Monday, March 19, 2012

Finding Santosha

It seems that pregnancy hormones plus increased time in asana practice have contributed to an issue in my left sacroiliac joint.  Apparently it is not uncommon for pregnant women to develop an issue here, and in fact last pregnancy I had the problem on the right side- but didn't know then what it was.  So this week, I spent a lot of time researching SI fixes/modifications/contraindications, and have spent some time making peace with the fact that I may, really, have to take it easy for a while.  I attended a Gentle Yoga and Meditation class and still managed to push too far- at the end of the class I was twinging and wincing with the pain in the joint.  The next class I attended was a basic Yoga 1.  I made the teacher aware of my issues and she gave me some really good tips on poses to do (utkatasana against a wall) and tips to keep the pelvis stabilized.  I still have a lot of questions about dealing with SI issues:  Do balancing poses such as Warrior 3 work to improve stabilization of SI and pelvis through strengthening the muscles around the joint?  How do internally-rotated femur forward bends, such as wide-legged forward bend, effect SI troubles- for better or worse?  I've been on my bike a lot, is that helpful or harmful?  I know the ultimate answer is that if I have questions or doubts, hold back and respect the body's limits.  And be content with where I am and what I'm able to do, right here, right now.  

There's me!

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