I first started learning yoga around ten years ago. Not in a big way, just on my own with a dvd. Even though I did not realise it at the time, I made progress slowly and was becoming more flexible over the months. Having arthritis and being flexible just don’t go together; it’s as though one part of me craves to be able to bend and stretch with ease and grace, but the other part just wants to be very still – usually to avoid causing further strain or pain. For anyone who is interested in reading more about living with a chronic illness, I would urge you to read The Spoon Theory, by Christina Miserandino, which my friend Little Miss Delicious shared on her blog. In the article, Christina uses an analogy to explain what it’s like to live every day, constrained by an illness. As much as I like to focus on my wellness, when things are bad, I do get a little down.
Fortunately after a few months of feeling very tired from being in lots of pain, my consultant has reassessed my medication and now I am now somewhat back on track. Hallelujah! That means I have had more energy this last week to dedicate to the things I love – my blog, my relaxation classes, coaching, teaching and thinking up new challenges for myself! So my new challenge is that I am going to dedicate 20 minutes of my day, every day to yoga and to regaining some of that energy and flexibility.
I will let you know how I get on 🙂
Tree is my favourite pose at the momentShown above: Yoga Pretzels: 50 Fun Yoga Activities for Kids and Grownups by Tara Guber, Leah Kalish and Sophie Fatus
I would love to hear from anyone with arthritis who could share some yoga tips with me. Or anyone who teaches yoga and can give me any advice. Thanks in advance!
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