Has anyone tried yoga?

[Sammicat15]

Hi guys,

Have just come back from my second session of yoga - 90 mins of stretching and bending like a pretzel....

It was much harder than the last session, so am creaking more than last time. Am very glad of my hot wheatpack (the best fiver I've ever spent). I'm quite bendy anyway. Must be in the genes cos my mother was a dancer and very limber. I can still do the splits at 54, but I'm morbidly obese so my knees get trashed every day! Will work on the weight, but not this week lol.

At my pain clinic years ago, yoga, pilates and swimming were recommended for fibromites. Swimming is extremely painful for me, but I'm enjoying the yoga.

I was just wondering if anybody has done/is doing yoga and is it helping you?

Sammi

[Morwenna]

swimming is better for me as it is mid day yoga here tends to be evenings by then i am in noddy land .. just shhows how we all need info and find the one that suits us thanks xx

[charlie_red]

Hello,

I have been doing yoga for the last two years and I love it! I originally tried Pilaties but it was a little too much & yoga seems to be bit more gentle. I find it really helps, especially with my neck & shoulder pain. I love that the class I go to has 20 minutes of relaxation after the yoga - where I always find myself dosing off!

C x

[Hidden]

I did yoga for many years but recently gave it up. I began to have so much pain afterwards, that it didn't seem much help. I think it depends on the yoga teacher, some are more understanding whereas mine seemed to think I was lazy and a moaner.I will start again if I can find one that is gentle but gives a good stretch.It does help with depression too, so getting out helps and being with other people.

[Annalouk]

Hi Sammi,

Yoga has been the best thing I have tried.. So much so that I became a yoga teacher to offer it to those with conditions such as mine. I have Fibromyalgia, Hypermobility syndrome and Autoimmune connective tissue disease. It takes a regular practice to see the best results but what I love is that postures can be adapted to suit limitations and if there is a particular posture you struggle with there will be an alternative position that is more comfortable. You learn your own limits and practice the positions that most benefit your own body. There is so much you can learn and take home into your home practice it really is fantastic! If you want any tips or ideas let me know. x

facebook.com/worcesteryogat...

[Sammicat15 in reply to Annalouk]

Thanks for your new response, Annalouk. I had to give the yoga on the advice of my gp as my knee kept giving way and getting worse - me trying to do the warrior pose caused a laugh in class as I went over like a sack of spuds more than once! It was too painful in the end to continue.

Anyway, thanks to dietary and surgical intervention, I have lost 8st in weight since my original posting. Having lived with and adjusted to the new me for over 2 years, I have now been referred for knee replacements, after undergoing 2 lots of physio to strengthen my thighs and glutes. I am now running a stall 1-2 days per week, and 3 times once a month, so life is more complicated than 4 years ago, but I have developed good upper arm strength from lifting and shifting big boxes. I have "guns" for the first time in my life.

If my knee ops go ahead, that will be the 4th and 5th ops in 6 years. I am certainly putting Devon Health Trust through its paces lol. I hope to get back to more regimented stretchy exercises in due course. Meanwhile, I will plug on with the physio and resistance exercises.

This flare up of mine has lasted for 5 months now and just when I see some improvement, I get a blast of migraines and/or stomach issues which poleaxe me more than usual... gritted teeth all the way. After 1.5 days of complete rest, housework beckons. Oh joy. Have a good weekend.