Guest guest Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 Dear Anita, I think that it is important to find the right balance for your body. Stretching has many advantages for you. But there must be enough strength in your muscles te control the movement of the bones in the joints. The muscles have (among other functions) two important functions: (1) To actively move your bones in the right direction, en (2) to prevent injury of the joints and ligaments. So I don't think the question is: doing stretching or lifting weight. As long as you do not overdo, you can do both: do the right mild stretching exercises and bring and keep your muscles in condition for the right and good coördinated safe movements. --- On Sun, 1/31/10, Anita <shroffamina6 wrote: Anita <shroffamina6 ashtanga yoga hyper flexible ashtangayoga Sunday, January 31, 2010, 12:03 AM hi i am new on the site been doing yoga for 6 years now but have started getting a few problems -have loose ligaments since childhood but used to just affect my ankle now seems shoulder joints and hips getting affected _ am wondering if my practice of yoga is aggravating it since it streatches me out even more and if anyone else has encountered similar thing dont want o give up my practise but my dr suggests i should weight train and stiffen up instead please help --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 I have also been doing Ashtanga for just over 6 years, and the same thing recently happened to me in the right hip. A few months ago started noticing soreness when walking or standing up after sitting, and of course during and after yoga practice. Sitting in lotus or even crossed legs really seemed to aggravate it, not to mention leg behind the head. I backed off of yoga for about a month and have been doing hip flexor counter stretches, taking glucosamine sulfate supplements, and rubbing castor oil on the joints. Oddly enough when I woke up this morning the hip pain was gone for the first time in months. The stretches shown here are pretty good: http://www.wellsphere.com/wellpage/stretching-your-hip-flexor Good luck! Sally ashtangayoga , " Anita " <shroffamina6 wrote: > > hi i am new on the site been doing yoga for 6 years now but have started getting a few problems -have loose ligaments since childhood but used to just affect my ankle now seems shoulder joints and hips getting affected _ am wondering if my practice of yoga is aggravating it since it streatches me out even more and if anyone else has encountered similar thing dont want o give up my practise but my dr suggests i should weight train and stiffen up instead please help > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 I have this same issue. What I do now is get out of resting in my joints and focuse on the dynamic tension in the postures. This keeps my focuse on equally in strength. Yoga is amazing resistance training, don't give up! Sent from my iPhone On Jan 30, 2010, at 3:03 PM, " Anita " <shroffamina6 wrote: hi i am new on the site been doing yoga for 6 years now but have started getting a few problems -have loose ligaments since childhood but used to just affect my ankle now seems shoulder joints and hips getting affected _ am wondering if my practice of yoga is aggravating it since it streatches me out even more and if anyone else has encountered similar thing dont want o give up my practise but my dr suggests i should weight train and stiffen up instead please help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 I think I might have the same problem with one of my thighs/hip I have ended up with my hamstrings being massively out of proportion and had been told by the physio that I need to do resistance and weights now.  --- On Mon, 1/2/10, Jen Puff <hoodriverashtanga wrote: Jen Puff <hoodriverashtanga Re: ashtanga yoga hyper flexible " ashtangayoga " <ashtangayoga > Monday, 1 February, 2010, 2:28  I have this same issue. What I do now is get out of resting in my joints and focuse on the dynamic tension in the postures. This keeps my focuse on equally in strength. Yoga is amazing resistance training, don't give up! Sent from my iPhone On Jan 30, 2010, at 3:03 PM, " Anita " <shroffamina6@ > wrote: hi i am new on the site been doing yoga for 6 years now but have started getting a few problems -have loose ligaments since childhood but used to just affect my ankle now seems shoulder joints and hips getting affected _ am wondering if my practice of yoga is aggravating it since it streatches me out even more and if anyone else has encountered similar thing dont want o give up my practise but my dr suggests i should weight train and stiffen up instead please help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 Hi Anita, There are different types of stretching. Coming into a short(less than a minute), engaged pose with a " warmed-up " body will put the focus of a stretch towards the belly of target muscles. Alternatively, practicing long-duration poses (generally longer than a minute) with relaxed and " cold " muscles will tend to transfer the focus of stretching towards tendons and possibly ligaments. It is unlikely that stretching muscles while they are engaged (like in Ashtanga) will " loosen " ligaments. Strength-building would be very important for your situation and I would think that Ashtanga/Vinyasa yoga, along with a weight-training routine, would be ideal. However, I would avoid Yin yoga, Restorative yoga and milder forms of Hatha. Does this challenge effect your spine? In good health, Tyler Reed RYT, CPT tyler ashtangayoga , " Anita " <shroffamina6 wrote: > > hi i am new on the site been doing yoga for 6 years now but have started getting a few problems -have loose ligaments since childhood but used to just affect my ankle now seems shoulder joints and hips getting affected _ am wondering if my practice of yoga is aggravating it since it streatches me out even more and if anyone else has encountered similar thing dont want o give up my practise but my dr suggests i should weight train and stiffen up instead please help > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 hi even i have the same problem in the hip too for a while it hurts after sitting cross legged and i limp a few steps after i first get up and then it goes away but i have noticed that if i shake my legs while keeping them on the ground a few seconds and then stand up it doesnt get stuck like that _but yes i do believe its because of overstretching -am taking a little break from yoga but is not helping my mind getting irritable and anxious ,though i do my breathing everydat still it doesnt seem to have the same effect on the mind that both asanas and breathing together do > really have to find a solution soon ashtangayoga , " sallytrigg " <strigg wrote: > > I have also been doing Ashtanga for just over 6 years, and the same thing recently happened to me in the right hip. A few months ago started noticing soreness when walking or standing up after sitting, and of course during and after yoga practice. Sitting in lotus or even crossed legs really seemed to aggravate it, not to mention leg behind the head. I backed off of yoga for about a month and have been doing hip flexor counter stretches, taking glucosamine sulfate supplements, and rubbing castor oil on the joints. Oddly enough when I woke up this morning the hip pain was gone for the first time in months. The stretches shown here are pretty good: http://www.wellsphere.com/wellpage/stretching-your-hip-flexor > > Good luck! > Sally > > ashtangayoga , " Anita " <shroffamina6@> wrote: > > > > hi i am new on the site been doing yoga for 6 years now but have started getting a few problems -have loose ligaments since childhood but used to just affect my ankle now seems shoulder joints and hips getting affected _ am wondering if my practice of yoga is aggravating it since it streatches me out even more and if anyone else has encountered similar thing dont want o give up my practise but my dr suggests i should weight train and stiffen up instead please help > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 yes jen that s what i have heard is the right thing to do i think will give it a shot and focus on holding pose rather than letting the joints hold it for me lets see how it goes ashtangayoga , " sallytrigg " <strigg wrote: > > I have also been doing Ashtanga for just over 6 years, and the same thing recently happened to me in the right hip. A few months ago started noticing soreness when walking or standing up after sitting, and of course during and after yoga practice. Sitting in lotus or even crossed legs really seemed to aggravate it, not to mention leg behind the head. I backed off of yoga for about a month and have been doing hip flexor counter stretches, taking glucosamine sulfate supplements, and rubbing castor oil on the joints. Oddly enough when I woke up this morning the hip pain was gone for the first time in months. The stretches shown here are pretty good: http://www.wellsphere.com/wellpage/stretching-your-hip-flexor > > Good luck! > Sally > > ashtangayoga , " Anita " <shroffamina6@> wrote: > > > > hi i am new on the site been doing yoga for 6 years now but have started getting a few problems -have loose ligaments since childhood but used to just affect my ankle now seems shoulder joints and hips getting affected _ am wondering if my practice of yoga is aggravating it since it streatches me out even more and if anyone else has encountered similar thing dont want o give up my practise but my dr suggests i should weight train and stiffen up instead please help > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 Hi Anita, Could you try a shorter version of your practice rather than totally stop, and try to figure out which poses cause problems e.g. maybe practice a few surya Namaskara A's for a while (days, weeks) making sure you are pain free and then adding poses day by day (week by week) until you figure out which one causes pain. When you have find the poses which cause issues then you could work longer/deeper with these to figure out what may be causing problems. Just and idea. Byee, Niall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 I recently spent time with Manju Jois and it was a great reminder that A practice is more important then the practice. Also from an anatomical perspective be sure you are ALWAYS keeping your shoulders back and down and hips squared so you are twisting in the spine not hips or shoulders. Are you in the primary or intermidiate? Sent from my iPhone On Feb 1, 2010, at 6:20 AM, " Anita " <shroffamina6 wrote: yes jen that s what i have heard is the right thing to do i think will give it a shot and focus on holding pose rather than letting the joints hold it for me lets see how it goes ashtangayoga , " sallytrigg " <strigg wrote: > > I have also been doing Ashtanga for just over 6 years, and the same thing recently happened to me in the right hip. A few months ago started noticing soreness when walking or standing up after sitting, and of course during and after yoga practice. Sitting in lotus or even crossed legs really seemed to aggravate it, not to mention leg behind the head. I backed off of yoga for about a month and have been doing hip flexor counter stretches, taking glucosamine sulfate supplements, and rubbing castor oil on the joints. Oddly enough when I woke up this morning the hip pain was gone for the first time in months. The stretches shown here are pretty good: http://www.wellsphere.com/wellpage/stretching-your-hip-flexor > > Good luck! > Sally > > ashtangayoga , " Anita " <shroffamina6@> wrote: > > > > hi i am new on the site been doing yoga for 6 years now but have started getting a few problems -have loose ligaments since childhood but used to just affect my ankle now seems shoulder joints and hips getting affected _ am wondering if my practice of yoga is aggravating it since it streatches me out even more and if anyone else has encountered similar thing dont want o give up my practise but my dr suggests i should weight train and stiffen up instead please help > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 I am also of the super-hyper flexible brigade, and suffered from " loose " and " overstretched " joints when I first started yoga. My consultant said I was doing too much stretching versus too little strength work. Now, at that time, I was not doing ashtanga, but very gentle hatha, and admittedly was getting very stretchy and bendy, but no stronger. The thing that concerns me is that the ashtanga class is really very well balanced in terms of strength and stretch. Do you do mysore style practice (stop and move to finishing sequence if you can't complete a pose or a full vinyasa) or do you complete the series but missing out poses and vinyasas that you don't have strength or energy to complete that day? I ask because with a mysore-style practice, you really shouldn't be hitting this problem, unless there is something underlying that's more serious than hyper-flexibility. With the latter, you run more risk of cooling down and then over stretching and of missing out strengthening vinyasas while doing more " stretchy " poses. Rather than doing a shorter practice, I think you would really benefit from a strict mysore practice. However, if you are currently overstretched, you should probably only do the sun salutations and finishing sequence for a few weeks anyway. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Well, another one who has experienced the same thing....me. Seems to be more common than I thought. For me it is because I have a twisted pelvis and an S shaped scoliosis and it tends to pinch the tendons on the front right hip flexors and then grind in the right back side of the sacrum. I practiced for many years and it never effected me (even though I'm hyper flexible as well)...until I had my first baby (which was 9 years after having a regular ashtanga practice!). But the pregnancy shifted the already too loose back and hips into a place they shouldn't have been. Basically I've had to do as many of you have pointed out...strengthen. But it is more complicated than general hip strengthen exercises (at least for me because of the twisting of the pelvis and spine). Tuning into EXACTLY how my pelvis and spine were working in each and every asana helped place things closer to " normal " . And, keeping mula bandha, uddiyana and the core strong keeps the limbs connected to the torso, avoiding over stretching. In the end I'm still able to practice advanced series and there is no pain and I even feel better than I did before!!! But I had to work in slow motion! Sometimes doing sun salutations and taking several breaths for each movement to analyze exactly what was going on in each centimetre until I could move more smoothly again. My teacher, Ron Reid has given me so many ways to work on building my strength in my practice and has taught me wonders! HOpe this helps some of you and at least you know, that it can be fixed...don't just stop practicing! :-) Namaste, Linda Linda Munro Ashtanga Paris www.ashtangayogaparis.fr ashtangayoga alice Wed, 3 Feb 2010 15:47:52 +0000 ashtanga yoga Re: hyper flexible I am also of the super-hyper flexible brigade, and suffered from " loose " and " overstretched " joints when I first started yoga. My consultant said I was doing too much stretching versus too little strength work. Now, at that time, I was not doing ashtanga, but very gentle hatha, and admittedly was getting very stretchy and bendy, but no stronger. The thing that concerns me is that the ashtanga class is really very well balanced in terms of strength and stretch. Do you do mysore style practice (stop and move to finishing sequence if you can't complete a pose or a full vinyasa) or do you complete the series but missing out poses and vinyasas that you don't have strength or energy to complete that day? I ask because with a mysore-style practice, you really shouldn't be hitting this problem, unless there is something underlying that's more serious than hyper-flexibility. With the latter, you run more risk of cooling down and then over stretching and of missing out strengthening vinyasas while doing more " stretchy " poses. Rather than doing a shorter practice, I think you would really benefit from a strict mysore practice. However, if you are currently overstretched, you should probably only do the sun salutations and finishing sequence for a few weeks anyway. Good luck. _______________ Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft’s powerful SPAM protection. https://signup.live.com/signup.aspx?id=60969 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 5, 2010 Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 This is a good lesson here I think for rather inflexible overmuscled sorts like myself who despite years of wonderfully fulfilling practice just can't get all that stretchy and observe with some jealousy those that seem to do it effortlessly, well maybe that gumby-sort on the next mat is dealing with a whole nother issue, so breathe your own practice and proceed! Wish I had some actual advice to offer but hope you can resolve issue. ashtangayoga , " A " <alice wrote: > > I am also of the super-hyper flexible brigade, and suffered from " loose " and " overstretched " joints when I first started yoga. My consultant said I was doing too much stretching versus too little strength work. Now, at that time, I was not doing ashtanga, but very gentle hatha, and admittedly was getting very stretchy and bendy, but no stronger. > > The thing that concerns me is that the ashtanga class is really very well balanced in terms of strength and stretch. Do you do mysore style practice (stop and move to finishing sequence if you can't complete a pose or a full vinyasa) or do you complete the series but missing out poses and vinyasas that you don't have strength or energy to complete that day? I ask because with a mysore-style practice, you really shouldn't be hitting this problem, unless there is something underlying that's more serious than hyper-flexibility. With the latter, you run more risk of cooling down and then over stretching and of missing out strengthening vinyasas while doing more " stretchy " poses. > > Rather than doing a shorter practice, I think you would really benefit from a strict mysore practice. However, if you are currently overstretched, you should probably only do the sun salutations and finishing sequence for a few weeks anyway. > > Good luck. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 6, 2010 Report Share Posted February 6, 2010 Another vote of confidence for the muscled types! I have gained a lot of flexibility over time through patient practice. I weigh in at about 205 lbs at 5' 6 " (about 93kg at 168cm) and I do not fit the physical profile of the bendy yogi. I have found, however, that a lot of pain, stiffness (both lower back) and inflexibility have all faded away with practice. D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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