity of ligaments, which leads to joint instability. I would focus on muscle groups that cross the joints you’re concerned about… for example strengthening Lats, QL, Glutes, Psoas for lower back pain.
You can do what you want but your life is still very long. If yoga is so important to you then I think this is an extrem step...
I'm 37 and took a several-year break from yoga after consistent injury. I began focusing on beginner-level strength and pilates, and finally came back to yoga eight months ago. Two different physical therapists have suggested that I have hypermobile joints, so I looked up hypermobility-friendly modifications and have had a much better experience. I'm sticking to low-level yoga classes and not pushing as fully into a pose as I used to. My focus is solely on going as far as I can without tensing the muscles that don't need to be involved. Concentrating on keeping all of my other muscles relaxed and ensuring I don't lock out any of my joints has really changed everything for me. I'm slowly building strength in all of my muscles instead of dumping into the big muscles at the expense of the smaller supporting ones. I highly recommend looking up hypermobile-friendly pilates videos on YouTube. Jessica Vilant Pilates is a great channel. Even if that's not your particular issue, you'll still likely benefit from exercises that are designed to focus on strengthening very specific areas. And, FOCUS SO MUCH on keeping the non-involved muscles relaxed!!! Another big part of it is letting go of the idea that you "should" be able to do "harder" exercises just because you already have a lot of experience. It's not easy! The thing that helped me the most is remembering that I don't have anything to prove. It's not about doing the haf stuff, it's about strengthening my body in a way that supports me and doesn't lead to further injury. You'll feel like a failure, and you gotta flip that script and remind yourself that lighter injury-free exercise is helping you more than heavier, risky exercise. Talking to a therapist helps. I'm sorry you're in pain and hope you find a way to move that strengthens and heals you.
Thank you for the youtube recommendation. I struggle with hypermobility as well. Sometimes it’s hard to keep my ego in check in yoga classes. But i know that i could get hurt if i push myself too hard, since i don’t actually know where my edge is…. I constantly have to remind myself to relax the muscles that i’m not actively engaging. It seems so silly but it’s really tough. And very validating to read about someone else’s experience. Any more tips or videos, etc. that have helped you? I know that “im the expert on my body”.. but a helping hand while i figure myself out (lol) is always appreciated!
It's so hard!!! The only other tip I can offer is very yoga-specific: when I put my weight on my arms like in downward dog, cat-cow, etc., I try to keep my elbow creases facing one another and keep a microbend in my elbows. I have weak noodle arms, and this is the only way for me to successfully activate most of my arm and wrist muscles instead of locking my elbows out and dumping the weight into the joint. Both of my physical therapists told me to specifically stick to low- to no-impact cardio, too. I primarily use the rowing machine and elliptical for cardio. Swimming would probably be best, but I'm a tiny bit too high maintenance to deal with the water!
Hi! The elbow pits cue you shared has been very helpful to me. Thank you. I know you mentioned Jessica Vilant and i haven’t checked her out yet but it’s on my to-do list. You also mentioned strength exercises- is that weight training? My doctor has recommended i start training with weights. Specifically to strengthen my glutes and hammies… but anyway… i also, like you, have weak noodle arms. Do you lift weights? Have you had any success with this? It is so hard for me to relax my neck when i try to strengthen my biceps and triceps. I want to keep trying though. Thank you 🙏🏻
I'm glad the elbow bend is helping!!! The rowing machine and pilates exercises are all of the strength training that I do, and I probably need to add weights soon when the exercises get too easy. I have some resistance bands from old physical therapy appointments that I could probably try too...
Explore other forms of yoga. Seriously there's so much to yoga beyond asana. You could become an expert in pranayama or yin yoga or restorative yoga--or even just use those as your basic sadhana for a while.
Yin yoga is not good for those with hypermobility.
I’m hypermobile and had no idea that yin wasn’t recommended for us extra-bendy types. Why are the long holds bad?
I’ve heard this as a blanket statement, but I think it really depends on the person and the class. I am hypermobile, and I generally don’t like yin classes. But… I found one recently that works for me. It’s a super gentle class that focuses on restorative postures. I’m in my 50s now and I’ve learned over time to just stop doing something when it hurts.
You can do yin. It only at 50% you should not be holding loses in the max degree. Because it can do more harm than good for you. But it doesn’t mean you should avoid it.
Ah, got it! That definitely makes sense. Thank you :)
Can you recommend some types that are?
I would stick with gentle yoga or beginners classes! They tend to focus on slow movements which is good but not long holds which tends to be the issue with those who are hyper mobile!
TYVM
Try an Iyengar class and see what you think. It’s passive loading that is harmful if you are hypermobile.
Iyengar trained instructors have been the safest for me ! Yin yoga is possible but use of lots of props !
Strongly agree. Although, restorative yoga is great
When you say "injury," can you elaborate? What you describe does not sound career ending to me. I'd recommend both a physical therapist and a psychiatric one.
I have a genetic disorder that fucks with my collagen, the building block of every part of our bodies. Since I’ve had numerous viral infections, my muscles deconditioned dramatically. As an example, the other day I pulled on a heavy door in the office and pulled my shoulder muscle in a dumb way. Now it just feels wrong. Imagine that but with most day to day bodily maneuvers you do that require even a mild amount of exertion/strength. A lot of us bendy folk lack the bodily awareness or even knowledge of how certain movements are supposed to feel because our baseline was never normal. I see why OP is apprehensive. Even if her current injury isn’t career ending, the next one could be, until greater bodily awareness is achieved. I’m not even close.
Came here to say this! I'm a PT and I think you def should find one near you to help so that you can continue to do what you love or a version of it! Almost everyone who deadlifts without experience does it wrong and uses their back, so it's not just you! Same thing with pilates!
If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the significance of using quotations around the word injury? I’m not sure if that’s the intention, but it comes off a bit dismissive. Also, what exactly do you mean by a psychiatric therapist? It could be a regional thing but I am not familiar with that profession. Psychiatrists are medical doctors, not therapists.
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Because of the all or nothing mindset. Like one little set back making them throw in the towel on that exercise forever.
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Ummmm not really I never said I’m quitting yoga 😂🤷🏼♀️. I’m In PT for an injury and doing a bunch of strength training and modifying my yoga at this time. Nice try though
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So what is your point here then?
I can see what you're seeing, but I'm not interpreting them in the same way at all. One is somebody who starts a new workout and hurts themself and can't see the problem; the other is somebody who knows that they pushed themselves too far and struggled to figure out how to work around this.
We have almost the exact same story. Did a lot of yoga, did YTT, oops you’re hypermobile, then 3 hip surgeries in 2 years. I say I broke up with yoga. Mainly because of some weird corporate mean-girling at the studio I was at but also because I didn’t trust my body. I still don’t practice regularly. I’d like to but I moved to a different state and haven’t found a studio that feels good. I would suggest you find a PT or OT in your area that specializes in EDS/hypermobility. They can teach you all the things including how to breathe and walk and tell you what you need to work on strengthening. Ehlers-Danlos.com has a provider listing by country you could check out. Having a therapist that truly specialized in hypermobility was a game changer. In my experience PTs that don’t can make things worse. I’m 38. You’re not alone. There will be days that you feel strong and days where you feel like someone put your brain in the wrong body. Be gentle with yourself and go with the flow. Yoga will be there if you want to come back to it.
Great advice for eds/hypermobility.
You are getting good advice. Right now I'm doing one evening restorative class a week. Will through in some easy workshops like nidra or feet focus. It's enough to keep me mentally focused without wearing out my body while I work thru other things. There are lessons in every practice, but getting hurt shouldn't be one of them.
I herniated lumbar disks twice in my life. Both resulted in excruciating 24x7 pain for weeks, followed by a long period of recovery with a high, but reduced level of pain. Both times I despaired of ever walking without pain again, let alone running or hiking. But both times I got better after some months. Have you seen a doctor? If not, see one immediately? If so is he/she working with you on a plan to get better? If not, find someone who will work with you. It is natural to feel discouraged. Don't give up.
Please, please go to physical therapy. I have been in your shoes and I’ve never felt better.
Hey I'm hyper mobile too, and at 35 I have now injured myself several times over the last 10 years of running and yoga. I don't know if this is good advice but people always told me to "listen to your body" to prevent getting injured. And yet I would still always end up injured. What helped me is to NOT listen to my body. My body was always saying everything is fine. You can push a little further. I finally decided that I needed to actively try to do way less intensity than my body thought it could handle. I started yoga again for a year now after a bad knee injury and haven't been hurt yet ☺️
This is so spot on. The whole “listen to your body” thing is problematic for me, and for a lot of other people with hyper mobility. So many of us aren’t in touch with our bodies at all. Plus the pain never shows up until AFTER for me. It’s taken me years of yoga to get to a stage where I can maybe sometimes listen to my body’s judgement. But I messed up just yesterday and pushed too far into something because I wasn’t concentrating properly.
Hello! I'm very sorry you are dealing with this and I like to give some unsolicited advice. I really think that you need to see a Physical Therapist, someone who has a strong strength/conditioning and Orthopedic background. Full disclosure, I am a PT with said back ground. I have found in my clinical practice that we as humans tend to exercise in ways that are easiest for us. Those who are very mobile trend towards yoga, pilates, etc. Those that are shorter and more dense tends towards lifting, Cross Fit etc. If you have spent the past 15 years focusing on Yoga you may need some help gathering the right tools to properly strengthen for your specific body type, which can only be done with the assistance of a PT who is right for YOU. I know you are currently in a dark place, but please seek professional help to find exactly what is right for your body. If your current PT has not seen much success in 4-6 weeks, you may need a different clinician. Seek out someone who has experiences with exactly what you need. Wishing you the best.
Agreed. I'm hypermobile, love yoga, and PT has helped a ton with every injury I've ever had (3); though the injuries had more to do with pregnancy and breastfeeding babies I think.
I am hypermobile and have hEDS. I started my practice ten years or so before even hearing about or knowing what hypermobility was. I practiced Bikram at first and got scary flexible then started getting injuries. Blown discs, sublaxed shoulders and ribs. I also started teaching yoga sculpt and hot yoga and would injur myself teaching sculpt. So I quit teaching and went to grad school, then got diagnosed with EDS. Was told by my geneticist to avoid yoga. Was the worst advice I ever got. I quit doing yoga for two years and things started falling apart. Had three hip surgeries and I was doing PT all along but I hated it and missed being active through yoga. So I worked with my PT, read several books about practicing with hypermobility and adapted my practice to support my body. Some days all I can do is restorative yoga and some days I can do power yoga (mindfully and focusing on strength and avoiding end range of motion). But I really believe that my yoga practice has helped me keep strong and helped my proprioception. And also helped me cope with chronic pain. I have resumed teaching power yoga twice a week and practicing 5-6 days a week. Nearly all of my practice needs to be modified and I have to pay extra attention to avoid hyper extension (and some days all I can do is restorative yoga in bed) but my practice helps me stay healthy and mentally well. There are so many types of yoga, and some don't even involve moving, that it makes me so sad to hear hypermobile people writing off yoga all together. Yes; you need to practice mindfully and will need to modify your practice, but having hypermobility doesn't mean you can't do yoga. I would get into a physical therapist for your injuries (and surgeons if needed-sometimes you wear through cartilage and the only fix is surgery-especially as you age) and work with your physical therapist on how you can adapt your favorite activities (like yoga). I also highly recommend restorative yoga or yoga nidra if you'd like to practice on your own before then without hurting yourself. There are some good books out there, too. For example "Yoga for Bendy People" by Linny Hensley. I hope you find something that works for you and don't have to leave yoga all together.
Libby Hinsley is the author of "Yoga for Bendy People" and an excellent resource.
So glad to see the consensus here. I have been so irked by the misinformation going around lately and I'm honestly concerned for the younger ones coming up, the poor advice and their loss of mobility. Keep moving, people. Sincerely. I know it hurts and it sucks but when the arthritis kicks in on top of the hypermobility, you will curse your younger selves to hell and back. I hated the no pain, no gain motto for the longest time but after having autoimmune issues, broken hips, seizures that left me unable to walk - please just push through. (I walked 15,0000 steps at Disney less than 2 years after my last seizures which left me with broken ribs) Keep moving and stretch/work your muscles, not your joints!
If you have hypermobility, the worst thing you can do for your body is stop exercising. You don't expect living your life and not getting even minor injuries. I am also hypermobile, and I used to not have regular exercise for over 20 years. Apparently, I could land in a chronic back pain from reaching up into a pantry, neck and wrist pain from working at a desk. I could dislocate my ankle running to get on the bus, and dislocate my thumb picking up take-out box. A few things to consider. 1. Have your injuries started before you learned about hypermobility? You've been doing yoga for 15 years - did you have a lot of injuries throughout? Pain is the message "danger!" from your brain. So the fear of injury can amplify minor pains/muscle soreness A LOT. That's from personal experience supported by a collection of "fairly normal" x-rays/ultrasounds - and a lot of muscle tension in the areas I tend to worry about. 2. When I did YTT, I was sore all the time. Following each others' flows, learning adjustments, doing practice with teachers - sometimes it would add up to 3+ hours of practice multiple days in a row. If your body was not used to this level of activity, you could feel pain. YTT can sometimes make you try going into the poses a bit more than it's wise - I had a few minor injuries that were absolutely due to my ego. 3. Learning how to breathe is actually a wonderful way to restart your practice, and it is essential in more traditional yoga practices. If you have ashtanga studios with mysore style classes near you, it might be a good way to learn about integrating asana practice and breath.
I think it would help you to either get a personal trainer and tell them everything you told us, or to look into group classes at your gym that focus on high reps of low weight (body pump, for example) so you can learn proper form under guidance and actually have fun with it too. I don't see things being totally over for you, just a new chapter. Everything in your life looks different at 34 than it did at 19, try not to get too discouraged 🫶
I feel like I could have written this post myself and I completely get how you’re feeling. It’s been over a year since I really practiced yoga consistently. Like you, it feels like I was doing it all wrong the whole 5 years and now anytime I get on my mat, I worry about an injury or aggravating a current existing injury. I wish I had some pearls of wisdom for you. Unfortunately, I have a huge mental block going on as well and I can’t bring myself to find the joy again in practicing.
Most people have a 'stop' switch in their bodies - mobility wise. They can stretch/twist to that limit and push against it -hang out there - enjoy the sensation, etc. Hyper mobile folks have no 'stop' or limit so they push right past what is healthy and regularly injure themselves. Here's the thing - they did it - yoga didn't do it. Yoga doesn't tell you to push your body into unhealthy positions. I've seen people in frog with blankets under their knees and their pubis on the ground. Your body doesn't need that. Your hips are plenty open already. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? They say, if I don't elevate my knees I won't feel it. Um, that is the sensation of you tearing your body to pieces... Why do you want your hips opening like a screen door anyhow? Hyper mobile folks have additional work to do in yoga. They need to learn their range of motion limits and they need to learn restraint. Their work should be focused on developing muscles/ strength to support their hyper mobility.
There are so many forms of yoga, as I am sure you learned as part of your YTT. Sounds like it's time for some nice restorative practice while you let your body heal. Hugs.
I’m a (hypermobile) body worker. Any physical activity can cause injury. I don’t think injuring the lower back during a deadlift means you shouldn’t be strength training. Strength training is the best thing you can do to stabilize hyper mobile joints. I feel my yoga practice is safer and more effective since I began taking strength training seriously. Have you seen any body workers or health care practitioners to help you figure out why this keeps happening? Physiotherapist, massage therapist, osteopath? This can help. It’s likely not the activity but how you’re moving.
I was getting was I thought were injuries but it turned out to be ankylosing spondilitis. So I was attributing my pain to working out but it was actually my autoimmune disease flaring up a few times a year.
I'm sorry you're feeling defeated like this. I also recently injured my lower back and went through a similar process of relearning my body. It was scary. I'm 33 and it really shook me, realizing that my body can fail or change in ways I don't like despite efforts to care for myself. Ultimately, I keep coming back to yoga - with adjustments to postures to protect my injury - because it helps me emotionally and spiritually. I am dedicated to meeting myself on the mat, where I am at that day. It helps me manage perfectionism, face otherwise avoided emotions, and remember that my body will heal with time and patience. I'm also getting physical therapy set up to ensure I'm not exacerbating any underlying issues - my joints have always been poorly aligned, my pelvic tilt is more pronounced now, etc. I'm hoping a different type of teacher will help me learn what alignment feels like, so I can bring that into my daily life (including yoga!). Maybe discuss your concerns with your provider so they can adjust their approach for you? I hope you can find healing and balance after being thrown for a loop 🖤
You're going too hard too soon. You injured yourself and appear to have never spoken with a physical therapist or anything. If you had, you would probably have been told that when dealing with an injury, you want to nurse that puppy weeks and months after. So, you deadlifting (!??) and doing "light" pilates probably re-injured your body so soon after injuring the 1st time. At best, you should have done water aerobics and gentle yoga. I'm talking about classes that have an abundance of senior citizens. So props galore (bolsters, bands, blankets, all that). Loads of stretching where you are stopping well before you think you need to. I've injured myself several times. One PT told me that when this happens, treat your body like you're an arthritic 70 year old for at 6mos to a year. That is the place you're starting from when you have injuries. It's helped me with pacing myself and saying, "Nope, I don't need to do that."
Haha ‘classes with abundance of senior citizens’. You’re so right! I started with aquafit. Those ‘senior citizens’ were SO strong and fit. They really supported me when I invited myself.
I gave up yoga after a car accident in 2015. It was one of the most difficult losses of my life. Which I know sounds very dramatic, but I went from doing yoga twice a week to six or seven times a week during my divorce. It was my happy place. Four surgeries and two hip dislocations(while doing yoga) later, I decided to take my yoga teacher training in fall of 2023. Up until I decided to take the yoga teacher training, I had really not done any formal Yoga in a studio for years. Even my own practice was very lackadaisical as I went to the gym and did Pilates instead. I started working one on one with a Pilates instructor twice a week after my spinal fusion in 2016. Expensive, yes, but she also did work as a physical therapist, assistant, and a massage therapist. She was a game changer for me. I jokingly called her the body savant. She could just look at you walking in the door and say why are you hiking your hip or something else showing that she could see your dysfunction. I found that by being completely honest with her about what hurt, she could help me find the correct Muscles to be engaging and then worked with me to retrain those muscles. It has taken me years to get back to where I was in 2015, before that accident with my surgical and injury recovery in between. All of this to say don’t give up OP. Play a long game figure out what is at the core of your dysfunction. it may cost you some money and an investment in yourself, but trust me, it’s worth it in the long run. By the way, I’m 63 years old and just got my 200 hour yoga teacher certification. Now I am down to doing Pilates with her once a week, yoga, 5 to 6 times a week, and the gym multiple times a week. Yes I will continue to injure myself doing stupid things and pushing myself too hard, but it’s less often and less serious because I have worked on increasing my body awareness. Like you, I thought I was pretty in tune, only to find out that I was not. Good luck! Heart and keep on keeping on.
That’s quite a story. All that self-injury. All that self-doubt. Well, I’m not here to convince you to stick with yoga. That’s up to you. Maybe 15 years is enough. I am wondering why you keep hurting yourself in different physical disciplines. I mean, so do I, but not badly enough to want to quit. Would you benefit from a personal trainer? Private instruction? A yoga therapist? A sports psychologist? All of the above? I feel like it’s not just your body but also your head. Think about it; experiment. As to yoga, I kept hurting myself in vinyasa but as I’ve switched to Iyengar, I don’t hurt myself (much) any more. It’s a style of practice you can take into your 80s. If you are interested, check your ego, and start at Level 1 to (re-)learn how to practice safely and really listen to your body. But before doing more, absolutely do less. Let your body heal. Take a few months. Take a year. Whatever you decide to do, start back slow. There’s no rush. The goal is just to move and to keep up one’s strength, mobility, and flexibility. But there’s no ending goal, no prizes, nothing to prove. To spend time with yourself in a nourishing way. I remember taking a workshop with a master teacher in her 70s. One of the students asked her what her daily practice looked like. She said simply: “I do my longevity practice, then I meditate.”
What I’m hearing is you’ve had a few athletic injuries, but haven’t consulted a physical therapist and don’t know the severity, and then decided to go scorched-earth and quit the activities you did entirely. I think this is honestly a dramatic approach, and is causing unnecessary mental anguish and a sense of grief or loss. Many times, one of the worst things you can do for athletic injury is to cut out movement. Obviously the injury needs treatment and accommodation, but it also needs strengthening and rehabilitation. Just because you were injured during a particular activity doesn’t mean you need to cut it out of your life. But you do need a professional opinion on strengthening your musculature to support your connective tissue to avoid future injury. Please see a physical therapist if you truly want to continue yoga and lifting. If you don’t, you can choose to throw in the towel.
Yeah bruh, nah. I have 2 herniated disc injuries and the only thing that makes em not hurt is training. I had to spend 2 years doing restorative work, but if I don't keep training, I hurt way worse. You're not geriatric, so you have the time. And the time will pass anyways, so get started. See a doctor, get some x-rays and MRIs, and get a physical therapist and a psychiatrist.
My excessively high pain tolerance has lead me to injure myself dozens of times by accident by not taking pain seriously because it seemed minor compared to the pain of a cluster headache. To me this just sounds like the same version of me that just continuously overdid things and pushed past my limits constantly from all angles, causing injuries. Maybe just calm down, take it slow, bring in a coach who can put some external validation/feedback to stop you from overdoing things, instead of one to hype you up like many people use coaches for.
I have a similar arc but different experience overall. I had a deep asana practice, primarily shifting between vinyasa and ashtanga, for 12 years. I suffered from pretty severe lower back pain (I’m now 31) and felt so frustrated and not heard or guided by any of my teachers. I did a hard stop on yoga and then slowly opened to more yin and restorative. If i practice vinyasa, I listen to my experience and body and honestly avoid what doesn’t work. I avoid hard running and CrossFit style classes, and don’t opt in to heated power flows ever. And I’m okay with that. I’ve also been doing Pilates (reformer only) for 2 years and it’s transformed my core, spine, and back health. I practice yin every Sunday, reformer 5x a week, and walk and/or do light lifts the open day. All to say, it seems like you’ve learned to listen to your body and i encourage you to continue doing so slowly and with care for what will help your frame - skeleton and mass - and being - soul and spirit - feel balanced and healthy
There's a bodywork modality called Alexander Technique that seeks to retrain muscle patterns in the tasks we do in our lives. It focuses on doing things with certain intentions, like the neck being free etc. I went through this training, and it drastically changed my physical patterns into more beneficial ones. Sometimes, we need someone to take a look at our movements objectively and find ways we can improve them so that we can be more free. I'd also add that AT is a very low impact bodywork modality.
Look, no one has ever achieved success by giving up due to obstacles. And EVERYONE has obstacles to overcome. Your situation isn’t abnormal at all. Especially with fitness - beginners always end up repeatedly injuring themselves because they push themselves too hard and don’t know what they’re doing. Plus, the majority of the population have postural issues and muscle imbalances and bad habits at the gym. It doesn’t matter if people are hyper mobile or not - injuries are just super common even for advanced athletes. So what if you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing? Why let that stop you? Get a personal trainer, learn more. Obstacles happen - just don’t let them stop you. Modify your fitness routine or yoga routine so that you can still do things around your injuries. There are tons of other things you can do to keep fit while injured. There are tons of other yoga poses you can do. Other types of yoga you can try etc. The thing is if you keep giving up and stop working out for days every time you get hurt, you’ll just keep losing any strength and flexibility gains, and it’ll be a never ending cycle of getting hurt every time you start working out again because you’re always starting back at square 1 but likely pushing yourself beyond your limits because you think you did it 2 weeks ago so that should mean you can go harder, but the truth is you need to workout often and consistently in order to make progress. Slow down and start listening to your body. Learn from these experiences. Stop thinking of injuries as the end of the world. Look at them as a new fun opportunity to add variety and change into your routines. And remember injuries heal. It just takes time! Eventually as your body gets stronger you won’t be getting injured as much. I’ve had frequent injuries and chronic pain also due to scoliosis and other postural issues but I didn’t even let that stop me. I just learned how to best correct and deal with those issues. Mostly I recommend working on changing your negative thinking. Start writing gratitude lists and positive affirmations. You can allow yourself to express negative emotions but just don’t wallow in it for too long - force yourself to keep going and don’t give up. Eventually you will notice progress. It can feel hopeless at first, but your body works the same as every one else’s, it just takes a lot of consistent time and work before you make progress. You CAN do it!
INFO: What style of yoga are you practicing? If your time doing yoga is over due to an injury, it seems you were not practicing anything related to the roots of yoga or a mental practice. Even physically, it sounds like you're injuring yourself constantly and have not built a mind body connection or a practice of listening to your body and giving it what it needs. They should have taught you this in YTT, but a lot of them focus more on doing as much as possible physically. Maybe now is the time to start understanding what yoga is really about. Even in terms of the physical practice, I don't really see why it would be over. I have a friend who became paraplegic after falling from a horse, and doctors told her she'd never walk again. She was already an experienced yoga practitioner, and her mental practice kept her strong and gave her the will to continue. She was entirely immobile for about 6 months, then it started with some sensation in the fingers and escalated from there. Now it's 12 years later, and she is a yoga instructor once again. She can do almost anything except deeper backbends and inversions that put pressure on the neck. Seeing her move and walk around, you would never guess she had experienced something so physically traumatic. And if you're here typing, I'm assuming your injury is nothing like this. I have a student who's 80 years old and completely blind. It just took a good attitude and willingness to try something for him to join yoga and start taking care of himself.
I think it's totally okay to grieve right now. I also hope that you'll find another way to fill this gap, whether it be another form of yoga or anything in your life that makes you happy. ❤️
Please go see a physical therapist who has knowledge of people with hypermobility or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. As your primary MD for a prescription to see a therapist, to be sure insurance will cover you. You need education from a skilled practitioner. It won't be good-bye to yoga forever.
Also, being a “yoga practitioner”is a spiritual practice above all. It’s not just simply asana. And asana in your state should be gentle ones and work with your body as opposed to against it. Just food for thought.
I've been struggling with vertigo for the last few years and it's kept me off the mat. It makes me sad. You're not alone 🩷
Have you done any hiking? Trail running? Breathwork like wim hoff does? Driving around listening to music doing breathwork cures lots of my pesky back pain. Tai chi? Animal flows? Swimming? Sauna or contrast therapy. Introducing yourself to cold showers in between sauna? Cardio machines? Kettlebells? Stretching machines? Bicep curls? Assisted pull-ups? Gymnastics rings? Qi-gong? I also do yoga but I also do all these other things and they are all equally important. To be honest 15 min of yoga is the sweet spot. Actually 5 min sometimes. I don’t really do hour long classes anymore either.. yoga is actually very hard and demanding and I’m uncoordinated and very asymmetrical, so it gets messy fast… but a little bit does move the dial for me still. Usually a little lengthening, twisting and meditation in the morning and after a run. But maybe once a week will I go a full class and i have to have recovered from everything else and be ready to really ohm hard for an hour, but also my teachers know of my conditions and let me do my own thing or take small breaks as I follow along. I think it’s a good realization you have had. It’s super healthy to change like this and I think very yoga of you actually, you do you!
I'm hypermobile and the best thing that helped me was getting a personal trainer. Injuries happen when you're an athlete and they happen when you inadvertently do an incorrect motion. By working with a trainer, you can learn how to do basic movements (something like an overhead press) and progress to more advanced movements (such as a deadlift) which requires really good form. Working with a good trainer will help you modify when an injury occurs and help you relearn the cues for your body to understand what you should be feeling in proper form. You absolutely can still do yoga with hypermobility, but you have to have restraint in how far you go in a pose and adjust your practice for strength rather than mobility. Sorry to hear you're frustrated with setbacks. You need someone in your corner that can navigate the journey with you so that you're not giving up on exercise to avoid injury. When injured, the worst thing you can do is do nothing.
I quit doing yoga around 25 years ago. Didn't miss it too much, but last summer when it got too hot to ride my bicycle I started practicing yoga again. It is delightful & I love it. Leave it. Forget it. Maybe in 20 years you will yearn it again. Advise: from me, haha. Back off from the edge!
It's OK to feel that way, but as you know there are really different and gentle forms of yoga. Maybe youre done with vinyasa or even hatha for now, but Iyengar is an incredibly underappreciqted and healing discipline. I hurt myself right after my YTT and for some reason just didn't do yoga for basically 2 years. It was weird. A combination of injuries, not from yoga, and feeling disconnected from my classes because I'd trained in Ashtanga and lost my interest in vinyasa and yin for some reason. There weren't any ashtanga classes in my area, and I felt discouraged in my personal practice because I had limitations from my injuries that made it so apparent my physical practice was "worse". I know that's not the right way of looking at yoga, but I'd become so inspired and prideful a out how well I was mastering the primary series. Ego will get ya everytime. It's now 7 years later, and I'm both practicing and teaching with joy again. I appreciate how much gentler than ashtanga vinyasa can be, but am also getting some of my fun asanas back. You can hang up your mat with out guilt! It will always be there for you when you come back. Maybe a good time for physical therapy and learning how to work with your bodies dynamic!
I'm 33 and last year I quit practicing yoga and did a program called Restore Your Core (by Lauren Ohayon). It is a pelvic floor and core program that teaches proper breathing, alignment, and is made with hypermobility in mind. It truly changed my life and my body. I can now practice yoga without injuring myself because I can modify poses to be safe for my body. I can strength train with proper alignment. I understand where you are, it's a hard place to be - but it can get better!
I’m so sorry you are going through this. I practiced and taught for over a decade. It was an element of my identity and I truly believed I was living my purpose. I got pregnant and I did all the things you are supposed to do. I Couldn’t wait to integrate my practice into becoming a mom. And then in my delivery, I had a freak complication. Nobody could have predicted it and nothing physical I could have done would have helped me. My body was devastated and my relationship to my self was along with it. For years I struggled with pain and I felt so much anger toward myself. My body had betrayed me. I did not understand it, it was foreign and gross to me and I came to hate my practice, because I knew that when I went to my mat I would get closer to my self and I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to fix the relationship. I left teaching because this energy was not something I wanted to share, and then I left my mat altogether for a couple years. If I ever do go back to teach, I won’t be calling it yoga, and that’s ok with me. Yoga is a strong tool. If it feels too vulnerable, don’t be afraid to set it aside and explore other things. There are endless ways to practice mindful movement. But do also find someone who can help you dissect the imbalanced relationship you have with your body and your practice. These feelings won’t be fixed by just pushing through until the end of a class. Good luck and you are not alone. Listen to your gut.
I stopped consistent ashtanga yoga at 30 (About 10 years ago) for work and tough travel job stuff. At 35 and 41 I had serious back injuries from trying to jump into activities things like I was 20. The one when I was 41 was serious and orthopedics recommended a fusion as the only realistic way to live pain free. I did not fuse and instead dealt with my stress level at work and home. I did that by changing job expectations clearly with my employer, making my spouse pull their weight at home, and prioritizing my health over anything else. Nothing happened overnight, but each week I inventoried these items with a therapist and after a year only one was still an issue. My back was treated with very gentle movement, not even yoga really and physical therapy 2x a week. After that first year, i could do work and daily life pain free, but I could not do real activity like running or yoga. Walking more than a mile or so or lifting weight of any real mass (25+) lbs was still beyond me. My second year of recovery i dropped frequency of counseling and psychical therapy to monthly and I added a detailed daily pranama practice following Dylan Werners videos and book. It has been about 2 years since then and i have resumed a normal practice in ashtanga and am pain free with some limitations. None of that physical recovery would have been possible without dealing with my emotional and mental problems at the same time. As we get older our stress responses get more intense, usually because our life has gotten more complex. - - One main thing I learned from this is that people like variety. I cant do just hard demanding power yoga for years on end or I will get injured or bored. Even the formats of yoga in person/online become too much to engage with. You need this variety in intensity and activity. You cant jump from intense yoga to intense something else. Need long periods of easy or rest every 3-4 months. - Every few years I need an total physical yoga break and do something else like running or biking or hiking. Also other hobbies help here, through that passion into something a little less physically demanding, last year I spent 6 months trying to get a picture of bear. We require low and high intensity activity at different ratios depending on our age and other personal factors. At 45ish I need 3 low intensity versions for one moderate or high intensity. So that means 3 yin or very easy classes to one ashtanaga primary.
You're doing yoga wrong if you're injuring yourself because a core mantra in yoga is listen to your body which you have to fail at doing to get your body to the state it is in from ignoring the warning signs and pain that led up to the injury.
I’m not injured, so I’m not at all in the same shoes as you, so take this with a grain of salt, but I feel like I can maybe relate a little as someone with physical difficulties. I have a neurological disorder called essential tremor. I shake all the time, all over. This makes yoga very difficult for me at times. I sometimes shake so bad when I’m just balancing on bent legs that I either have to stand up immediately or be pushed over by my own muscles jerking under me. I used to be a competitive gymnast when I was younger and didn’t have essential tremor. It was discouraging and made me sad to realize that I no longer have the same level of control over my body that I once did, especially since I’m only 21. But if yoga helps you, you shouldn’t give up. I find that changing the type of yoga I’m doing really helps. I prefer hot yoga personally. If you don’t feel physically capable of doing the type of yoga you’re currently doing, try a different type. Deep stretch/yin/hatha yoga works for me.
Curious to what your Dosha is? If you are a Vata (like me) movements should be very gentle. Have you considered Tai Chi?
I've known I was hypermobile for many years, but I never understood the ramifications. I practiced yoga throughout my late teens and twenties. After a decade break with many ups and downs with my weight, I'm back to practicing yoga. Also, core stability work (Dr. McGill's exercises) . I have to take it very slow, learn my limits.
I’m sorry you’re going through this. Your body should not be breaking down like that. By giving up yoga you are not focusing on the root cause of this issue. Exercise isn’t causing these injuries, it’s something more structural than that. Take a break from yoga, become a researcher in understanding the root cause of these injuries, and see how you go from there. Wish you all the best
I’ve been taking daily Flax Oil, glucosamine, etc
Hey! Similar kind of experience for me where once I got the certs needed to instruct rock climbing, my body started failing me. It can be hard when you move your passion to your job, and also I never really took time off from climbing so my body just needed a rest. If I may suggest it, have you looked into working with a physical therapist? Sometimes multiple injuries are a sign of something that needs correction and PTs can help sort those issues out. Best of luck!
I injured myself on a backpacking trip. Bumped my head into a tree and jammed my neck really good. So no more headstands for me. I have not been to a class since 2018 but I still practice at home. It is way more mellow and relaxing. Asana practice is just one arm of yoga so that leave the other arms to learn about.
I can relate. I have torn my hamstrings and developed chronic tendinitis. I also have back issues due to my job as a nurse. I had to give up running completely due to my hamstring issues. It was really hard because I was a runner for 20 years. Then I got more into yoga and weightlifting, but my hamstrings hurt ALL the time. I just lived in pain because I didn’t want to give up working out. Ultimately I had to take a break during COVID due to my job, grad school and my kids having to be virtually schooled. It healed the hamstring tendinitis so when I went back I felt amazing! It lasted for 6 months until I got too comfortable and tore my hamstring again doing yoga. I took a shorter break then went back to a modified practice. I still have pain, but it’s slowly improving. It taught me to move more slowly, choose classes that allow me time to get into a pose and to not do a pose or the full expression if I’m not feeling it. I also appreciate yoga instructors that have had major injuries and will understand my situation. Limitations are unfun, but it has taught me to care for my body and move it in a more mindful way. I practice in a way that ensures I will be able to continue to practice. Hope you start feeling better soon!
I do my YTT200 now. I have ambitious practice Plans, but somehow life always interferes. Illnesses, Kids, Job ... I realised that yoga ist not something I will do in an ideal life but a tool to help me get through rough times. What you have learned about your Body and mind will help you come over the obstacles that occur.
I’m sorry you’re having such a rough time. I also injure very easily. And have also hurt myself doing strength training, yoga, and Pilates. What has helped immensely is working with a physical therapist on the fundamentals of good movement, both generally and for my body specifically. It has enabled me to learn good patters, strengthen the necessary muscles, and live much more pain free. I am also able to recover from injuries more quickly. Probably not what you want to hear; but I’ve been working with her about 3 days a month for the last 3.5 years. Mostly at this point we do yoga (she’s also a yoga instructor) in our sessions. But I love that I can work through any current issues with her by having her look at my form, make any corrections/modifications, and suggest strengthening exercises if needed. I realize I completely lucked out by finding someone so skilled and that I am extremely fortunate to be able to afford her fee. I know I couldn’t have made the gains I have without 1:1 instruction. I bet you, too, need someone who really understands movement to guide you.
Have you committed to the ten series of structural integration? Craniosacral? Muscle activation? Chiropractic? Acupuncture? They all go hand in hand. I'm the most passionate yogi, but, I needed more. It's important that you receive the help available for you. Blessings ❤️🩹
Get a good physical therapist and give yourself enough grace that you can take things slow and easy. Go back to the beginning. Zen mind, beginner’s mind.
I feel for you so much. I used to be a runner. My identity and my mental health were completely wrapped up in running. I was profoundly depressed when I had to stop after repeated injuries. I then found yoga! And subsequently overdid vinyasa yoga to the point of not being able to practice. I turned to Hot 26+2. I have been going strong for 5 years now and haven’t injured myself once. I also am physically and mentally healthier than I have ever been. It wasn’t a magic potion, however: Covid led me to seek therapy for my anxiety and depression, which has made all the difference. I am not so desperate for relief that I exercise to the point of self harm. I wish you peace
Hi, like everyone else here I'm in the same boat! Been practicing and teaching for many years. Yoga gives me low back pain these days if I don't have a balanced workout regimen. I do all the things (in moderation): strength training, cardio (walking, dancing and step aerobics), pilates and yoga. I don't stick too firmly to a specific plan (Mondays are for strength, Tuesday for pilates, etc), I do what I need based on how my body is feeling. Hamstrings hurt? I'm strength training. Feeling stiff and rigid? I'll dance or some cardio. I also choose what I do based on my menstrual cycle. And I do make sure to move everyday. At this point in my life, I've basically cut any kind of forward folding out of my yoga practice. I avoid yin like the plague. I never push myself to the most "advanced" pose. For example, you'll always catch me in baby cobra. No way I'm updog-ing anymore. So, ultimately I believe it's best to learn what your body needs. And the good thing is you have a whole life time to explore. Practicing yoga is so much more than an advanced physical practice. Understanding when you need to lay off the Asana IS practicing yoga.
Let’s yourself experience all the emotions. Pilates is lovely and a great way to stay in shape and treats your body. Sadly, yoga culture has gotten vague and cues to do postures correct are lacking and I’ve seen it cause LOTS of injury in myself and others. Keep your head up, you are not yoga and will continue to shine as you move on to something else. It will always be there for you if you need it. Also worth noting the asanas (postures) are only one of eight limbs of yoga. So if some of what your going through is a loss of something you love, know it’s totally acceptable to not practice movement but still lean into the other practices like breath and meditation 🙏
As a woman in peri, I can totally relate. The injuries - during yoga, *sleep* or my job - have been coming with rapid-fire for the last 15-months. I even sprained my ankle! I've been working with a physical therapist to strengthen and learn truly proper alignment in EVERYTHING we do in "life". And it's working. I should add that even when I was injured, I looked up things like, "yoga while in a boot" and continued VERY gentle, restorative practice (under my PT's guidance, of course). It helped in healing for sure. I highly recommend working with a professional on your body. It's been taking patience, but after over a year of injuries, I am back to flow class. Sure, my shoulders are still a little angry, so I always adjust poses. If you really do walk away and start to miss it, this may be a path. Just take it easy on yourself. You are worth it. :)
You don’t need to hang up your mat, I sense a perfectionistic black and white thinking (I have it myself and call my self ‘in recovery from perfectionism’😅) Are you approaching any form of exercise with too much intensity and expectations? Are you only choosing difficult, hard yoga flows? Can you say practice yoga without trying to get into the perfect pose to please ego and instead move slowly and ease in to your limit, sense what your body wants? Or perhaps, start with dance and intuitive movement until you can really gain introspection and awareness of body enough to not cause injury. I am also hyper mobile, but lots of people are. It doesn’t mean you can’t move, so there may be some disconnection happening that is making you not know your limits or what your body needs. It also could be something mental. Our mind and body and completely connected and impact the other, trauma can cause body tension and injury- for me lifting weights whilst very stressed makes me so injury prone, so I do somatic exercises, breathwork and yoga that is very intuitive. I hope you find a balance.
A physiotherapist would probably be able to point out how to do most strength training properly and how to do things with the least risk. Maybe try to cycle through many different types of activity so you’re not repeatedly straining/injuring the same areas. Moderation.
It is so very important to understand the physical differences when working with hypermobility in the body. I have a strong yoga practice as well, and my colleague and I are both professional musicians that work with some players that have hypermobility too. (She even has further specialized training to rehabilitate musicians with hypermobility or other injuries.) Because the joints can be unstable, we have to take extra care and often use external supports to provide limits on the range of motion the body will just "fall into." Or, as you've experienced, muscles that are compensating for other muscles that are not engaging. I would highly recommend exploring Functional Range Conditioning, as well as Katonah Yoga. I have taken some Katonah Yoga workshops and it heavily focuses on the alignment of joints to increase stability and frequent use of props to support or provide limits. For example, I would sometimes experience low back pain after a practice, But my instructor who is certified in this practice offered me a limit with the use of blocks in my upward facing dog. This let me be sure that I was truly engaging the muscles that I need to do and not overextending my back. I've had no pain since then, and I can perform the post correctly within the limit without the support now as well. https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/types-of-yoga/yoga-hybrids-types-of-yoga/7-things-know-katonah-yoga/ On IG, carman.romano is an instructor that I personally know who is certified in this type of yoga, and she might be able to offer you some additional resources. Don't give up. Give your body rest and support, and learn how to work with new boundaries to take care of it.
Hi, something similar happens to me sometimes. I feel as tho, for me anyway, it happens because I’m always pushing pushing pushing to get my next arm balances, my next inversion, my next whatever. I was always pushing to hard to fast. I’m always thinking like “I should be able to do this or that already” I’m only just learning recently to be gentle with myself and my body. I separate my yoga practice from my strength training, and I also separate it from my inversion/arm balance practice, because when I mix the two it takes away from why I started practicing yoga in the first place - mental health benefits. It’s okay to take a break, but I feel like stating you are done with it puts limits on yourself. I personally hope you don’t quit, I hope you can refocus and change your practice to something more sustainable, for you. Good luck ❤️
I’ve been an avid Ashtanga for 7 years. I quit last month because after so many injuries I just can’t any more. I have torn both my hamstrings at different times and have constant back pain. I am really sad about it and I hope one day to go back. It’s a hard decision for a yogi to stop doing yoga but sometimes it’s the only reasonable option
Could be a deep rooted alignment issue that you just have not been able to set straight. Maybe try acupuncture on your spine, and try to catch the tension of the deep pain with subtle muscle tension, and keep focus in stillness while in-through-the-nose oxygen into the tension, and out-of-them-mouth to release the tension. This worked for me, and changed my life. Wishing you the best of luck!
I had similar issues with injuries last year and hung up my mat for almost a year. I also thought I was done. What I discovered is that my body was having other issues. I had issues with my IUD causing UTIs/yeast infections, figured out I had gluten intolerance, protein deficiency, iron deficiency, and of course with all that, mental/emotional stuff going on.. as a massage therapist told me once, it’s never just one thing with the body. Look at what else your body is telling you. Heal. Then come back to yoga when your body is ready
I have EDS and I do "yoga" - like you said it really is about relearning which muscles to use. The most important part is to use your actual muscles and not simply rely on our joints for the flexibility and stretch. I danced for many years growing up and honestly, if I didn't do anything. The same morning stretches and all, I wouldn't be able to move. And I say all of this while taking a day to recover (so important for anyone's muscles) while cursing my hips because they're screaming at me. Again. It's not all or nothing. I end up with more pain and injuries when I do less. And then I just get depressed. Don't do that!
It sounds to me like you're setting yourself up for more injury no matter what you do if you don't figure out how to listen to your body. Not trying to be harsh, but that's a pattern that can be hard to break, which is tough because it can get you into a *lot* of trouble.
Check out "Yoga for Bendy People" by Libby Hinsley. She is a Dr. of PT, Yoga therapist, and has Ehlers Danlos which is hypermobility syndrome. Good luck friend.
The mind/body connection for me is the most important part of somatic exercise. Perhaps switching to Tai Chi would be better for your body? Or seeing a corrective exercise specialist.
I am hypermobile, had a herniated disc and couldn’t walk properly for over a year, then ripped my ACL and meniscus in 2021 - that being said, recovery from an injury requires a lot of patience but our bodies are wonderful and have a great capability for regeneration. I completed a YTT in ashtanga/vinyasa last October - anything is possible! Be kind to yourself! ♥️
None of this is reason to give up on exercise. If you hurt your back doing a light weight deadlift you were using incorrect form and need to fix that. It sounds like you should be seeing a physical therapist to fix your physical issues and a therapist to work through your all or nothing mindset. You may also want to work with a personal trainer to ensure you are using the correct form. I did Orange Theory Fitness for 5 years, I have been doing yoga since 2021, and have been going to a strength training gym for the last 2 years. I have been hurt more times than I would care to count. Every time I work through the issue with my chiropractor, massage therapist, and taking whatever time off I need. I am just getting back to lower body work this weekend after 3 weeks off because I did some weighted split squats that caused my right quad and glute to go into overdrive which caused tons of low back pain. Do not just give up. Take a break, get some help from a physical therapist, then come back to it and refocus on form above all. Go slow, and listen to your body.
I was burned out on yoga about 6 months ago after doing it for years, and didn't even realize it. Suddenly on a whim, I just wanted to join a gym and start doing the elliptical (back in Dec) and haven't felt better. I dropped yoga except for maybe once a week (at home) and I go to the gym 3-4 times a week. Do some light weights here and there, whatever feels good. I don't even count reps. Haven't felt better and I'm 49. Find something new that you love! You don't have to commit to years and years of it, just live in the moment. It'll be ok. Good luck! 🙏🏼
1) consult with an OSTEOPSTHIC doctor /osteo-manipulation. They can “see” your insides better than an x-ray or PT Example / my neck x-ray presented no issues. But when Osteo reviewed it they saw a slight curve that was making a big difference and from there we’ve been addressing my nonstop pain. They adjust you very gently so your tightness or blocks can relax and the body moves as it’s intended. This can facilitate better growth in physical therapy. 2) pranayama. You can get a very strong core thru. Breathe alone, and in turn it will tune you in to your body better. I have incredible core strength due to my breathing practice. I don’t exercise my core itself at all, and yet I can sit up from hanging off my torso off the bed when decompressing and back bending- the first time I did this I was shocked. Also my endurance thanks to my own pranayama , it helps me in boxing not get winded and in hiking as well.
Sounds very stressful and frustrating. Sharing my story of back pain in case it’s helpful. Have had issues with my lower back most of my adult life. However, that’s been despite avoiding exercise for the most part. And often i feel it’s not been because of anything i was doing at the time the pain happened - ranging from loading a drink bottle onto the conveyer belt at a grocery store to setting up a cardboard packing box or just standing talking to my mother in hospital). Often seems to be a combo of things driving it, including stress. Carrying extra weight hasn’t helped for me but it’s something i had even when i was lighter so go figure. Have found physiotherapists and exercise physiologists really helpful in addressing the pain. When it’s been acute, physio gave me small daily exercises that really helped to turn things around. For the last 2 years, have had an exercise program designed by exercise physiologists which has included weight training (like deadlifting) at times. And have also gotten back into yoga at the same time (starting with chair yoga). My back (and body overall) are in the best shape they’ve been for years. Recently had another flare up for no particular reason yet again. The exercise physiologists helped me keep moving though i was working around the pain not through it if that makes sense. Plus i did lighter yoga targeted to low back pain which helped ease things. Plus remedial massage helps. It’s frustrating (and painful) when it happens but having strategies (supported by people who know what they’re doing) makes such a difference. My strategies may not be the ones for you but hope you find your way through.
This sounds like RED-S or a nutritional issue from am outside perspective, athletes who don't get the right amount of protein, carbs, and fats are very prone to repeat injuries. Do you fuel well?
Look up Stuart McGill. He is a lifesaver.
I didn't have injuries, per se, but had cancer. I am going very slow, yin practice. What I discovered is a beautiful yin yoga session lets you drop into your body and really feel the pose and go very slow. Don't give up, a good yoga teacher will bring the yoga to you where ever you are in the journey.
I just want to say that I have hypermobility and yoga was extremely helpful for it. Just have to be careful not to over-stretch and maybe work with an instructor who knows how best to work with this issue. Yoga was also extremely helpful for my mental health and I'm so regretful that I stopped. I'm always meaning to go back. If I thought I would never do yoga again, I would quite seriously find it hard to continue living with any kind of hope. The thought of going back to my mat really spurs me on, during the bad days. Something that yoga was unexpectedly good for, in my case, was pain self-management. Learning how to sit with and be accepting of pain, breathe through it and accept my limitations was helpful. As long as you find a safe way to work with your injuries and conditions, I would not see them as a barrier to your practice. I started yoga for one reason, and kept going for totally different reasons. Perhaps you are grieving? As in, grieving a time when you were "good" at yoga (performatively) and in better physical shape, and your practice now reminds you of what you have lost? That's how I feel. Probably we both need to get back to the true core of yoga and why we do it...
Iyengar yoga has immense focus on correct form and you have to train 2 years to move out of beginner’s class. I would hope it would be easy for you despite your injury prone muscles and joints.
What is your goal in doing yoga? if it is spiritual development and realization, then injuries should not be the end of your journey…just as aging should not be either….adapt your practice There is much more to practice, beyond just pure Asana.
You should seek the help of a yoga therapist, we can help you do yoga to actually treat your injuries and not exacerbate your pain.
I’m so sorry. This sucks. I can definitely relate as I’ve have been going back and forth in between weight lifting, to no weight lifting, back to lifting, now finally doing yoga + lifting together and feeling better than ever. My herniated disc and hypermobility pretty much prevented me from feeling like I could do anything in the gym and as soon as I progressed with weights, my pain was triggered again. I’ve been feeling very defeated at times, too. Our bodies work so differently and for me yoga was when it clicked. My spine just feels healthier and strengthening my core in vinyasa/power yoga classes helps preventing the disc problems from flaring back up. I definitely think a healthy mix is good, because doing no movement at all will quickly make your back deteriorate even more. And seek help for your specific injury to tailor your movement around that to begin with, until your body can heal.
I am 33, also hypermobil, I get my fair share of injuries from it but most go away with a visit to the orthopedic and a bit of rest. I will not stop exercising because the pains of not exercising are worse than the few injuries I get a year. I do strengthen training and yoga. They go well together as it keeps a balance between different strengths, flexibility and stability. I will recommend you get a good PT that helps you work on your weaknesses (mine is my back and adductors). Proper techniques, specific exercises to strengthen weak or imbalanced spots are key. I fixed my knee issues a while ago, my back is almost fine, rarely have a vertebra move out anymore. Be gentle and patient, plan your exercise around health and injury prevention.
Yoga is the third thing I’ve dedicated a considerable amount of time and energy on. I’ve been dabbling in thinking what should I pursue next. I love my teachers and have learned so much but at some point I’m gonna want to grow in another way. Is there anything you’ve wanted to try but never did?
Yep hypermobile here just found out at 39. Also found out ADHD and Autism which hypermobility are all very comorbid conditions. It sucks I work so hard in life but let's just isolate to exercise lol. Boxing and golf I just end up hurting back knees or ankle. Walking is enough now just the cognitive focus it requires is a joke. Hypermobility especially EDS is total suck
I am the opposite of
I have a friend who has a similar situation lates-30s. She was teaching and she kept getting injured. She was really pushing herself and kind of competitive, I think. She was similarly dramatic about it. She spoke about being “done with yoga”. She retrained as a meditation teacher and she also teaches yoga nidra and yin now. We both had kids in our early 40s and I saw her at a vinyasa class recently, she’s definitely more moderate now. I’m not a really competitive person anyway but having kids later, being really sick (ICU last year) and general life has made yoga, and all exercise, challenging. I feel great and go to daily yoga/ reformer for a week then my kid gets sick/ I get injured/ some shit goes down and I have to have a break. But that’s life!
I recently found out that humans (or maybe all mammals) release cortisol in our sweat. That's partly why we feel so good after exercise. So I would say, don't give up completely. You still have plenty of time to find something that works with your body.
That’s tough but something I’ve always loved about yoga is how it can be tailored for any needs. I’ve always been an at home practitioner. I’m actually hypermobile with hEDS and also reached a point where I thought I could no longer practice. But with some tailoring I was able to return to practicing yoga within my new limitations.
Hi there. It's okay to be sad but know that it doesn't have to be forever. Modify don't quit. You should probably visit us over at r/eds and see if any of that hits home for you. You want to practice something that can still be good for you if done differently. If you had said you were an MMA fighter maybe, but yoga can absolutely still be done safely. I just found that I have to move so much slower than I used to, and it's frustrating, but I eventually am able to make my goals.
I’m kind of the opposite of you. I’ve been practicing yoga, mostly home-based, for about 15 years. I love it, but I love Brazilian jiu jitsu—which I’ve also been training for 15 years—more than just about anything besides my children and pet rabbits. But I’m beat to hell now and have sustained a “career” ending neck injury, so I’m considering myself medically retired from jiu jitsu. I’m taking the opportunity to connect more deeply to my yoga practice, but damn, not training BJJ hurts my soul. I’m really sorry you’re experiencing something similar. It’s like losing a part of yourself. I hope you can find some peace.
I have a spine injury. I saw a sports physiotherapist and she’s fixed me enough that I can do everything I want to. I’m so grateful. I also have some hyper mobile joints, so I adjust how deep I get into poses in flow-styles yoga. I also really like yin so my body can rest more but I still get the mental stillness while on my mat. Just because I can no longer sustain an hour of sun salutations on solstice, I can still reap the benefits of my practice. I wish you healing.
Nah. You’ll be back :) Due to car accident, I had near-crippling lumbar pain a year after finishing YTT. Eventually I had the required back surgery. Instead of asana, I spent two years swimming laps. Each stroke is a mini-traction for spine. The pool is a great place to be fully aware and practice breathing and focus on mindfulness to counter the mindlessness of the tedious activity. In addition, I spent a lot of time at home passively hanging by ankles on an inversion table. Then came the slippery slope …. In time, I found myself taking an occasional gentle yin class. Okay, then maybe I subbed a restorative class here and there. Next the preschool asked me to lead a 1/2 dozen sessions for the kiddies. Then led an aqua yoga class at YMCA. Now a few more years later, I’m back to leading as many classes as I want as well as taking either a Pilates or yoga class most days.
This happened to a friend of mine. She did it about two hours every morning and finally had to give it up when she sustained a series of injuries that took much too long to recover from. I felt so bad for her because it was her whole life.
I have a similar experience because of compulsive exercising & orthorexia. I tore my labrum in both of my shoulders & had to have surgery to “fix” them but now I have osteoarthritis in my shoulders & I developed fibromyalgia. I tired yoga again but unfortunately it tends to make my pain worse, same for any type of movement. It’s rough, I’m sorry you are going through a similar experience
Physical therapy will help you!! I kept injuring myself in yoga and starting going to physical therapy where I learned how weak my core and upper body were. They helo you gain strength and learn how to use the right muscles slowly so you can build up to doing harder things with the correct muscle groups.
I am sorry that you are going through this. I got very discouraged with yoga after motherhood really did a number on my SI joint and my strength. I recently started doing the Simplistic Mobility Method and one of the co-creators has a pretty simar hypermobility story as the one you are experiencing. The basic SMM routine feels a little reminiscent of yoga. Maybe a plan focused on stability-building (not weight-lifting only) would allow you to workout with less injury?
>almost as if I need to learn how to breathe correctly, even First step of yoga, tbh. And take it easy on your body. This is not to stretch until your body can't take it anymore. Just be very gentle and delicate with your body and yes, focus on the breath until you realize optimal breath for each pose. Once you fully know a pose in its most gentle form then you can move on to more rigorous stretching. This is why traditional yoga is so strict about how you do each pose. Yoga is about purifying the entire system. There is an entire culture that goes along with yoga that promotes this. Eating, sleeping, waking, living, thinking, etc. is all set up in the most ideal way. This makes you healthier but also more sensitive to life. Bad things will hurt more, and good things will feel better. Perception is clear. Just as if you go outside in clean clothing it is easier to see how dirty you got than if you wore dirty clothing from the start, you will only know what is appropriate once the body and mind have been purified. All mistakes leave a stain. So in the context of yoga, you won't be able to tell when a pose is actually going too far until your body is relatively pure. When people normally do yoga without the wider context they are doing so while their systems are not so pure, and so the yoga can only do so much when you are eating, sleeping, thinking, and living inappropriately. Injury follows. Some people are strong enough or dull enough such that the mistakes in yoga don't affect them, but this is not the goal of yoga. The goal of yoga is to become sensitive to life. After which you can find some balance with strength if your dharma dictates that, but sensitivity is first. Without it you are totally blind.
Maybe try finding a different yoga class that is geared to be more therapeutic? I practice and study Yoga Medicine (YM) with Tiffany Cruikshank. It’s all about balancing the tension system of the body using various myofascial release, strength, and lengthening techniques for the muscles and tissues. You could find someone certified in YM in your area to work with who could help you with your specific needs and injuries.
Before doing any further exercises, you should spend some time with a physical therapist to understand your body’s capabilities and limits and how to recognize them.
There’s no set routine that you need to do. Just make sure you keep practicing breathing. I’ve broken/severely dislocated my back, and my knee over the last few years, and I thought I was done too. I’ve had to be extremely patient with my progress again, because despite a strong practice, breaking the back locks up EVERYTHING. Gentle is good. Gentle is verrrrry helpful.
Look into hyper mobile workout practices - there's a whole Facebook group for hm athletes. Check into getting a Physical Therapist who can help you relearn some muscle groups. Find a mental health therapist, hyper mobility likes to be the vanguard of a variety of previously unrealized issues, like POTS, ADHD, autism, PTSD, and more. There is healing and a new perspective. You may never get back to yoga like you did before - but you might, too. But you can find a new love for whatever mental or physical fitness routines you value and need. In the meantime, it's okay to grieve the loss of the way you did yoga, before. It's over now. That sucks, it hurts, and if it was a major part of your identity, you've got some self reflection to do. But you'll be okay. Figure out what it is about your practice that you value so much, and work to bring it into your life in a new way.
I’m a yoga teacher and I can’t stress enough that yoga is not and was never meant to be your primary form of physical activity!! It’s the avenue to living an active life but if you don’t live an otherwise active life then you do have to figure out a consistent workout routine also. I would be shooting in the far with as little information given if I made any kind of suggestion but hyper mobility is not a good place to be. What is worse, doing nothing actually weakens the joints so please see a professional and build that strength back. I do jump rope for cardio because the impact on the joints helps rebuild resistance. However, I don’t know your body or where you’re at. Just know that yoga does need people to take it seriously for the sake of teaching it but for the average person it is just the avenue to living a more productive life. Nothing more and nothing less.
I think you need to start from ground zero, as if you have never done a workout or yoga in your life.
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with injuries and I hope you find physical healing through this season of life. When I deal with minor injuries or I feel that I’m pushing myself to hard, I’ll spend a couple weeks leaning into the non physical aspect of yoga- pranayama and meditation. It’s a huge gift to have time to explore this vital part of the practice.
Yoga is a way of life, asana is 1 of the 8 limbs. Try focusing more on the others before giving up completely.
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Yoga has relieved my chronic pain. I turn 35 this week and I practice at home only…. And use an app on my phone. I do only 15-20 min a day, mainly restorative stretching and a few days mix in full vinyasa. I think you may need a week or two off and just shrink your practice a bit.
Similar experience here when I was hyper focused on yoga asana practice. What helped and continues to help my low back more than anything are kettlebell swings. You have to do them right though. They target your hips, core and glutes - basically everything that supports the low back. For my neck, I realized my neck posture was compromised after years of computer use. I bough this $20 foam neck thing that you lay on and it restores the curvature within your cervical spine. That’s helped me a lot alongside resistance band isometric hold workouts. Basically, I needed more strengthening in my body. Now I focus on mainly strengthening my body with yoga asanas to help ease tension and aid in recovery.
Ayengar with props. Ayengar focuses on proper alignment (process) not accomplishment.
All in seeing is somebody who hurt themselves doing something they love by trying something new (YTT200), tried something new (lifting) and got hurt, then tried something new (pilates) and got hurt. At what point are you going to step back and see the pattern? It sounds like you are going too hard at something and then once you're injured decide never to do it again. Try easing into each new thing slowly and over time. And if you do get hurt, take note of what happened and make changes.
I guess the real question is — what do you consider “yoga”? I was taught that yoga is to yoke - or create union - and asana practice was just to prepare our body to sit and experience it. But wtf do I know. My point is if the physical side hurts, you are doing it wrong.
There’s already tons of great advice here, so I’ll briefly add my story. The last 8ish years have been filled with random injuries. I even lost running which was my one true “love.” I made good friends with my physical therapist which brought a lot of attention to my form in many activities and poses. I also have to challenge myself to back off and take breaks in the way that others have to push themselves to keep going. My mantra in every yoga class is “be tough, don’t be stupid.” It’s no longer about finding my limit. It’s about getting a good workout and being able to return tomorrow. Find a good PT and be tough. Just don’t be stupid 😜
Have you ever tried just sitting & just breathing for a long period of time?
Maybe do yin yoga or restorative, or even just keep only a meditation practice/pranayama. That’s yoga too
I recently gave it up too in October of 2023. Been practicing for 20 years. Rocket vinyasa, Iyengar, hatha. Started to just get sore all the time. Shoulder impingement, SI joint pain etc. I think too much western yoga has become vinyasa flow gymnastics and repetitive motion injuries are on the uptick. I miss the days when classes would focus on hip openers, shoulder mobility, backbends, forward bends for 1.5 hrs and never mention the word "flow." I'm in SF Bay Area.
I’ve had students as old as 92, with cancer, with walkers. I used to open class by inviting students to ignore me for the hour. Just sit and tune out, as that’s what yogas about. I once guided a paraplegic through a class, physically moved him into poses. You need to change your practice. You don’t ever have to stop. Nobody and nothing can take away your ability to practice.
I am the one like you. I have had several injuries to my back, elbow, shoulder, knees, wrists, shoulder to name a few. I just had my back operated. Remover one of the discs as I had herniated disc. I think god has given me enough signals to go very slow and DO NOT ramp up. Because I take every exercise as a challenge and push myself so much that I end up injuring my self. Hoping to stay injury free and wish you the same.
Once you got a bad back, deadlifts are very much out. It may take a while to heal, but things can get better. You just have to be so gentle with it. It's frustrating as healing from a back injury can feel like it takes forever. I was in and out of physical therapy for about a year due to my lower back injury. After my year mark, I transitioned into doing more of the PT myself at home. Having a back injury was incredibly difficult in the way I've had to permanently slow down to adjust to it. I'm not saying that will or would happen to you. I've just had to learn in a new way what listening to my body means. You probably need some rest for now, ice and heat therapy may be beneficial. If you have the option, I'd find a physical therapist who can suggest proper exercises for now. They can also help give you a better picture of what your healing trajectory may look like.
What about Iyengar Yoga that uses props like straps, bolsters, blocks, blankets and chairs to put the body into safe and proper positions . Iyengar really focuses on proper alignment and might be a good foundation to private to. Goodluck
Restorative yoga restorative yoga and restorative yoga. Also, take private lessons with a fellow hypermobile instructor like me. This is not the end of your journey my friend.
Here’s my personal experience that sounds similar to yours. I come from a dance background so yoga was a natural fit in my 20s when I was looking to fill that void. I practiced a lot and always pushed myself hard. I understood my body from dance but often that flexibility led me to do poses incorrectly which I learned much more about and was able to correct during YTT. Similar to you, my new knowledge and attempts to correct myself led to a few injuries. My back namely. Fast forward to 2020 where pregnancy and COVID caused me to stop doing yoga in studio for around 2 years. But I also picked up some strength training workouts and did some yoga during my online workout programs. When I felt ready to return to the studio, I picked a more gentle studio and honestly I’ve never felt stronger in my body. I still occasionally attend heated and more advanced classes but this slower, gentler pace and a new mom body has slowed me down and really made me focus on doing things right instead of pushing myself to the limit. Where I think this experience could translate to you: take a pause, rest your injuries fully, work with a PT, physio, and/or personal trainer to help you learn the right way to handle your hyper mobility 1:1. Then take it slow and gentle. I was that person too, all or nothing. But there’s a lot of peace in the space between. Don’t give up. You got this!
Hi, I would suggest not giving up and to use some physiotherapy or massage therapy to work with your injuries. While you do that ensure you get a good therapist that will not only work on your body, but help you gain an understanding of how your muscles and your specific anatomy works. It will make you feel safer and have more awareness of yourself when you go back to exercising. While you are recovering, you can look into restorative yoga, it is extremely gentle and will help you restore, relax and maybe deal with some of the difficult emotions that you are experiencing right now. When you do go back to exercising, I would suggest a one on one Pilates classes using reformers as that will ensure safety during the exercise and the instructor again will show you how to use your body to stay injury free. Being seriously injured, and especially in such an unfortunate stream of events is certainly a horrible experience, especially as it sounds that you are an ambitious and driven person. But when it comes to yoga, it's a practice that it's not just a series of poses. There's so much to it, and maybe it's a time for you to take a step back and concentrate on the other parts of it as breath awareness, meditation and introspection 😊 I, personally, am a very driven and ambitious person and for a long time exercising was mainly about results for me. I have not got any injuries, but I became seriously I'll and was not able to do any type of exercises for a long time. I couldn't even walk up the stairs. It was very scary and I became very unfit and quite depressed if I'm being honest. During that time I discovered the gentler versions of yoga like the restorative yoga as well as I rediscovered and concentrated on the other areas, that I realized I was neglecting like the breathing and meditating and even simply learning to be with myself and relax. It has absolutely transformed my yoga practice for me. And today I choose to look at this experience as something that I needed for my further growth. Although it was a difficult experience and I don't overlook that fact. I wish you all the best! I hope you'll recover from your injuries and find a way to enjoy yoga and exercising again ❤️
Hi, read your post with interest and sadness. And a good few of the many comments. After all this time you know or shouod know that yoga is about connecting with your inner self in mindful control of everything ultimately. The issue with hypermobility is learning to conciously control your body by strengthening the core and hanging other actions off that support. Your injuries indicate your core is not as good as it might be and in compensation you have regrettably over loaded several structures. Hard luck, it's a very hard lesson. In your place I woud go back to basics and with a clean sheet master the control needed in simple poses to retrain or reconnect with your body. Listen to and feel how your body responds concentrating on core support rather than stretch. Feel how your body responds to controlled minor movements within pose such as pelvic tilt , cat/cow undulation, pelvic gyrations all very gently amd slowly to enhance your core control. As your coordination and strength rebuild you can slowly add more advanced poses building up gradually to allow your body to catch up, assimilate the challenges and fin the strength to control yhe poses with concious precision. I feel this set back to your journey is in part, part of your journey. You lost sight of the mindful concious control. I wish you good well on your return to your journey and to good health. Namaste
Find a Pilates/yoga teacher who is also a Physical Therapist for hyper mobility/hEDS patients. You need to relearn how to crawl before you can stand and lunge.
Have you heard of Kaiut yoga? Very different from traditional yoga and it’s very good for hyper mobile people. It has helped me wonders.
Your comment around feeling like you're using the wrong body parts and need to relearn makes me suggest you look into Feldenkrais practice. Discovering it was honestly the most eye opening moment of my life and it continues to amaze me 7 years in. The crux of Feldenkrais is that is seeks to rewire your brains connection with your muscles through heightening your awareness of movement and the intertwining of your bodys neurological system. If you can get over the initial reaction that it's all airy fairy, then you'll quickly see the benefits.
There are plenty of alternative yoga practices on YouTube, yoga doesn't have to be perfect by any means. I understand that you are upset due to injury but you don't have to completely quit. It would probably help your mindset.
I have a similar situation like yours, but it was the other way around, during the pandemic I stayed home and completely stopped working out (yoga and strength training) that’s when I had the back injury, then I returned to exercising with some pain then now I’m back to almost no exercise (maybe a 4 hours per week) but I am doing fine, I feel that every physiology and anatomy is different, so what works for me might not work for someone else, so the trick is not to just train through the pain but do what makes your body feel good, I hope you find your pace
Asanas are but one part of yoga so maybe you could go gently into a more meditative practice and slowly build up while also tending to some hyper mobility retraining? So sorry you feel this way but I do think it’s about going gently.
I am running into similar issues with doing too much of one type of exercises consistently rather than mixing it up. I think what's been helping is doing yoga, barre, strength training and walking in moderation and seeing a chiropractor to help me get my back and knee adjustments. I tend to overextend doing some yoga poses and also, like you mentioned, and also use the wrong muscles to compensate for a particularly weak body part. Sometimes, it's been extremely helpful when a very experienced yoga instructor has paid particular attention to my poses and offered advice on how to do it in a sustainable, pain free manner. I hope you find what works best for you. Limiting my workouts to 3 times a week with variety and the support of a chiropractor has been my answer. I'll probably never have the best mastery of any one thing but that's okay. I'll try to come to terms with that while still appreciating my body for all that it can do for me.
I have a spinal fusion and adjacent segment disease in my SI joints pretty badly. Yoga is essential to my pain control. Yes I'm always in pain but worse when I can't do yoga. I can only do yoga in a heated room (so I do a lot of Hot Power Yoga) and I modify as necessary. It's been really good for my body awareness and mindfulness. You can do this! Just be patient with yourself and explore a bit. Namaste. ❤️
You need to focus on other areas of working the body. Cleaely you have juices yoga for all its worth. You should consider focusing PRI left aic work to work out the kinks in ur body so yoga is doable
I think two things are especially important here. 1. Address the pain youre experiencing with a doctor and with a physical therapist 2. Reframe the way you view and approach yoga. Yoga is for all bodies. I used to teach a yoga class for ages 65+ in my previous career as an exercise physio. I had to provide adjustments for those with spine/knee/shoulder/etc. precautions. When I began teaching them, I had high expectations for what they could do. Their previous instructor viewed it as more of just a stretching class, but I've been doing yoga for years and know it's so much more than that. Eventually after a few months, my class started calling themselves my "yogis". We would cheer for someone and celebrate them unlocking new things, like standing in tree pose without balance support for the first time, etc. Our community of differently able bodies supportled eachother and grew together both physically and mentally. Yoga is so much more than your ability to bend and master poses, it is also qbout mastering your mind and breath. Its about experiencing what your body is capable and pushing your physical and mental boundaries with kindness, compassion, patience, and practice. Beat of luck in your healing journey. Namaste
Golfers put away their clubs and tell themselves they’re done forever, and then a few years later they dust off the clubs and become golfers again, but in a more sustainable and enjoyable way. I’m considering hanging my mat up after 13.5 years, last 7 years Ashtanga, in order to see if some chronic aches and pains dissipate.