Bend

Articles

Laura Gavey

Bend
May 30, 2003

These days we’re all hearing all about the yoga craze and how “everyone’s” doing it. Well, years ago I started doing yoga just before the big craze hit. I was severely injured in an accident and my back was just torn to shreds, so to speak, along with my chest and shoulder. After trying physical therapy, which was almost no help at all, (and in fact made things in some ways worse) and of course the usual round of epidurals and other cortisone shots, not to mention bottles and bottles of drugs of all kinds, I decided to take matters into my own hands. After four years of extreme suffering, not being able to work, or even sit in a chair for more than five minutes at a time, I was desperate for any kind of relief at all. My doctors were of the opinion, though not said in so many words, that I just wouldn’t get much better at all, and the thought absolutely terrified me. I was determined to get some sort of semblance of my life back. And so I decided to give this yoga a try, which I had actually thought of doing for many years, since I was in my teens. So I bought some books, some videos, and got down to work. It was excrutiatingly painful! But, after just one “workout” though my entire body was screaming in agony I could feel right there and then the benefits of yoga. And though the pain was horrendous I could so clearly feel the loosening and strengthening of my joints and muscles that I did it again the very next day. It’s six years later now, and I can only wish I had started this all those many years ago when I first began to think of trying this yoga thing. I’ve learned that our bodies are MADE to be able to do these things, to bend in all directions, with a leg here, and an arm there……I am more than thrilled to say that now I am (almost) completely back to normal. After years of displaying my handiwork to my physical medicine Doctor, who, by the way, was stunned at my progress and he and so many others had advised against it, he now FINALLY has yoga in his physical therapy office. I tell you all this because I really feel I must tell as many people as I can about this wonderful form of exercise. It does everything for you. I can now even do the splits, when I couldn’t even do those when I was a kid! Yoga isn’t like any other form of exercise, you don’t simply leap into it and pump away as you do with weights, or crunches and the like. It’s a discipline, requiring patience and focus, done slowly and peacefully in mind and body. The benefits are almost too numerous to name, maybe in another column, but I strongly urge everyone, young and old, and especially those suffering from any kind of injuries to give this a real try. You’ll be so glad you did, and you just may start a whole new life you couldn’t have imagined existed. Be gentle with yourself, but firm, and know that if you just keep going along, every single day you WILL get just that much better. You have my word on it. I have my life back.

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Read more from Laura Gavey. To contact Laura, visit her site website or email: leg62465@yahoo.com

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