Week 152: What's Pain Got To Do With It?

Do you ever have this nagging pain and you just don't know where it came from? No incident. No accident. No obvious reason to be in pain.

That's been me for the past couple months.

I've always had back and hip pain of some sort but lately, *Gawd* it's been painful. It's not the normal chronic pain in the butt, literally. But this stiff and sore low back. I can barely look at my toes without pain. Thank goodness for physio because I'm at my wits end with trying to stretch it out.

Last week's practice was about self-love; yet, my body wasn't loving me back after my yoga practice! Ouch!

Well, we continue on and get a treatment or two and I think we (mostly my physio) have figured it to be my left fascia line down the leg. My heartless IT band, my sad tensor fascia lata and grouchy left foot have made their mark! 

With last week's trouble, I was hesitant to do another hip sequence but have no fear, I was ready to take on my left leg!!!

And it paid off!

Fishing the Internet for another yoga practice, I stumbled onto Do Yoga With Me. I clicked on the video, Deep Release for the Hips, Hamstrings and Lower Back, and away I went.

The practice, essentially was all on the floor. It was a nice change from the many sun salutations I have been doing lately. My favourite (and most helpful) portion of the session was the supine hip abductor and hip adductor stretches with the strap. I love this version of extended hand to toe pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana) because a) I can’t do the standing version very well, b) the ground supports the body and c) the strap cradles the foot/leg in its range of motion and allows you to stop to the point of deepest stretch (which may not be the full abduction of the hip).

Since my back is flaring up due to my lateral left leg, the abductors also benefited from the stretch when the leg crossed the mid-line of the body. The cue to “turn the foot in” was essential! That movement got me without even moving the leg across the body. Yikes!

In past practices, I have done this sequence before but never really considered it a version of hand to toe pose. It continues to amaze me all the different variations there are to the asanas.

Miraculously, after practice, my back felt the best its felt in over a couple months. 

Yay!

I’m so happy to have found another great [Canadian!] website for my home practice. 

Keep on moving and learning and one day be a teacher, 
LW