yoga poses

Maya and Cannuckgilmoregirl,

Here is the post from Christine in regard to yoga for us:

For years I’ve been hoping for a new “women’s yoga” that would be protective of the natural design of the female body. Why that dream has not materialized possibly stems from the fact that very little of hatha yoga as we know it would be maintained. People are under the impression that these poses have some kind of magical, spiritual value and if it’s not these poses, it’s not yoga. I think it could be argued that these are a form of ascetic calisthenics developed by devout men simply to condition and strengthen the body for deeper meditative practice.

From my perspective, here is a list of poses that present a problem for women due to extreme increases in pressures exerted against the pelvic diaphragm: all variations of the sitting boat pose; the camel; the fish; the locust; lumbar lifts and lumbar presses; the warrior; lateral angle lunges with or without twists; the bridge; the wheel and all passive supine backbending. As you know, even tadasana challenges us to conform to the male spine.

Hope this helps!

Michelle.

You beat me to it! Thanks so much for looking these up - I just added them to the FAQs. As far as a search function, it did not come with this program and will have to be built by the web guys...we'll get to it, but it will take time. Thanks, Michelle!!!

Everyone who has ever got into yoga knows, that yogis and yoginis tend to believe in the power of yoga to cure about anything in the world, or at least to firmly believe that it does good to EVERYBODY. This list of NO-POSTURES is quite... radical. I also used to believe in the power of yoga in all embracive, unconditioned way. I need to look at this in my mind again. I wonder is there anybody who would have written about / teaches yoga in this kind of way, taking this female perspective into account? I guess not.

For a yogini minded person, this information definately needs some digesting.... This work of creating all new life style can be challenging (as all of you know). One really needs to gather all the information about everything and formulate a daily life style (from sleeping position to daiet to exercice) that works for oneself and her personality... As for yoga now... I don't want to give it up totally as I love it so much, but I really need to work alone now in order to create "a style" that suits my prolapsed yogini body. It would be so much easier just follow some Prolapse Yogini Mata Guruji ;) who would have all this worked out (from a yoga point of view).

Christine's work makes all this so much easier though! So Michelle, THANK YOU so much for finding this info for me, very important and I appreciate it a lot! and ultimately, Thank you Chistine. I wonder if you ever used to do yoga (I know you dance) yourself...?

blessings,
maya

Ironically, yoga has not only saved my life, but also made it possible for me to develop this work. I’ve been a practitioner of Kriya yoga for almost a decade and it’s difficult to describe how it has helped me. Rather than hatha based, it is practiced crosslegged with a straight spine – there are a very few asanas, one of which I don’t do. I’ve also learned, having developed menopausal waking in the middle of the night, that it works very well lying down in bed too, and go through my entire program in the middle of every night invariably falling back to a deep sleep afterward. Yes, I also took many hatha yoga classes in my twenties and thirties before a serious injury (another book!) changed the course of my life.

Suffice it to say it’s not easy speaking out about things held sacred! I only offer the perspective and hope that practicing women themselves will continue the dialogue until the truth is sifted out.

I go to a yoga class every week and after recommendations from Christine I have modified the class to what won't hurt my prolapse. Everytime I leave the class I feel better so I know that some of the poses are really good. I am going to look at my constant motion class list and list the ones that have really helped. Whenever he does a pose that I know will make it worse I refrain or modify it somehow.

to get some list of asanas you've found useful. Did your yoga teacher have any ideas (or even an idea) what would do good for the prolapse?

Hi Christine and thanks for your comment...
I know you are more busy nowdays, but if you have time at any point, I have some questions...

I checked the list of no-poses more carefully, and you had listed the bridge among them. Yet in your book you have the bridge pose among the excercices to do. There must be now a difference that I am not aware of...?

I was also wondering what is "lumbar lift"?

I was also wondering what do you mean by Kriya Yoga. Yoga which stresses more on meditation then asanas? Or are there some asanas that are somehow specifically Kriya Yoga Asanas?

And finally... I have a question about the posture also. Maybe I've overdone it but for the first time in my life (!) I've got lower back pain today! I believe in the posture but intuitively I cannot believe in forcing the back to do any more arching then what it naturally does. Maybe I've tried to do more arching then what my natural posture would allow - but on the other hand, I've also understund that the posture would actually go little furher in the arching then we normally would do... So... I am supposed to do a natural arching and posture or to TRY to get some arching happening there in the lower back... If anybody understands what I am trying to say here, please help me to get this right!

thank you!

Hi Maya,

The pelvic arch I have in the book is the most mild form of the bridge pose, which at its extreme is maintained by almost straightened knees so that shoulders and feet balance the body weight. Lumbar lifts and lumbar presses are just that – laying supine and pulling the pelvis toward the shoulders by strenuously arching the lower back. Lumbar presses do the opposite – press the lower back into the floor.

This has been a work in progress, Maya, and we are no longer doing any “floor work” here at the Center. This is one of the reasons we’re trying so hard to find a way to get the second edition of the book done.

Everyone has back issues when they begin. Take it very gently and do not TRY to curve your lower spine. Just keep all other aspects of the posture (it’s not possible to curve your lumbar area too much while keeping shoulders down and chin slightly tucked) and be aware that your natural curvature is being given room to reinstate. It is tiring at first and everyone goes through this discomfort. Support with lots of rest and good food.

Yes, the Kriya technique I was taught is more prayer/meditation than asana.

:-) Christine

Hello: I am 52 years old, and have had a rectocele for the last 4-5 years. To date, I have not had any surgery done. Fortunately, my rectocele has been "manageable".

Last week, I had some bowel movement straining, which has caused some discomfort since then (feels like I have a small ball in my vagina and becomes irritated). This discomfort, I think, was brought on by the hard bowel movements, but it also triggered me to investigate whether the yoga classes I started 6 weeks ago could also be contributing. My search of the internet directed me to this forum.

After reading the thread, I understand that I should not be doing any exercises that place me in a deep-V position, such as boat pose, but I can embrace positions such as downward dog, stick position, and forward bend. Am I understanding this correctly? I drew the stick figure Christine discussed in her message, and I think I understand - no deep-V positions, but L positions are OK???

Also, I have a bike that sits me in an upright position (torso not pushed towards the handle bars), pulls tops of my legs to knees upward toward my torso - is this position OK for biking?

I printed off the posture position, and have been practicing it. I am, however, overweight, and was wondering if anyone who was overweight could describe for me what pulling the tummy up should feel/look like, since I already have a rounded bulge from the breast to the pubic area due to my weight.

I appreciate you all discussing prolapses! I am off to find the sitting positions, and to start incorporating these. Thanks to all.