Yoga

Discussion in 'Your Living Room' started by luckyswife, Jan 7, 2008.

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  1. luckyswife

    luckyswife New Member

    Does anyone know anything about yoga?My girlfriend joined a gym here in town that just opened and begged me to join.I do need to exercise.Cleaning all day isn't cuttin it.I am a little nervous with the menieres and all and now bppv here and there.She said she spoke to the instructer there and she said that yoga would be very good for me because it helps your equalibrium.My hubby says he thinks it's alot of head movement.I said maybe that's good because maybe I can train my brain with the dizziness.Anyone ever try yoga?
     
  2. Titus

    Titus New Member

    Some of the postures aggravated my condition. Tai Chi worked better for me. Yoga is very good for so many things. Give it a go and see how you do. If you feel discomfort in any of the postures, just skip that one and wait for the next.
     
  3. KatiePA

    KatiePA New Member

    There are lots of different types of yoga. Some are much more physically strenuous than others. Some are more focused on breathing. Perhaps you should try googling yoga and learning about the different types.

    I , for one , have been interested for a while in trying Bikram, or "hot," yoga, which is done in a heated room so that you sweat buckets. I've always found that a good sweat helps me feel better when I'm getting dizzy. Gets the sodium out of the body.
     
  4. June

    June New Member

    You need a good qualified yoga teacher not just someone teaching an aerobics class with a couple of yoga postures thrown in. Also I would recommend a 'gentle yoga' class. Talk to the yoga teacher about your needs. If she just stares at you, that's not the place. Good yoga teachers teach how to accomodate the posture to injuries, balance issues and so forth. Talk to her and see if you can attend one class for free or at least watch it first. With correct instruction there is nothing that can beat yoga, but not everyone who claims to be a yoga teacher is. I think many of the latest and greatest stuff re massage therapy, exercise, posture, allignment, muscle trigger points, relaxation techniques, meditation etc etc etc are handled by a regular yoga practice.

    My dr said it is fine for me. I have vestibular problems prior to hydrops and I do yoga balancing postures standing close to a wall or a chair. Also my yoga teacher always reminds us that we can skip any posture the class is doing and just practice the breathing if we need to.

    That said, yoga is the best!
     
  5. fcclimber

    fcclimber New Member

    I used to do yoga, but I just can't anymore. It's a danger to life, limb, and the poor soul standing next to me. I agree with June - talk to the instructor about adapting each pose. My constant falling over, was a big distraction for the other students. They were all super nice, and understanding, but I felt that it wasn't really the place for me anymore.

    I found what worked best for me was working with a trainer. It was a little expensive, so I didn't do it for long. But I found someone who was willing to really work on my issues. We focused a full hour on balance/weight exercises. He was strong enough, and quick enough, to catch me when I would fall. But we would work on the bosu balls and even kneel on the big 'fit' balls. He would never let me focus -just on balance - we always had to be doing two things, so we really gave my brain a workout.
    The vestibular therapy, my doc. sent me to, all focused on the eyes closed - retraining of my other ear. Well, my other ear, while more functional than the one with gent., isn't great. I needed to retrain my eyes/brain/balance center.

    OH - and for the record - I'm a girl...albeit a tomboy. :)
     
  6. June

    June New Member

    Wow, I am shocked that the vestibular therapy does not let you use your eyes. I have only one balance nerve since surgery 10 years ago. I rode my bike 1000 miles last summer on limestone trails through the woods. I can ride with no hands. At first I could not do quick head turns to see who is behind me but now I can. I never went to vestibular training after the 4 days I spent in the hospital for the surgery. I just walked, walked, walked. With walker, with cane, with nothing and then biked biked biked. Yeah, I use my eyes and do better in the light but I can stand in the shower with my eyes closed, I can walk across a parking lot in the dark though I couldn't do these things at first. Seems like those vrt people are doing things the hard way.
     
  7. June

    June New Member

    I agree a personal trainer is great and so is the BOSU ball. But like the yoga teacher you need one who has education and experience with rehab not just the former hs football coach. My gym has the pictures of the trainers on the wall with their bios under it, ie certifications, specialties etc. But you can't beat a personal recommendation from someone who has problems similar to yours.
     
  8. saltlesstears

    saltlesstears New Member

    Hi- I took a yoga class last year and had trouble with some of the postures, but a good yoga teacher should help you. Also there are many 'props' that some teachers will help you to use which can help. Anyway I dropped the Yoga myself and I am just about to start a Tai Chi class. My vestibular therapist thought that was a better idea.
    I am a big fan of VRT. Like anything else you have to search around for one that you really like.-Yvonne
     
  9. June

    June New Member

    One of the exercises my dr recommends is 'museum walking'. Walking down the street or where ever, moving your eyes from side to side as if you were looking at pictures on all the different walls as you walked through a museum. I find this happens naturally when I walk or ride a bike outdoors. I think the trick is to find something you like to do so it calls to you and you 'want' to do it and push yourself a little harder every day. In my experience, it's a long gradual process. My balance got serviceable in 8-12 weeks but it has improved every single year since. Just keep on truckin'.
     
  10. luckyswife

    luckyswife New Member

    Thanks to everyone who responded.I have an appointment with the gym thursday night to check it out and sit in on the class.My friend just told me it is more of a low key class.Guess if nothing else I can do the stationary bike or treadmill,that can't hurt.I need to start doing something to get the cardio going.
     
  11. Amethyst

    Amethyst She believed she could, so she did.

    I've taken a number of yoga classes, before and after mm/bppv. Years ago I started with a beginners class and found those classes nice and light, perfect for what I needed. I kept up with these classes until the mm hit, then I was too sick for many months to think of any kind of yoga. Eventually I got control of the mm enough (temporarily) to start up yoga again and it felt great. I started with a gentle class and it went so well I decided to take a tougher class called Ashtanga. That went well as well. Thing is though, just near the end of it my first bout of BPPV hit and suddenly yoga became a big problem - all those inverted positions were making me extremely dizzy and a more difficult class like Ashtanga is full of them.

    Nowadays I'm taking a great new yoga class. It's offered through my health care centre free of charge and is designed for people with illnesses/disabilities. It's the gentlest form of yoga I've taken yet and there are literally no inversions. The class is tremendously helpful.

    I agree with what others have said - a gentle class and a good talk with the yoga teacher should work well. The teachers in these gentle classes tend to be incredibly compassionate and supportive. If you tell them what types of movements cause you problems they'll usually be happy to accommodate. If they don't then it's just that this teacher is not the right one.

    Yoga is amazing. I have very good balance despite a significant amount of problems with my VOR (vestibular ocular reflex). When I started VRT the therapist couldn't believe how well I performed on the balance tests (considering how poorly I performed on other tests) and she was confident that it was the yoga that had protected my balance system so well.

    I hope you give it a try. Just be sure to go at carefully and with a good talk with the teacher because the BPPV can be a real pain in the butt.

    Good luck!
     
  12. Amethyst

    Amethyst She believed she could, so she did.

    Funny how everyone is so different. I had decided that Tai Chi would probably be a better choice for me than some of the yoga classes (besides the special yoga class I'm taking right now), I had been taking so I decided to join a Tai Chi class. I've been going to Tai Chi once weekly for nearly 4 months now and have decided that the class is not right for me - it was triggering my MM terribly.

    My problem is multi-faceted with Tai Chi and I think most of it comes down to the teacher who is not accommodating my issues properly. When I considered joining I had a great talk with a second teacher and we went over all my concerns/limitations. Unfortunately this new teacher, although he's been asked to accommodate and said he would, has forgotten all about me. I've reminded him a number of times (and so have new friends in class) but the guy just doesn't have the mind to help. The class has about 40 participants so when we are all standing in neat tidy rows doing our warm up arm exercises in unison I get incredibly dizzy. Although I work hard to try and get a good position within the group to have someone to watch for the movements, that rarely happens and I find that I'm not able to keep up. Learning the movements are so challenging on the brain fog components that at times I get so dizzy I end up having to walk off for a bit.

    They've also forgotten about my noise issues (hyperacusis/Tullio's) and pound loud chairs and tables around each class. I'm told to remove myself from the area during that time but the problem is I'm given no advance warning to do so - instead I get stuck in the noise which triggers my symptoms further (through the Tullio's). All in all, each class I take I seem to need 3 or 4 days to recover afterwards. It's too bad.

    What I've learnt from this experience is the necessity of a good teacher when taking these type of classes while having MM/BPPV. I think Tai Chi could have worked out if I had a better teacher. My yoga teacher is very careful to make sure that each one of our needs is met - for me that means a very quiet classroom, no inverted positions, etc.

    Next for me, besides the yoga, is Qui Quong. It's supposed to share many of the same movements as Tai Chi but involves more breathing and meditation (I'm hoping that means quiet too!). I can't wait to give this class a try. Anyone here ever give Qui Quong a try? If so I'd love to hear what you thought about it.

    Amethyst
     
  13. missbelle

    missbelle New Member

    YES YES YES..go for it..you will be surprised....i love yoga!!!
     
  14. Alfie

    Alfie New Member

    Some yoga classes focus more on the physical than the mental/spiritual aspect of it. That is the difference that I see in the class offered at my fitness center as opposed to one I took privately, before I became ill.

    I loved the classes that I took at a private studio. They were so good for the body and the mind. It was a challenge both ways. They really taught me how to relax. I was building a house at the time, had 4 kids at home and was working 3 days a week. I credit those classes for getting me though it in sanity.

    I need to explore other yoga classes around, trouble is that the ones that I find more benificial, like the ones I took before, tend to be more expensive.

    I would ask for a trial class or two before signing up for a longer period. That is what I need to do.
     
  15. June

    June New Member

    Alfie, there are some good dvd's out there. I wouldn't suggest a person who had never had a yoga teacher start there but I think you might like them as a second best.
     
  16. Amethyst

    Amethyst She believed she could, so she did.

    Yes, for those who have taken at least one or two yoga classes and know the basics at home DVD's or even CD's are the best. I also make up my own routine based on how active my symptoms are - I play nice mediation type music and I'm all set. That way we can modify the postures ourselves and save money in the process!

    Anyone yet who's tried Qui Quong and wants to share their experience?
     

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