The Progress in Pain
September 6, 2013
As an ex-cheerleader, sprinter, aerobics instructor and now a yoga teacher, I have somehow avoided major bodily injuries. I take great pride in moving with awareness. I’m always sure to keep my shoulders over wrists, belly engaged and to move with the breath.
3-legged chaturanga requires core strength, alignment and awareness to avoid shoulder injury
I used to preach, “Injuries won’t happen if you exercise correctly”. Then I learned the hard way. I woke up one day with an excruciating pain shooting down my right hip and into my leg. I ignored it. I thought that my body would never betray me. After all, I practice yoga! I follow the rules!
I should be immune from pain.
But the pain didn’t go away, it only got worse. I couldn’t touch my toes. I had to beg for help to get out of bed. I couldn’t walk for longer than 5 minutes. By then, I headed to the chiropractor who then diagnosed my pain as sciatica. Sciatica is back pain caused when the sciatic nerve has become compromised.
Simple pose -Uttansana- Forward fold will help relieve stress in the back.
I was humbled, but happy that I could be healed. I realized that this injury didn’t mean that I did anything wrong. Sometimes in life, we work so hard to avoid pain, hide from discomfort and resist getting hurt.
But pain is a part of life.
When I finally faced the fact that I was mortal and vulnerable, I was able to make peace with my body. Sciatica taught me more about the anatomy of my back and my limitations. Now I can better help other people dealing with back injuries. Most importantly, I realized that I cannot run from pain, even if I follow all the rules.
Pain is an opportunity for growth.
The lesson was to embrace my pain, learn from my injuries and grow from the struggles. And in the words of the great Lion of Anacostia, Frederick Douglass, “No struggle means no progress.”
A special thanks to Dr. Sneizek of Advanced Integrative Rehabiltation for his healing wonders!
Visit him at http://www.advancedintegrativerehabilitation.com
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Hi,
Thank you for the well written post. Injuries are surely a topic we all need to discuss when exercising. It doesnt really matter what kind of training you participate in, we all need to take care of our bodies. Thank you Again.
-Thomas
Hi Thomas,
Thanks for posting. Yes, no one wants to talk about injuries. It makes us think we are weak or that we’ve failed. This experience taught me to value movement and to enjoy everything that my body can do within reason!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Sari
Thanks for sharing this. I’ve been battling with a compressed nerve on and off for about a month, and it has made me reevaluate things. I struggled with yoga envy, and realized it made me even more likely to appreciate the ability to move when I can. Even if I am tired or lazy, I talk myself into practicing because somedays, and some time in the future, I may not be able to practice at all. It is my new philosophy!
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