Monday, March 18, 2013

Bikram Yoga - Month 5 - How I Almost Quit Hot Yoga

Yes, I'm still doing my Bikram yoga classes, about 4 a week, although I did take a week off a while back due to a shoulder injury. My right shoulder has been giving me problems for a couple of years and it seemed like in the past couple of months, the pain had gotten worse. Could it be the hot yoga?

I checked with my chiropractor, who is working on my shoulder, and she said yoga should be all right. However, the pain continued. For help, I turned to the Hot Yoga Doctor forum, where you can get answers to all your questions about hot yoga practice.

I posted on the forum about my shoulder injury and asked if any of the postures, or how I was doing them, could be aggravating it. I got an immediate reply back from the Hot Yoga Doctor herself, Gabrielle Scanlon. She asked me some further questions and then suggested I view her video on shoulder and neck issues, which I did.


I use this shoulder ice pack each night
This great hot yoga video gave me just the answer I needed, not only for my Bikram class but for everyday life. It was that I needed to rotate my shoulders up and back while standing in savasana. I now try to stand this way all the time. My chiropractor told me this posture takes the pressure off my rotator cuff, which was causing the pain.

My chiropractor suggested a great treatment for my shoulder injury, which is to ice it each night. I started out by using a plastic bag filled with ice and just moved it around on my shoulder and arm. Then I purchased the great shoulder ice pack at the left. My daughter used to use one like it when she pitched on a college softball team. It works great!

Now in month 5 of my practice, I'm enjoying Bikram more than ever. I am burning calories, I know. Although I'm not losing any more weight or inches since the first couple of months, I am staying the same, fitting into those size 6 jeans, without watching what I eat at all. Now mind you, I eat healthy 90% of the time, but if I want an extra treat now and then, or we go out to dinner, I don't really have to worry about the calories as long as I go to practice.

If you have questions about Bikram or your practice, simply go to the Hot Yoga Doctor website and sign up - it's all free. The Hot Yoga Doctor also offers a free email newsletter that is packed with valuable tips to take your Bikram yoga practice to the next level, lots of videos and pdf files with lists of the poses, photos and more.

In the Hot Yoga Doctor Store you can find audios and videos to help you in your Bikram yoga practice. I have one of her hot yoga audios and I listen to it a couple of times a week, on days when I can't go to the studio. This instant download is on my ipod and it can go with me wherever I go.

1 comment:

  1. I love yoga and also do bikram yoga regularly with my friends to maintain my health and increase body strength. Neck pain

    ReplyDelete