So they recommended yoga? Where to start and what to look for: pain, injuries and mobility.

[6 min read]

Logistics: Self-management and Help-seeking

Because yoga helps us understand our bodies and learn to make adjustments for comfort and realignment many folks with chronic pain, injuries, or other issues related to mobility find yoga therapeutic. The tough part with this one – as with the trauma and stress pieces as well – is that every person’s needs will be quite different. While going to a physical class may be useful in that the teacher may have insight to help you heal, others may prefer an at-home practice to work through at their own pace. Neither is better or worse, these are just factors to consider.

First things first, if you can, inquire with your doctor or physical therapist about what types of movements are best for your body. They may recommend a specific type of yoga, but whether they do or don’t information about what to incorporate or omit is incredibly useful. I’ll add an example when we get to talking about styles of yoga below.

More logistics: I checked in with a friend who lives with chronic pain and she offered some tips I’d like to emphasize. First, she said to listen to your body and don’t try to keep up. I concur – the slower you go now, the more potential you have for continuing and growing your practice in the future.

If you attend a class in person she also suggested telling the teacher about your injuries and asking for modifications when necessary. Though trained to pay attention, teachers may fail to notice one student struggling or a look of discomfort in a class of fifteen or more. Furthermore, even a highly skilled teacher benefits from learning about their students unique needs in order to ensure they are more inclusive of everyone in the room through changing flows, modifying single poses, or suggesting supportive props. This means that in some sense it is your responsibility to voice or self-manage your needs in a classroom setting as it is the teachers responsibility to respond to them.

Maybe more so a note for teachers: my friend mentioned that she appreciates when the teacher reminds students to take their time and breathe. I’ve heard this feedback from students time and time again. I’ll also add for non-teachers that if you have a moment where you become aware of your breath (or the lack of it) use it as an opportunity to stay connected, deepen your breath, and acknowledge it as a new start. That’s a beautiful aspect of this practice; the concept of non-attachment and non-striving gives space for compassion and recommitment, rather than shame, guilt, or frustration with self.

https://www.yoganatomy.com/yoga-practice-when-youre-injured/

This final note is my own: while discomfort may not be a bad sign (new things can be uncomfortable!) pain is. If you experience pain STOP – adjust or move on (or even stop your practice for the day, depending on the severity of the pain). Here’s a great flow chart:

Styles of Yoga

If you’re struggling with pain, and especially if you haven’t been active in a while or at all, less vigorous practices are a good place to start. However, while some classes will include dynamic stretches throughout class others will focus on longer holds. I’ve had just as many students tell me their body prefers constant movement as I have had people tell me they need to stay put for a period of time.

The two schools of yoga most practiced in the United States are Vinyasa and Hatha. Now, the specifics of language opens the door to a larger discuss of the history of yoga, but for all intents and purposes just hang with me here.

Vinyasa yoga is generally a more athletic practice. It is characterized by linking the breath with the movement, in many cases moving on every inhale and exhale. Hatha yoga includes longer holds and generally – not always – these classes offer more alignment cues. There may be some flow incorporated into Hatha classes, but not to the same extent as a Vinyasa class. In these types of classes, especially vinyasa, you probably want to be able to get up and down from the floor with ease. If you’re not sure, contact the teacher or studio.

Under the umbrella of Hatha and Vinyasa are other styles, generally more audience or content/focus specific. There are even some classes that cater to injury or pain; back pain, for instance, is one I’ve seen multiple times. I’ll share some more styles that I think would be relevant to this blog focus (if you want to know more in general, check out the Yoga Poster.

Beginning yoga classes are great because the teacher should be more prepared to offer supportive descriptions and have more time to provide adjustments to individual students. Gentle yoga classes are also a great place to start if you want to make sure you have time and space to hear the teacher and integrate their instruction into your alignment. Chair yoga is also a great option for anyone, though generally marketed to an older audience. Restorative yoga works toward general relaxation with the use of props.

Yin yoga is (somewhat) similar to restorative yoga, though props generally aren’t used and poses are held for a while (one to five minutes, for instance) in order to stress (stress is semantic choice over stretch, but don’t get too caught up for now) connective tissues. There are some differing perspectives of yin yoga (not necessarily researched or validated), though mine is that it’s a beautifully safe practice when accompanied with mindful awareness (just like any other style of practice). You can check out some articles for varying perspectives and general information about yin yoga here and here and here. I think these are great educational resources for those who do decide to try yin yoga. 

Lastly, just like I have emphasized in previous posts, research, explore, and don’t give up on finding the practice that suits you.

Craving more information? My most-used resources include:

Yoga International

Yoga Glo

Yoga Journal

Mala Yoga NYC – follow Steph and Angela on Instagram for educational tips!

Books by Ray Long, MD FRCSC (and I found a pdf of one!)

I’m a big fan girl of Jason Crandall – his wife has a great podcast that he frequently shows up on

 

So they recommended yoga? Where to start and what to look for: Stress, mental health, and trauma.

If you experience stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, limited physical mobility, injury, or pain your doctor, physical therapist, or mental health provider might recommend yoga. Or, maybe your friend just mentioned they think you should give it a go because they are awesome.

How do you know which type is the best for you? Best case scenario you just pick one that sounds groovy, love it, and go back for more. But perhaps you give up from the very start, overwhelmed by the options. Or maybe you take a class, don’t enjoy it or don’t find it accessible, and you never go back.

My recommendation (albeit complicated by yogic philosophy and the risk of commodifying a practice with ancient roots) is that you should shop around before giving up, just like you should shop around for any other wellness product or service. There is no perfect teacher and no perfect class. I might also argue that there is no perfect fit for everyone, but there is definitely a class or teacher out there who will match your needs, level, energy, and goals to the extent you find it necessary.

This post is the second in a series of posts meant to support new and future yogis. Peep my last post for more! This month I’ll focus on stress, mental health, and trauma. Next month I’ll cover pain, injury, and mobility.

Most of this post will focus on classes in yoga studios. If you’d like to practice at home take a look at these resources and browse my piece on developing a home practice.

Let’s jump in!

STRESS and MENTAL HEALTH

If you are seeking yoga out in pursuit of relaxation, know that while nearly every yoga class has the potential to support your emotional wellbeing, some classes will focus on more supportive strategies, poses, and breath practices designed to help students calm down. Practices such as forward folds and intentionally long(er) exhales, for example, work to activate your parasympathetic nervous system helps you calm down. In nerdy words, it’s the part of your nervous system that counteracts the fight-flight-freeze reaction of the sympathetic nervous system.

That said, if relaxing, managing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression, or increasing your ability to regulate your emotions is your priority, keep in mind that the appropriate class for you might not fulfill your exercise requirements for the day. You might not even break a sweat in class. 

That’s not to say the practice won’t feel intense! This is the caveat us in the wellness profession give to every yoga student, therapy client, or otherwise: sometimes our stress seems to increase and things feel crummy for a while before getting “better.” It makes sense. Anxiety, depression, anger, hurt, and other deep shit get stirred up a bit as we quiet, intentionally draw inward, and face the parts of ourselves and our lives that we’d like to shift.

There is definitely a time, place, and attitude to let loose in a physically intense or vigorous practice, but sometimes slowing down can feel more difficult than speeding up. It is perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed by intense sensations that arise in class.

A certain level of stress – physical, mental, emotional, or otherwise – is therapeutic because it helps us build resilience. Try reframing stress as an opportunity to learn more about your triggers, how and where you hold stress in the body, and what helps you calm down. You are on a path to increase your emotional awareness, and general ability to cope with and manage negative emotions and sensations! This article is on point with that sentiment.

Pro-tip: Take a friend for moral support, or identify someone you can talk to when stuff comes up. Yoga’s essence is connection: to your body, to your mind, to your community, to the world. It is our human nature and birth right to have people in our lives that we can rely on, and that we can provide support.

If you are interested in yoga for managing stress and mental wellness look for keywords including Gentle, Restorative, Yin, or maybe even Hatha. There may even be classes geared towards anxiety or depression.

TRAUMA

“Anything that induces shame can be traumatic” – Patrick Carnes, Ph.D. 

As the public narratives around both yoga and trauma expand many health professionals understand that connecting with the body is a first step to healing and that yoga can facilitate this connection. When it comes to trauma, survivors deserve special care and attention.

A disclaimer: None of this is to say that if you are a trauma survivor you are not ready for, or should not go to, a more generic class. It does mean that you might have a conversation with your therapist or yourself about your readiness, what your triggers are, and what you’ll do in the case that you might feel triggered. You might also choose to contact the yoga teacher or studio in advance and ask questions to gain more insight into what the class is like. Or maybe you can use the buddy system and bring along a trusted pal. Whatever processes and actions remind you that you are worthy, powerful, and deserving of it all are where you should focus your attention!

However, not all yoga classes are trauma-sensitive. Yoga teachers complete specialized trainings in order to be certified as a trauma-informed teacher. Trauma-sensitive classes are rooted in specific principles that respond to the needs of trauma survivors and seek to return the power that may have been taken from you through your experiences.

Here are a couple articles that speak to the trauma-sensitive yoga framework: One is more of a nerdy research piece and the other is quick and easy to read.

Trauma-sensitive classes are attuned to the fact that certain mindfulness and meditation practices might open up the door to thoughts, feelings, and triggers and therefore shy away from asking participants to meditate or simply be silent.

These classes also acknowledge that physical adjustments from the teacher may negate your sense of security; the class might not include any physical adjustments at all, or may offer opportunities to choose whether you desire to be touched on the day you participate in class (which might change for you, class to class!).

You can read more about yoga’s role in healing trauma and stress in many places, but I recommend the Trauma Center’s work.

Survivorhood is not a monolith. Certainly all survivors will need different things and some will really enjoy and benefit from the “less” trauma sensitive classes or even those that are more energetic or athletic. The important thing is to know that just because it’s a yoga class does not mean it is automatically the best go-to option for survivors.

If you desire a survivor-focused class the class title will likely include the word trauma (e.g. trauma-informed, trauma-sensitive, trauma-aware, etc.). You might also like the classes discussed in the section above, or it’s possible you may find that you need faster-paced classes that don’t allow so much space for being quiet, mindful, or meditative.

Questions, comments, concerns? Let’s chat! Feel free to comment below or message me privately.

Here are some good classes for trauma survivors in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area:

• Yoga for Stress and Trauma, taught by Lora Girata at A2 Yoga (where I also teach, shameless plug)
• Every Body Happy , instructed by Patty Hart – Patty offers classes and private lessons at Arbor Wellness Center
• Rise Center for Trauma Recovery offers classes for children and adults
• Ann Arbor Counseling Associates offers classes for children, teens, and adults
• Recreational Sports, Wolverine Wellness, and SAPAC at the University of Michigan offer a Trauma Informed Yoga and Movement Class
• I’ll also include my classes through Amplify Colectivo, as I incorporate as many trauma-informed principles as I can and also offer safe yoga spaces for POC only

 

Compassion, Compassion, Compassion

Last night, I interviewed my friend Verónica Caridad Rabelo (I LOVE this photo of her). Verónica is a PhD student in the Psychology and Women’s Studies departments at the University of Michigan. Originally from New Jersey, she has explored mindfulness and meditation practices for quite some time. In fact, much of her academic research overlaps with these topics. If you listen to the session you will gain a deeper understanding of how she intentionally and gracefully acknowledges the intersections within her life. I was so impressed and inspired by the perspectives she shared with me as well as the accompanying sense of confidence, empowerment, and compassion. We talked more both before and after the interview, and probably could have kept going! The interview took place in Veronica’s apartment, so any thumps you might hear is one of her adorable cats, and occasional giggles are most definitely in response to said cat.

You can find our conversation, an audio recording (I feel like I can barely call it a podcast!) on SoundCloud here, and some awesome resources she shared with me below:

Self-compassion resources

Free guided meditations – in English and Spanish!

Types of meditation techniques

Verónica also blogs on Fulfillment Daily occasionally!