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| Hello,
I was a sporadic Bikram yogini until I had my baby boy 3 months ago. I feel well enough to try getting back on the mat, finally.
What bothers me the most, especially when I'm doing the standing poses on one foot, like the Eagle or the Standing Head to Knee, is the inside arch of my left foot. I suffered a stress fracture a few years ago when I ran 10 miles on the treadmill.
Is there anything I can do to manage the pain during the poses? I try to focus on my breathing, but the pain takes over 
P.S. I had my first session back the other day, and even though I'm still not getting enough sleep, I felt like a new person!  |
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| Ouch. Stress fractures are the WORST. They take so long to heal. 
I wonder if the poses would go any better if you focused on using your strength and technique (instead of the pain, in addition to the breathing). I'm thinking of standing head to knee now, as an example. Do you think that if you work really hard at contracting your thigh muscles and distributing the weight evenly on your standing foot, that could take some of the stress off your injury? When you use your whole body in that pose - leg, stomach, etc - you almost start to feel like your weight is lifting off your standing foot. Not that you levitate - HAH! - but there is a nice sensation of being lifted.
Worst case scenario, just take a break from the pose if it gets to be too much! You don't want to be in so much pain that you can't breathe! You could always mention your injury to the teacher beforehand so that he/she knows what's up. The standing series is really just the warm-up, anyway. As long as you get your body nice and juicy and get in a good cobra, camel, and rabbit, you are definitely getting what you paid for! |
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| I have nothing to offer except sympathy, yogimom. I don't have a stress fracture, but I have some arch issues, and the first few standing postures (even pranyama) are hell for me, especially during evening classes.
Let me know if you find anything that helps! |
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| I had the same problem with my feet when I first started Bikram. I was a crossfitter prior to Bikram. (painful at every crossfit class). What I mean to say is I was use to the pain and so why did the pain in my feet concern me so much in my new practice? I asked my instructor and they said that it is due to those particular muscles not being used and it also has to do with the metaphysical side of fear of moving forward or fearing the future. Over time the muscle will become stronger.
As I worked on this in my next class and during that day - the translation for me was that Bikram was a new practice and I was fearing what I could possible feel in my classes - also on another note I was ready for my next step in my daily work. As this was my new awareness I then allowed the feeling to be one with me and the feeling disolved over the next few classes, also my work focus was laser sharp. For me it was a matter of becoming unstuck and not doubting my abilities. Once I honoured the feeling and the thoughts I was in a better place.
Maybe just become aware of what your feeling and your thoughts that are coming up in that moment. Sometimes I find that it has nothing to do with my practice and it is a thought that I haven't addressed during the day or week and it will come up then. It's rather interesting and lots of fun once you become aware of all your thoughts. The sooner you catch the thought the less you will find it manifesting in your body.
Edited by bikramlover 2009-11-01 8:04 AM
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Hurting Feet
