I can have a bend towards being clumsy - hence the plate and 7 screws (snowboarding) in my right wrist and the scars on my left hand (barnacles). In order to keep my yoga practice going with these - um - obstacles, I had to learn some tools and modifications. I taught a workshop this weekend, "Yoga Love for Your Wrists," in which I shared all kinds of things I've learned and researched about yoga wrist love and care. I've shared my whole notes/handout from the workshop at the end of this post. I'm happy to help you go over these in person with a wrist-loving private lesson.
What I most want to emphasize is that WE CAN CAUSE INJURY to our wrists DURING YOGA. Often we're moving and flowing and getting to the next pose and not concentrating on what we're actually doing along the path (enjoying the transitions - being "here now"). Our poor, sweet, wonderful wrists often suffer as a result.
Ignore everything else I have to say on wrist modifications - so long as you promise to remember these three tips:
I'm not a doctor, but I PROMISE that if you listen, purposefully and with intention, to those 3 tips, you'll knock out a TON of your risk of hurting your wrists while practicing yoga.
And a final note - to those of you who have currently injured or recovering wrists (or anything else). You will heal. It may not be as fast or as "100%" as you hope - but you will heal. I met a man at Level 1 who was a Wounded Warrior - he has lost both legs from below his knees. He does yoga. He is awesome. His attitude is better than mine when I have a vicious mosquito bite. He didn't want to heal without his legs - I am sure of this without having to Facebook message him to ask - but he HAS healed. And, he's appreciative. He doesn't use his injury and the way his body has healed as an excuse - he comes to his mat and he has a beautiful practice. There is always a modification - the biggest obstacle is not learning the modification, it's showing up and being a Yes! We've all been injured - don't let yourself use an injury to stop you from living and doing all you want. Oh - and if you want a theme song for this post, listen to One Republic - "I Lived."
Ignore everything else I have to say on wrist modifications - so long as you promise to remember these three tips:
- Do not plant your hands wider than the width of your shoulders (try measuring your shoulders, they're not as wide as you think... consider marking your shoulder width on your mat with a Sharpie - giving you marks to plant your hands on)
- Press into your WHOLE hand. The more you use your whole hand, the less stress you put on the base of your hand - where your wrist will start to cry. DO NOT lose contact of your whole hand with your mat when you are bearing weight in your wrist.
- Plant your hand under your elbow, under your shoulder - all lined up and stacked (plank, side plank)
I'm not a doctor, but I PROMISE that if you listen, purposefully and with intention, to those 3 tips, you'll knock out a TON of your risk of hurting your wrists while practicing yoga.
And a final note - to those of you who have currently injured or recovering wrists (or anything else). You will heal. It may not be as fast or as "100%" as you hope - but you will heal. I met a man at Level 1 who was a Wounded Warrior - he has lost both legs from below his knees. He does yoga. He is awesome. His attitude is better than mine when I have a vicious mosquito bite. He didn't want to heal without his legs - I am sure of this without having to Facebook message him to ask - but he HAS healed. And, he's appreciative. He doesn't use his injury and the way his body has healed as an excuse - he comes to his mat and he has a beautiful practice. There is always a modification - the biggest obstacle is not learning the modification, it's showing up and being a Yes! We've all been injured - don't let yourself use an injury to stop you from living and doing all you want. Oh - and if you want a theme song for this post, listen to One Republic - "I Lived."
| yoga_love_for_your_wrists_workshop.docx |
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