I had a back injury and was able to recover using yoga and walking and a good chiropractor. It has been a wonderful part of my life. As a teacher, I use it with my students and they enjoy it,too. Even when my knees went out last year (from another injury), I did the poses I could do, and waited until my knees healed to do others.
You just have to do what you can do. No one wants to be limited when they get older because they did not do what they could when they could. You will really enjoy it if you take it slow.
1. What you need is a good yoga teacher. If you can afford it, take a private class and get a custom practice going.
2. If a private class is not an option, look for a yoga place that has a variety of classes and instructors.
3. You have the power to only do poses to the extent that you can do them; i.e. without injuring yourself. We have a tendency to be competitive, or want to please the instructor or show the person next to us we can stretch as far as they can, but yoga is not a competitive sport!
4. Look for classes that say “restorative yoga” or ones that are designed for people with back problems. Most larger studios have them.
5. Ask the receptionist which instructor takes it slow and really takes the time to explain how to do the poses correctly and adjust them if necessary.
6. Also, there are many kinds of yoga. Ashtanga is flowing and faster – not for someone starting out. Iyengar is the best, I think, for someone wanting to avoid injury, as it is precise and slow, and you can use props like blocks and straps to ease into poses.
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