Lorelei_Lane Posted March 28, 2011 Posted March 28, 2011 Okay so I'm slowly taking my life back from this unhealthy lifestyle I've had for 2 years and I'm looking into adding Yoga to my light exercise and change in diet. I suffer from really bad migraines, mostly due to environment, but also triggered by stress and I'm allergic to some of the medications they used to treat me. I want to lower my stress level with Yoga, but because it's been a long time I'm very tense and my body doesn't want to do certain poses. I feel that starting here, I may lower the amount of migraines and get even healthier in the process! I was wondering if there is a basic stretching routine to use to start with before jumping headfirst into Yoga. Because of where I carry my weight, right on my stomach because of my PCOS, it's hard to bend sometimes. Any suggestions?
dreamingoftigers Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 Also for migraines etc. have you tried meditation? BTW thanks for your comment on the other thread.
Author Lorelei_Lane Posted March 29, 2011 Author Posted March 29, 2011 That's something I'm starting to experiment with now. My migraines were always once in a blue moon for years. I started with them in high school, a bit earlier than my mom. She suffers from chronic migraines, as well as her mom. It's unfortunately a heredity thing. They usually came under times of stress or with my hormones going bananas. In early 2010, they exploded due to a work environment situation. I worked in an office and women wearing very strong perfume in the small area we were in caused them to go completely nuts. Since then I've been struggling to get my life back. It forced me to stop exercising, cooking meals... etc. I ate a lot of junk or ate nothing at all when I had them. I've since had to quit that job because we've moved, so those have calmed down a lot. I still have them at least once every two weeks... which is still too much for me! We found out I was allergic to abortive type medications (Imetrex) and the other two preventative medications they put me on caused me to hardly function. So.. I'm looking at alternatives. I've been playing with meditation... and I wanna get into Yoga because I hear it's really good for lowering stress too.
LeaningIntoTheMuse Posted April 16, 2011 Posted April 16, 2011 A good thing to do is to lay on your back, with both feet and arms stretched out above and below, and then stretch one side of your body, and then the other. Do it slowly, and repeat it 5-6 times.
iris219 Posted April 16, 2011 Posted April 16, 2011 Just do the best you can with the yoga. It's not a competition. Know your body and it's limitations. Only go as far as you can. It's OK if you can't go very far or do certain poses. A good instructor will explain how you can modify the poses. In time, you'll be able to do deeper poses. I believe yoga can heal physically, emotionally, and mentally, so I say do it to the best of your body's abilities.
betterdeal Posted April 21, 2011 Posted April 21, 2011 Try yoga and just go as far as you can, and no further. It's all about finding your edge and going to it. My yoga teacher is a contemporary dancer and is very flexible. I am the least flexible and most sweaty person in our classes, I also have a beer belly and a smoke heavily. I have a wide chest and short arms so I cannot ever get my arms into eagle pose, but my teacher gave me a strap to use to make up the shortfall. I stop in most classes at least once or twice. One class a couple of weeks ago I left 40 minutes early. I love it! I started with hot yoga about 2 months ago. I love the cleansing sensation it gives me, the improved flexibility, the non-judgmental, friendly nature of every one else in the yoga centre. Even the most experienced practitioners have their off days and end a session early. That's because everyone is working on their own personal goals, trying to find their own edge on that day, and feel the stretch, the energy. Do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it!
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