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Expert Yogi
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| Stefan - the dvd is called yoga for MS and the teacher is Eric Small. It is available at www.yogams.com. I can give you a bit of a review about it later - off dancing right now:-) |
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| My Dad has MS. The biggest impediment to exercise for him is that he can't get hot. Once he starts to sweat virorously it exacerbates the nerve damage symptoms. So if I had MS I would avoid the "HOT" yoga styles like Bikram, Ashtanga, Power, or intense vinyasa styles. You don't want to make things worse.
I don't think a heated room would be a safe option. 74 degrees or cooler would be better.
Viniyoga is a style that accommodates each individual's needs, but may be expensive since some teachers only do one on one. Other than that look in to gengle yoga styles. There are plenty of styles that will warm up your body, but not make you sweat much. Iyengar, Anusara, Sivananda, Integral, Raja or Kripalu seem to be lighter styles that can be accomodated to MS.
Edited by MrD 2005-01-10 1:31 PM
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| Glenda and Ray, thank you very much for your concern and your help. I will definately order the DVD, if they deliver to South Africa. The other problem we have is that my wife is already wheelchair bound and very weak. So taking classes is out of the question anyway. It seems like the only stuff she can do is more passive. Means I have to put her into the asanas. No problem, we can do some of the lying down and seated poses until she starts to cramp. I only have to know what to do with the spasms when they occur and what things I have to avoid.
Thnaks again, guys
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Stefan and Mr. D - the dvd I have definitely talks about issues such as heat and uses modifications suitable for people in wheelchairs, as I recall. I have only watched it once. It is very good and looks professional at the beginning but kind of veers off in some ways like switching from the original teacher and student so that eventually you don't see the teacher, it is just a voice over and stuff like that. But generally you can tell the teacher knows what he is talking about - I think he has MS himself. He is an Iyengar teacher so he knows lots about using props and how to modify. I'm going to try to find time to watch it again so I have a better idea of what it is like. |
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| Actually, there are people out there who help couples in similar situations as you and Mrs. Afroyogi.
(Myself included ) With the new realization in the West that yoga can be individualized to a person,
more and more people who specialize in yoga therapy have been popping up. A lot of these people
have been coming to hospitals, private homes, holding seminars, as well as helping out couples to
show them how to integrate yoga into a routine that would be beneficial to the person with the
special need. Maybe if you poked around in your community, checked around the internet, or
asked a healthcare professional if they know anyone who does yoga therapy that specialises in MS
might be able to show you and the missus a thing or two, you might be able to get started on
learning more about helping your wifey through yoga therapy. I hope this helps Stefan. |
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| Well Itchy, I already asked around and much to my astonishment, even in a develpment country like this there are quite some people involved in medical yoga. So getting help is not the big problem. The real problem is my wife, she doesn't seem too fond of the yoga stuff. Let's say she can get quite *****y about yoga  She's fine with trying out some fun stuff but get's into bad mood as soon as the first spasms start to set in. Her legs starting to tremble and kick uncontrollably and she looses interest after a few minutes already. Every time I try to push her a little more she goes like this: 
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| OK - I did a quick review of the dvd. It has some very good poses and really gives a lot of detail on how to set them up and support the student well while doing them. It is not quite "professional" in that it is not well rehearsed, there is some fumbling for props and words, but that is rather charming, I think. Funny little things like odd shadows and one student not in a matching outfit makes it clear that this has been done for the love of the project, not for money. After the first segment, Eric Small is out of the picture, just doing voice over and an assistant is demonstrating. I have nothing to compare it to, but I find the poses are generally well planned and I think even one or two of these supported poses per day would be helpful for anyone with MS or other mobility related issues.
Off to work now!
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| afroyogi - 2005-01-13 9:18 PM
Well Itchy, I already asked around and much to my astonishment, even in a develpment country like this there are quite some people involved in medical yoga. So getting help is not the big problem. The real problem is my wife, she doesn't seem too fond of the yoga stuff. Let's say she can get quite *****y about yoga She's fine with trying out some fun stuff but get's into bad mood as soon as the first spasms start to set in. Her legs starting to tremble and kick uncontrollably and she looses interest after a few minutes already. Every time I try to push her a little more she goes like this:
Afroyogi:
Yeah. That's totally understandable. When I was helping people with advanced MS and parapalegics with some medical yoga, (or just other special physical concerns altogether) I found that they got easily frustrated--especially if they used to have full mobility of the body or are new to being in a wheelchair. I found that by sort of being a counselor and listening to them with a caring ear, they told me that they become so easily frustrated because they have a hard time letting go of the fact that they don't have the ability to use their bodies the way they used to in the past.
I found from my own personal experience from working with people in similar situations as your wife who are fine trying out a few things here and there, but get turned off as soon as something doesn't feel right or that they can't do something, that the best thing is to not push the person further than they are ready to go. Just try to be as caring, compassionate, supportive, and encouraging as possible (not saying that you aren't just speaking from my own experience with what I found works well). Be full of praise of what they do accomplish physically and let them know it's okay if they can't doing something or need to modify because it's all about honouring where your body is at a given moment. (Example: Oh, that's wonderful that you let me help you stretch your leg that far, look at how well you're doing! Look at what wonderful progress you're making, great job!)When you make corrections be gentle and don't force it if they don't take it well unless you know they're doing something harmful which is when you let them know gently that what they're doing isn't good.
Really, I don't think there's much of a problem with your wife as it may first seem if she's willing try some fun stuff. It seems as though she's beginning to open her mind to the possibilities that yoga has to offer. (She probably has seen what a world of good it has done for you.) It seems to me that she just needs to be allowed some time to get over her frustration, and when she seems most receptive again, you can try again. Perhaps eventually, she'll be able to become less frustrated and will allow you to help her more and more as time goes on and even will allow a yoga therapist to help out. If she doesn't like the idea of someone who's not you helping her maybe you can go to a medical yogi/yogini for advice and try a few things out and see if that helps.
I don't know. Hope my sharing of my experience has helped out even just a little if you haven't tried some of my ideas and suggestions already, and if nothing has helped, well at least this posting might be helpful to someone else who may be reading it.
Too bad there aren't more caring and loving husbands like you around in this world. Good luck with your wife, I wish the both of you the best. By the way, don't worry, I think you'll get your yoga black belt soon enough--if you haven't gotten it already, you probably are closer than you think!  |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| >>Too bad there aren't more caring and loving husbands like you around in this world. Good luck with your wife, I wish the both of you the best. By the way, don't worry, I think you'll get your yoga black belt soon enough--if you haven't gotten it already, you probably are closer than you think! <<
I second that sentiment, itchy
About the frustratin - BKS says he sometimes has to just give people "pleasing poses" at first - the things that feel good to them and get them to relax. He doesn't push them at all until they are ready to move into something that challenges them. So I would help Mrs. afroyogi into whichever poses she likes, that feel good and make her happy. |
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| MrD:
Let me tell you an interesting story. Once, I taught a regular class at Moksha Yoga Institute, www.moksayoga.com. While my class was going on, one lady came inside with a wheel chair and wanted to take a Yoga Class. Now, the owner asked her to talk with me, and I told her I can only teach her private or in a group of all WheelChairepersons. So, she took my private class at her home. I did not touch her and gave her 90 min class. She did come out of her wheellchair on her own, did all the poses and then went into her chair back. In the past few years she came out of chair only for night sleep.
Is not that interestting? In other words, your Dad may be better than he or others think.
Neel Kulkarni
www.authenticyoga.org |
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| >> If she doesn't like the idea of someone who's not you helping her maybe you can go to a medical yogi/yogini for advice and try a few things out and see if that helps. <<
In Germany she had no problems getting physiotherapy from other people, went to rehab and had a therapist visiting our house. The thing is that we can't afford overseas health insurance so we have to find other ways of help when we're in South Africa. And the time we spend in germany each year is simply too short to start new rehab activities.
>> So I would help Mrs. afroyogi into whichever poses she likes, that feel good and make her happy. <<
She doesn't like any poses! See, she's got the MS since nearly 20 years and the MS is very much advanced. She can't do any poses on her own, so I have to bend her. Her range of motion is very compromised already and she starts to moan and whimper as soon as it get the least little bit stretchy or twisty. Also the whole posture collapses and the spasms set in. This is no fun for either of us, but nevertheless I will go on trying to persuade her into some yoga activities.
>> She did come out of her wheellchair on her own, did all the poses and then went into her chair back. In the past few years she came out of chair only for night sleep. <<
That's a great success! Very good!
My wife only comes out of the chair when I lift her up. She can stand for 1 minute before her legs collapse, but only if I hold her tight. We're talking about a major disability here, Neel. The muscles are weak and crampy and all the joints are stiff. I have to put her to bed, get her out of bed, even have to seat her on the toilet. When we eat, I have to cut the food for her and she hardly can lift drinks. Apart from that she's annoyingly healthy, in general good condition and not half the whiney drama queen that I am.
Nevertheless I feel there must be some benefits for her in gentle and passive asanas.
Thanks very much everybody for your kind words and helpful hints.
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Yoga for MS
