Yin Yoga for Chronic Pelvic Pain and Inflammation
There is a saying in yoga circles that new teachers appear
in your life when you are ready for the lessons they have to give. This was
definitely the case for Yin yoga and I.
Yoga has been one of the most constant parts of my life
since I started in 2003. It has seen me through university, my PhD, moving
countries, emotional upheaval and, of course, becoming a yoga teacher! However, until recently, it was only the strong dynamic
forms of yoga that I was drawn to. I found peace in yoga when I was pushing the
edge of my limits. The strong practice felt the ideal complement to my other
activities or running, cycling and aerial circus. Rushing from activity made me
feel alive and strong.
My body had other ideas though…. Eventually, worn out from
all my frantic activity, it made me stop dead. In late 2014 I was hospitalised
with a kidney infection which lead me into a dark tunnel of chronic pain.
The infection appeared to clear quickly, but unfortunately I
was left with constant pain in my bladder and an unshakeable exhaustion that
made a short walk feel like a marathon. Months of tests and antibiotics
followed but no underlying cause could be found and the specialists were left
shrugging their shoulders. It was incredibly frustrating and without the
support of my wonderful partner I would have gone mad.
Thankfully I was still able to teach yoga even though I
could no longer practice in the same way. In the middle of it all the studio
owner suggested I go and do a Yin yoga teacher training as she was looking to
expand it at the studio and though it might be a good fit for my mellow
teaching style. I was happy to give it a try and pottered off to London a month
later to take a course with Norman Blair. Although I was looking forward to
learning how to teach Yin yoga, I was in no way prepared for the powerful
effect it would have on my life.
The best thing about the course was that it was taught in an
experiential way. Yin poses are held for a long time which meant Norman was
able to teach the theory while we were practicing the yoga. Using, what at the
time seemed like, a bewildering array of props he’d set us up in a pose and
then start talking. Norman has a vast amount of knowledge and would interleave
the material with stories and anecdotes pausing briefly to allow us to switch
sides or poses. The common thread was
the art of finding an appropriate edge that could be held safely for the
duration of the pose. Cultivating a mindful state, which allows you to listen
to the sensory feedback from your body, and a softening breath are the key
parts of this process. Additionally, Norman also emphasised the careful use of
the afore mentioned props to support the body at the right point, making it
feel safe enough to relax fully into the pose.
By the end of the first day, I was amazed to notice that the
pain in my bladder had lessened. Tracking back I realised this was the first
time I had softened the muscles in my stomach and pelvis for as long as I could
remember. The pain came back overnight but I was very intrigued to see what
would happen over the rest of the course. Sure enough the pain eased again and
I began to feel on the verge of a breakthrough.
I spent the rest of the course trying to figure out what was
going on. The poses I found most helpful were wide leg forward folds because they stretched my inner
thigh and pelvic muscles and taught me how to soften them. I learnt how to use
my breath to expand around the sensation and dilute it, rather than tightening
and trying to pull away from the pain.
On returning to Oxford I continued to practice Yin daily,
combined with seated meditation. I found the mediation helped to draw my
attention away from the pain and keep the softness in my muscles once the Yin poses had loosened them. Gradually, over a period of
about eight months the pain kept decreasing and then melted away. My energy
levels slowly increased and I was able to start picking up some of the threads
that I had had to let go of. Not everything however. These days I’m much more
careful about resting when I need to and I’m more selective about what I spend
my energy on.
Mainly though I’m just so grateful that Yin came into my life when it did and for its profound healing effect. I feel lucky to now be able to teach Yin yoga to others as well. And most of all I’m thankful for the amazing people who helped my get to this point today.
Mainly though I’m just so grateful that Yin came into my life when it did and for its profound healing effect. I feel lucky to now be able to teach Yin yoga to others as well. And most of all I’m thankful for the amazing people who helped my get to this point today.
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