prolapse and yoga

Submitted by gardengal on November 17, 2004 - 7:21pm
Body: 

This is especially for "newtowholewoman" and anyone else who has had some experience with yoga. I think Christine is on to something with her "first aid for prolapse" and one of the poses she does in the video--on all fours and lifting one leg with bent knee up . If you are strong in down dog pose, why not try dog with one leg up--I especially like one leg extending up with foot on the wall. The sequences I had been practicing in the summer and early fall were the ones by Cindy Lee in the summer and fall issues of Yoga Journal (may be they are available online at yogajournal.com) The Hanumanasasa sequence, in the fall issue, was the one where I experienced a two-week reprieve from my prolapse. Not a beginner sequence, after at least 45 minutes into the sequence , the pose that did the trick, I believe, was eka pada dadasana (one legged bow) it's intense, and my sense was that I was using the thigh bone as a lever to shift the pelvic organs back into place. My groins and thigh muscles were pretty sore, though--again it's not really for beginners.
In the Iyengar system I have seen several sequences for uterine prolapse, with poses of a very different nature: poses like supta baddha konasasa and supta virasana that open the whole front of the body, and are passive (and slight) backbends and chest openers. Judith Lassiter, and her books would be a great resource for all of these sorts of "restorative" poses. (And restorative does not mean easy, by the way. )
Today I did part of the sequence that is in Yoga:the Path to Holistic Health by Iyengar that was published in 2000. I omitted the inversions since I was on my period.
Christine, I have the notes for the Women's Intensive that the Iyengars held in India in 1997. I will try to hunt it up and see what might be in there.
By the way Christine, did you look up to see what Jean Couch is teaching about posture? I haven't had the chance either. But I remember reading her saying that if you look at Mr. Iyengar, there he is in the posture, big belly and all. I looked at a pciture of Mr. Pilates--big big difference. (I'm not a big fan of the Pilates craze either, but isn't it interesting that there's all this talk about "core strength" )

loralie1

November 18, 2004 - 6:25am

Gardengal,
Thanks for the yoga information. i plan to check this out. just before i read what you wrote, i posted a yoga question under the thread "lumbar stabilization" asking Christine's opinioin about the shoulder stand and other yoga exercises that might "reverse gravitiy." have you had any experience with these? thanks,
loralie

gardengal

November 19, 2004 - 8:03am

Yes, I practice headstand and shouldstand, but in my experience so far it does not help my prolapse when it is bad (and I do not know what all this first degree, second degree, etc. means--Christine, can you clarify?) For me, bad is when the cervix is poking out. I should say that it is not a "quick fix" HOWEVER, it does not mean that no version or variation of inversions could help. there's a supported version of inversion known as vipariti karani, that is in several sequences for prolapse and I practice that and it feels great (also supports the lumbar curve, Christine would be happy to know.) I also think that some of the one-legged versions of shoulderstand and headstand would help, but only if done very carefully, slowly and with great attention to alignment. There's an action in yoga known as mula bandha, for women, it's actually a drawing in toward the core from the sides of the vaginal walls (usally taught as from perineum) --anyway, mula bandha naturally comes with inversions, even to some extent in down dog pose.

gardengal

November 19, 2004 - 8:08am

Here's more on woman's anatomy and yoga. Christine, I found this in a catalogue from a Kripalu yoga teacher's conference a few years ago: "A woman's pelvis and hip joints differ dramatically from a man's. When asanas such as the boat, cobra or knee down twist are taught in strict classical form, these structural differences may cause women to experience physical pain ans well as a blocking of the healing pranic flow. . . .in this workshop you'll learn the modifications, teaching methods and assists needed to facilitate and honor a woman's physical and energetic alignment." (taught by Adrienne Jamiel)

Christine

November 19, 2004 - 8:31am

Fabulous!

loralie1

November 19, 2004 - 10:21am

Gardengal,
I am soaking up your yoga knowledge. When i don't recognize something you mention, i am able to look it up. THANKS for sharing. This is helpful.
:)
loralie