My favourite kind of yoga is Ashtanga. (You can read more about Ashtanga here.) I’ve tried several different kinds, but I keep coming back to it. I love how it’s the same series of postures in the same order every time. I know what to expect from each class. Ashtanga starts with a series of sun salutations which include planks, chatarangas, and downward dogs. Then in between every sitting posture you do vinyasas, which also include planks, chatarangas and downward dogs.
I have bad wrists. If I do the same repetitive task too many times they get sore and hurt. They get better as I take it easy on them and let them rest, but as soon as I start doing too much the pain come back.
Here’s my problem: when my wrists are hurting I can’t do Ashtanga yoga because of all the planks, chatarangas, and downward dogs. It just puts too much pressure on them.
Usually my wrists start to feel better in a week or two, but lately it’s been months since they’ve been back to normal, which means that I haven’t been to an Ashtanga class in a long time. I’m missing it a LOT. As much as I would love to go to a class right now, I know I would pay for it in the following days.
As always, yoga is about honouring your body and challenging yourself while not pushing yourself too far. I know that if I come out of class more injured than I went it, I’m missing the point of yoga. I’m not being kind to my body.
Last week I got an email about a series of classes that will be starting in January. The Tuesday night ones are restorative yoga classes. I’m pretty sure that I’m going to sign up for them. It’ll get me back into the yoga studio. Yoga is a major stress reliever for me, so it’ll feel great to have that back. While it won’t be Ashtanga, I’ll still be doing yoga.
Have you ever had to take time off from working out or a sport you really enjoyed because of an injury? Leave me a comment telling me about it.