This past week my 200 hour students graduated from teacher training. The week before my youngest step-daughter graduated from high school, leaving in her wake a very worn out step-mom from planning and hosting her graduation party! I found myself sick with a summer head cold, run down and tired. I looked forward to the coming weeks with a smile - finally I was going to have a somewhat "normal" schedule with some down time.
My Yoga Road Trip is planned for July 7-13 and I'm making some major headway on the planning. But what it opened me up to is the fact that it sure isn't all going to get done in one week! There is no way I can get around to all the fabulous studios and teachers that I've been hearing about. So, my yoga week has turned into a yoga month! For the month of July, at least once a week on my day off I am hitting a studio or teacher. I'm excited to dive in and enjoy a month of yoga, but there is one tiny little problem...my wrist.
Yes, just a few weeks ago my right wrist decided to dislocate - or something. I really don't know what I did or how I did it, but I can't put much pressure on it. Even a simple table with cat rolls is sometimes agonizing for me to attempt. So, here I am at the precipice of an amazing month of yoga, with some sort of sprain or dislocation to my wrist. To quote this generation, "WTF?!"
Sure I've been laying off of it because it's swollen, and I've been massaging the ligaments and tendons which are quite sore. Then this week I pulled out the good-ole' "Thai Yellow Stuff" that I brought back from Thailand. A couple of days of applying that to the joint and - viola! No more swelling and it's feeling pretty good. Of course, it has now been popping a lot and does have moments of strain, but at least I felt good enough to take a class. So I decided to venture out today on a little trial run for my month of yoga.
I headed to a local studio, Yoga Inspired, in Pitman, NJ. I've taught a few classes there and am on the sub list, but I had never practiced at the studio. I got up early, juiced, walked the dogs, grabbed a banana and headed out to the little town.
What excites me most about the studio is that it really reminds me of my earlier studio. An upstairs "loft" above the old bank in town, Yoga Inspired, is a cute, carpeted studio with beautiful old open windows to allow in the morning sunlight. The regular teacher, Erik, was on vacation, which I should have remembered from the subbing emails that went out to us, but I looked forward to practicing the "Flow on Friday" class at 10 am.
The instructor began with discussion a type of flow we would be doing and sampling it for us. I enjoy when a teacher breaks something down for you and sets it up for the class, however, when she said this would be to help us work towards the advanced arm balances we'd be doing I was less thrilled. I wondered if my on-and-off wrist could handle all the work. Well, I soon found out!
We began with some simple arm, shoulder and wrist stretches, which I thoroughly enjoyed. When we warmed up with cat rolls on the hands and knees a trickle of pain stretched down my wrist, but it wasn't enough to cause any issues. I talked myself through "Hasta Bandha" and made sure that my weight was bearing accordingly. Then we moved into the standard Surya A & B series. I found some of the cues confusing and "off" in comparison to my own style and pranic flow training, but I closed my eyes and worked into my own practice without letting that get to me, as I can often do. My first few rounds were shaky. I could feel my wrist literally shaking to stabilize me. I drew in Uddiyana bandha and hoped it would be enough to take the weight even more out of my wrist. After about 8 namaskars I found my wrist to me strong and solid, and I effortlessly flowed through namaskar after namaskar.
"Ahh," I thought, "all I needed to fix my wrist was more yoga!"
I was smiling, happy and enthusiastic that my wrist had been healed. All was going well until we went onto our backs for a little bridge and wheel. Bridge was, of course, fine. When she offered up wheel I had a fleeting thought to do bridge again, but my ego instructed me to move my hands into wheel prep. As soon as I did, I knew it was going to be too much pressure on my wrist. She cued us to lift up, but I hesitated, feeling more strain in my wrist. I struggled with the thought of what to do - should I "listen to my body" as I instruct all of my students to do, all the time, in every class? Or, do I go for the pose because my mind told me I could?
Are you at the edge of your seat? Well, you shouldn't be. Because you know what I did, I went for it - full throttle, up and onto my head...because that was as much juice as I had in my wrist. I breathed for a moment, wondering what I should do. Come down early? Move up past the pain? You know what I did, don't you? I pushed up, completely sure that my intense knowledge of bandhas and muscles would pull me through...and it did. Full wheel felt awesome! I was now wide awake - body, mind and spirit. I knew for a brief moment that I had made the correct choice. And then, the moment changed and our teacher told us to come down out of wheel...and my wrist screamed out in pain.
I grabbed my right wrist with my left hand and began to massage it, then shake it, then massage again. The class had moved into something else - I had no idea. I was on my back rubbing my wrist thinking, "stupid, stupid, stupid..."
At some point the class moved into standing postures and I resumed practice, feeling strong in my body and weak in my brain. I kept rubbing my wrist hoping the instructor would see me and come over and offer some words of wisdom. But she didn't. I began faulting her for never checking in at the beginning of the class, like I instruct all of my own teachers to do. But it wasn't her fault, it was mine. I did it. I knew better.
And then the moment came: side crow. I laughed, at which point the instructor asked me if I'd like a board for under my hands for more stability and pointed to my wrist. I kindly thanked her and mentioned it was an "ongoing issue" and that I'd probably modify completely. The class went up in side crow (okay, maybe not all the way up), and what do you think I did? Are you on the edge of your seat? Well, you shouldn't be, because you know what I did, don't you? I tried it. Well, I assumed the prep position, attempted a small amount of weight, and came right out. No, there would be no side crow for Tracey - today.
I did not feel defeated by this, however. I took it as another lesson - albeit one that I should have already known. I finished out the class moving into some postures that I needed for me figuring I may as well listen to my body now. The instructor was accommodating and encouraging.
After class I purchased a book (I told myself that part of my visiting local studios would be buying a shirt or something small from each one), took some information, and headed out. I decided to take some more time in Pitman, had a pedicure, ate a nice salad outside at Sweet Lulu's and followed it up with some cookies from Just Cookies (p.s. the Burnt Butter cookies are AMAZING)! After poking into a few shops and forcing myself to avoid going into Mythic Ink Tattoos, I headed home. The wrist is clicking (I'm sure typing doesn't help it) and a little swollen, but it doesn't hurt a lot. A little more Thai Yellow Stuff and it should be back to pre-wheel condition.
So what did I learn today? I learned that as much as my mind may be willing, I have to trust my body. I learned that I am more than ready for this month of yoga and that I should always modify when I need to. I learned that Pitman is a really cute town with some super nice folks. And I learned that Just Cookies takes order for Christmas!
My Yoga Road Trip is planned for July 7-13 and I'm making some major headway on the planning. But what it opened me up to is the fact that it sure isn't all going to get done in one week! There is no way I can get around to all the fabulous studios and teachers that I've been hearing about. So, my yoga week has turned into a yoga month! For the month of July, at least once a week on my day off I am hitting a studio or teacher. I'm excited to dive in and enjoy a month of yoga, but there is one tiny little problem...my wrist.
Yes, just a few weeks ago my right wrist decided to dislocate - or something. I really don't know what I did or how I did it, but I can't put much pressure on it. Even a simple table with cat rolls is sometimes agonizing for me to attempt. So, here I am at the precipice of an amazing month of yoga, with some sort of sprain or dislocation to my wrist. To quote this generation, "WTF?!"
Sure I've been laying off of it because it's swollen, and I've been massaging the ligaments and tendons which are quite sore. Then this week I pulled out the good-ole' "Thai Yellow Stuff" that I brought back from Thailand. A couple of days of applying that to the joint and - viola! No more swelling and it's feeling pretty good. Of course, it has now been popping a lot and does have moments of strain, but at least I felt good enough to take a class. So I decided to venture out today on a little trial run for my month of yoga.
I headed to a local studio, Yoga Inspired, in Pitman, NJ. I've taught a few classes there and am on the sub list, but I had never practiced at the studio. I got up early, juiced, walked the dogs, grabbed a banana and headed out to the little town.
What excites me most about the studio is that it really reminds me of my earlier studio. An upstairs "loft" above the old bank in town, Yoga Inspired, is a cute, carpeted studio with beautiful old open windows to allow in the morning sunlight. The regular teacher, Erik, was on vacation, which I should have remembered from the subbing emails that went out to us, but I looked forward to practicing the "Flow on Friday" class at 10 am.
The instructor began with discussion a type of flow we would be doing and sampling it for us. I enjoy when a teacher breaks something down for you and sets it up for the class, however, when she said this would be to help us work towards the advanced arm balances we'd be doing I was less thrilled. I wondered if my on-and-off wrist could handle all the work. Well, I soon found out!
We began with some simple arm, shoulder and wrist stretches, which I thoroughly enjoyed. When we warmed up with cat rolls on the hands and knees a trickle of pain stretched down my wrist, but it wasn't enough to cause any issues. I talked myself through "Hasta Bandha" and made sure that my weight was bearing accordingly. Then we moved into the standard Surya A & B series. I found some of the cues confusing and "off" in comparison to my own style and pranic flow training, but I closed my eyes and worked into my own practice without letting that get to me, as I can often do. My first few rounds were shaky. I could feel my wrist literally shaking to stabilize me. I drew in Uddiyana bandha and hoped it would be enough to take the weight even more out of my wrist. After about 8 namaskars I found my wrist to me strong and solid, and I effortlessly flowed through namaskar after namaskar.
"Ahh," I thought, "all I needed to fix my wrist was more yoga!"
I was smiling, happy and enthusiastic that my wrist had been healed. All was going well until we went onto our backs for a little bridge and wheel. Bridge was, of course, fine. When she offered up wheel I had a fleeting thought to do bridge again, but my ego instructed me to move my hands into wheel prep. As soon as I did, I knew it was going to be too much pressure on my wrist. She cued us to lift up, but I hesitated, feeling more strain in my wrist. I struggled with the thought of what to do - should I "listen to my body" as I instruct all of my students to do, all the time, in every class? Or, do I go for the pose because my mind told me I could?
Are you at the edge of your seat? Well, you shouldn't be. Because you know what I did, I went for it - full throttle, up and onto my head...because that was as much juice as I had in my wrist. I breathed for a moment, wondering what I should do. Come down early? Move up past the pain? You know what I did, don't you? I pushed up, completely sure that my intense knowledge of bandhas and muscles would pull me through...and it did. Full wheel felt awesome! I was now wide awake - body, mind and spirit. I knew for a brief moment that I had made the correct choice. And then, the moment changed and our teacher told us to come down out of wheel...and my wrist screamed out in pain.
I grabbed my right wrist with my left hand and began to massage it, then shake it, then massage again. The class had moved into something else - I had no idea. I was on my back rubbing my wrist thinking, "stupid, stupid, stupid..."
At some point the class moved into standing postures and I resumed practice, feeling strong in my body and weak in my brain. I kept rubbing my wrist hoping the instructor would see me and come over and offer some words of wisdom. But she didn't. I began faulting her for never checking in at the beginning of the class, like I instruct all of my own teachers to do. But it wasn't her fault, it was mine. I did it. I knew better.
And then the moment came: side crow. I laughed, at which point the instructor asked me if I'd like a board for under my hands for more stability and pointed to my wrist. I kindly thanked her and mentioned it was an "ongoing issue" and that I'd probably modify completely. The class went up in side crow (okay, maybe not all the way up), and what do you think I did? Are you on the edge of your seat? Well, you shouldn't be, because you know what I did, don't you? I tried it. Well, I assumed the prep position, attempted a small amount of weight, and came right out. No, there would be no side crow for Tracey - today.
I did not feel defeated by this, however. I took it as another lesson - albeit one that I should have already known. I finished out the class moving into some postures that I needed for me figuring I may as well listen to my body now. The instructor was accommodating and encouraging.
After class I purchased a book (I told myself that part of my visiting local studios would be buying a shirt or something small from each one), took some information, and headed out. I decided to take some more time in Pitman, had a pedicure, ate a nice salad outside at Sweet Lulu's and followed it up with some cookies from Just Cookies (p.s. the Burnt Butter cookies are AMAZING)! After poking into a few shops and forcing myself to avoid going into Mythic Ink Tattoos, I headed home. The wrist is clicking (I'm sure typing doesn't help it) and a little swollen, but it doesn't hurt a lot. A little more Thai Yellow Stuff and it should be back to pre-wheel condition.
So what did I learn today? I learned that as much as my mind may be willing, I have to trust my body. I learned that I am more than ready for this month of yoga and that I should always modify when I need to. I learned that Pitman is a really cute town with some super nice folks. And I learned that Just Cookies takes order for Christmas!
love the post! and btw, I talk to myself in the same way when im taking your class. . isnt it funny how individually we challenge ourselves looking for outer help when we are at our edge, when all along we have it within . . . but we already know that ..
ReplyDeletekeep writing Tracey
Thanks, Jeannine. We are always our own worst enemy, but also the only person who has the strength to pull us through too! Keep Yogin', Sister!
ReplyDelete