Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Benefits of Yoga

Thanks for posting this, Molly. Why am I not surprised to learn it. I don't do yoga (doesn't engage my brain enough) but have found that when I'm doing my pilates (which is based in yoga) regularly, I have spectacular results.

For those of us who do yoga or pilates, it's important to learn from a good teacher. The teacher can help you adapt the poses and will work with you to find those that your body simply should not be doing. My first pilates teacher was remarkable in that regard. Told me, for instance, that we with AS should never do the 'roll', as it would be too hard on our delicate spines. Instead, I do roll prep. and balance instead of rolling.

As for our dear Petal, you do know that this will not go away any time soon, right?

Warm hugs,

Hi Kat - had meant to add a post scriptum to the effect that Pilates is possibly 'better' for the AS patient than yoga. Yes, totally agreed, does ***require a well trained teacher (for either discipline). Never forget a good friend of mine, going on-line to check out Pilates. She bought into a 'complete set of apparatus' (a 'Pilates' table) mit video...had me completely eyes rolling! Then she found that she could not do the exercises. Of course 'not' - and she hut herself. But no telling her where/how she went wrong. Oh well. Still sad that she didn't take up with our excellent class and well experienced teacher - who was au-fait with spondy, arthritis, rheumy and deformans in general. (Sure do miss my wonderful teacher.)

I can't stress enough, Molly, how important it is to have a truly good teacher when starting either of these disciplines. Your friend's story is case in point. The other thing I always stress is to start at the very beginning - pilates for dummies. My Mum started a pilates class in her town, because she'd seen how good it is for me. The idiotic 20-something teacher had beginners doing advanced work, with no grounding in the basics, let alone how to use your breathing to activate the core and protect your spine by curling your tailbone slightly (something it can take over a year to master because it's not a pelvic tilt but quite literally, moving your tailbone). Mum was in agony for over a week after her third class and never went back. She won't even let me work it with her a little from a beginner level. She did, however, start yoga, with a teacher who acknowledges that seniors have bodily limitations that 20 somethings simply cannot comprehend, and she goes every week to this day.

Honestly, I love that community centres and such offer these classes. Too bad there are no teacher standards. They just hire anyone who looks like they might know what their doing, it would seem.

Even when I was taking classes at my gym, I talked to the teachers, found out about their background and then 'tested' them to see if they were willing to work with their students to adapt postures to suit their individual bodies. I fear my very first pilates teacher spoiled me for anyone else. She was phenomenal - and unfortunately, is no longer teaching in my area. [pout]

Warm hugs,

Quote: "I fear my very first pilates teacher spoiled me for anyone else. She was phenomenal"

They sure don't grow on trees - very hard to find, might as well go looking for teeth in a chicken (let alone finding any...!!)

Quote: "and unfortunately, is no longer teaching in my area"

And I moved OUT of 'her' area...sigh.

Did find 'a' yoga class...and with 'great' trepidation, will go see what they have to offer. Did 'do' yoga yonks ago, when I lived in Bruxelles - had a good teacher, but honestly, of the two, (now, for me) prefer Pilates (any day and by far).

Thanks yr input - take care and hugs back.

and just wanted to add.....a good teacher will let you do the exercises you feel you can and avoid the ones you shouldn't be doing, or let you modify your routine as need be; for example while everyone else was doing headstands (or trying to), i was doing my shoulder-stand.

Jay,

I do few asanas apart from surya-namaskarm: bhujangasanam, trying padmasam (would like to master padmasanam in a few months/year). I spend ~10 mins most of the days, just do what i feel like based on time with out any fixed sequence

BTW I am 100% pain free not due to yoga, but due to reasons mentioned in my prev posts.

Thanks
Krishna.

Hi Krishna,
Thank you.
Regards.

JAY

I have to agree with Kat on this, Yoga makes me yawn, find it extremely boring! I have to say as well, I don't like how much time I spent on my wrists - my wrists are bad and downward dog 50 times in an hour caused me discomfort.

Having said that, I do Pilates once a week for 90 minutes, I do a 30 minute private class on a Pilates machine followed by a 60 minute mat class. I love it, faster paced!

A:)

There are many variations of yoga and pilates routines. Any good teacher will tell you not to continue a pose that causes pain and you should rest on your knees if you can't hold a pose (Sue and Kat already said a variation of this in their posts above)). Muscle can be built at any age. You should never be in pain while doing yoga, but you may feel your body working. Some yoga routines will make you sweat and give your abdomen a good workout (good abdo muscles = good for back).
You just have to find what works for your body, whatever the excersize.

The problem is that too many teachers don't check with their students on any physical issues they might be having. That means that students have to be pro-active about it and tell their teachers when they are having issues. Then the teacher can help the student adjust (if the teacher has been well trained, that is - if not, then find a new teacher).

I think for me, yoga doesn't engage my brain enough. Pilates, with the focus on proper breathing and activation of the core ab muscles, keeps the chattering monkeys in my brain quiet, because I'm focussed on the breathing.

Perhaps my one and only yoga teacher was just a bad one. As an absolute beginner, I was expected to simply follow along, instead of being taught how do to the poses safely; whereas, my pilates teacher (at the same studio) worked with her beginner students to help them make adjustments to the poses (i.e. feet parallel, inner thigh muscles activated to hold the knees straight, head slightly to one side, etc.), to help them learn the breathing and why we were doing it, to help them focus on whichever ab muscle we were activating. Regardless of the reason, pilates relaxes me at the same time as it strengthens my abs. Yoga just frustrates me.

Warm hugs,