Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Medical Aspects: resistance to getting sick

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Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Medical Aspects:
resistance to getting sick

matsy
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Jun 4, 2003, 10:02 PM

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i find that if i am a little tired, stressed, or have had a break from yoga, i will get sick (like a cold, or just run down) from doing a yoga session (even a mild one).....rather than being re-energised which is what i am trying to achieve.

just wondering if anyone else has experienced this, and what the cause might be.

emily
Regular

Jun 11, 2003, 6:46 PM

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Hi Matsy,

Oddly enough, I have experienced this too, but thought it was just coincidence until hearing this from you. There have been a few times when I have suddenly broken down with a raging cold the day after a traditional Iyengar workout. I have no clue what the mechanism is. I must have been harboring the infection, and perhaps the asanas pushed the symptoms out, perhaps detoxifying? Yoga is supposed to heighten awareness of problems that might otherwise go unnoticed, and maybe this is a twist on that phenomenon. I think of it as my yoga warning me about taking better self-care: when I am stressed or lacking sleep, I very easily pick up colds.

This is all just speculation though! Any insight on this board from more experienced practioners, or teachers?

By extension, I find Iyengar yoga *very difficult* to do if I am tired. This is becoming an issue with me because I am contemplating entering a master's degree program while working full-time, which will certainly cause me to lose lots of sleep (the program will take a good five years, too). I fear I will have less time and energy for maintaining a home practice, let alone getting to classes, on top of the increased susceptibility to colds.

What to do? Anyone have ideas on how to maintain Iyengar practice when chronically tired and strapped for time?

emily

Rob
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Jun 12, 2003, 6:42 AM

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Hi Emily:
The right kind of Iyengar Yoga is perfect for people who are stressed or lacking energy and sleep. I would recommend finding a class of restorative postures or studying them in books like Yoga the Path to Holistic Health by BKS Iyengar, pages 155 onwards.

matsy
Novice

Jun 13, 2003, 6:49 PM

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Re: resistance to getting sick [In reply to]	Can't Post

hello emily
what you described sounds exactly like me! i had another reply suggesting that i had fatigue from a cfs sufferer....???
i'd like to keep in touch to see if there are any more clues for us!
(by the way, your busy schedule plans sound like a lot to bear...a home practice with just 4 -5 restorative poses might suit you better at this time - i did this last time i had a cold and it seemed to help!)
cheers

emily
Regular

Jun 16, 2003, 1:28 PM

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Re: resistance to getting sick [In reply to]	Can't Post

Matsy,

Let's keep in touch if only for encouragement! Maybe we can figure something out, too...

The thing I find very exhausting about Iyengar sequences are the long series of many standing poses. On the other hand, an entirely restorative practice is too tamasic for me: with my office job and (in future) studying, my muscles do need some action and challenge.

One idea is to blend 4 or 5 different types of poses in one practice session, say, a standing pose, an inversion, a backbend, a forward bend, and a twist, with savasana. I wonder if this is too unorthodox, from the Iyengar standpoint. I am going to experiment with this to see if it might help me practice through busy periods.

emily

matsy
Novice

Jun 25, 2003, 1:22 AM

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hi!

tell me how you get on with your experimenting..

also see bryan alexander's reply to 'shorter sequences' in the gen discuss forum - refers to mehta's book, which has short sequences which i think are really good too. ('yoga the iyengar way')

re. your tamasic work....i wouldn't regard restorative poses such as forward bends as tamasic! i guess you could always also adapt some more strenuous postures to be done supported (again, mehta's book is good).

presently i am only doing surya namaskar, and few restorative postures like halasana and a couple of forward bends.......i'm hoping this will get me back on track to a full practice sometime.

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