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| This is my 3rd year of Ashtanga -- the belly of my hamstrings are very open but I've always had bother with the insertion points. Well, in the past 2 months or so they've been so painful I've had to modify my practice to baby ashtanga. Prem Carlisi advised 'just be gentle, give it a chance to heal' which I've been doing, instead of pushing ahead too much. They were quieter for a few weeks and I was happy to just take it easy, remaining upright in forward bends and so on. But the past few days even bending forward in my Surya Namaskaras, even with knees bent, is really really painful. Yesterday I got as far as 5 As, one and half Bs and ended up in tears -- part of it is the sheer frustration of wanting tp practice but not being able. Can any of you who have been there give me some advice? As with all of us my practice isn't just physical -- it's the spiritual aspect I'm missing so much too -- that beautiful 'prayer in flight' of a flowing practice that I'm worried I'll never get back to. I also use it to manage depression so taking time off is a bit of a big deal. So if any of you have been there and you can advise a 6 day practice for me that allows the insertion points to heal and still lets me have my daily retreat into yoga ... ya I know that we learn most about ourselves through injury and the fact of having to face up to time off if needs be. But it's about so much more than the physical, my practice is a place I need to visit every day - and most teachers say it's better to work through the injury than give up altogether -- practising is more healing than not practising. I'll be so grateful for any advice -- it's a big big test this one. |
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| there are other ways to practice asanas besides the ashtanga series.
it seems clear to you that this practice causes pain/injury to your body.
you can just take it easy/back off of the practice if you like
or you can perhaps find a way of practicing that is tailored to meeting the needs of your injured hamstrings.
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a private session with a skilled teacher trained in the principles of alignment and therapeutics would probably give you some insight into injury free practice habits, as well as sequencing for your recovery.
rest and oil massage are also very helpful (untoasted sesame oil, please)
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don't be too attached to your expectations of what asana practice should be.
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| Sounds like you need to slow down and decide whether you want yoga to be lifetime thing or not?
If you practice is lifetime. There is no hurry to look like a bird in flight. There is no perfect namaskar. There is only breathing, bandha and dristhi. If you are doing these three things, your yoga is perfect and it will heal you. If you are not doing breathing, bandha and dristhi, then maybe you should look at other styles of yoga.
The hardest thing is to accept yourself today. Not you last month, but today.
Also, there are tons of ways to fix hamstring issues, and I agree that practice should continue, but maybe you should consider taking a few days off and then go back fresh.
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| I am having the same problem (the right one first but that's healed a while ago and now left, where I've never ever had a problem). I took a workshop on forward bends with a Senior Iyengar teacher and she was very helpful with regards to hamstring insertion pain and injuries. When doing forward bends, you normally want your sit bones to face up at the sky as much as possible. The opposite is true when hamstriang tendon injury! You want to draw down the sitbones and that helps a lot. She physically did it for me as well as teaching me to do it myself and it was fantastic. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Eteraz - When doing forward bends, you normally want your sit bones to face up at the sky as much as possible
I trust you mean standing forward bends?  It would be tricky in the seated ones! |
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| Little Bee,
would you kindly clarify your pain and it's location.
As you've stated it thus far you are experiencing pain at the inner/outer knee? |
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| Thanks to all of you for your responses -- I read some great advice which is to activate the heels as though pulling them backwards in all standing forward bends, and pointing the tailbone down -- it helps to wrap the hamstrings around the back of the femur and protect them.
Purnayoga,
the pain is at the insertion points on each side but my left knee has become painful due to compensation I think. I'm really paying attention to alignment to make sure no other part of me is taking the strain. Well there should be no strain anyway, just moving towards the edge and being present with however my practice is at any given time. The knee pain -- very difficult to describe -- it feels more like a 'grumpy' knee, stiff and sore on the inside and the outside, and under the kneecap. I think this is a seasonal thing though -- it seems to come around every time the season changes then goes away again -- maybe it's nothing to do with my hamstrings after all.
At the moment I'm just focussing on breath, drishti and bandhas and allowing the practice to manifest itself around them. There's a huge lesson in all of this for me though.
Thanks again everyone, keep the advice coming -- I'm very grateful. |
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hamstring insertion points
