Bikram Hot Yoga Houston Blog

I had a bursa removed from my shoulder in February. It took a long time for me to be able to do most of the poses, but now, four months later, I can do most of them. I still can't do the standing deep breathing correctly: my right elbow won't go up much at all. Still, I can see progress little by little. Doing yoga every other day has helped a lot more than the physical therapy that I was prescribed, and it doesn't hurt as much. Getting mobility back can take a long time, but I am being patient!

I tell my patients to "go right back to class" as soon as they are able to get there, but to sit in the back and meditate, visualizing themselves participating. This is far more powerful (regardless of the surgery performed, or the "class" we are talking about), than "staying home". Studies show that visualization evokes physical changes on an endocrine level that are tantamount to the actual experience, but without the associated physical movement that could cause harm in a post-surgical state. Some procedures ar so minor, no interruption in the "rotuine" is required. Also, most doctors are clueless as to what a Bikram class involves! If you say, "Doc when can I do yoga again?" to most doctors, the response is likely, "Well, that's not too vigorous, so maybe a couple of weeks, maybe four depending on how you feel." It is important to be specific: "Can I do extreme forward bends, back bends, spinal twisting, and balancing on one leg in a 90+ F degree room for 90 minutes?" This would not only stop most docs in their tracks, it would give them pause as to their "routine" post-operative recommendations.