I was so pleased to have the opportunity to review Yoga for Fibromyalgia and to offer a free copy to one lucky commenter. Andrea was the second person to leave a comment, and her lucky number was selected by Random.org. I wish I had 50 copies to give away!
It was fascinating to me reading all of your comments. The first thing that became clear was – we want to heal! Everyone was so encouraged and excited about a resource tailored specifically to our needs, and to my testimonial as to how much yoga has improved my life. I was inspired by your enthusiasm.
Second there was the always present hesitation and fear we have all acquired through years of conditioned response to our symptoms. We hurt, and we tire of hurting, so we have become conditioned to avoiding and eliminating the things that cause us pain or that we even suspect may cause us pain. Completely reasonable, right?
My first experience with yoga was miserable. The teacher would have been better suited as a bootcamp instructor. There was nothing gentle or nourishing about her or her teachings. My fear of that painful experience closed my mind to yoga as a resource. Thank goodness I met someone to guide me to the true practice of yoga.
That is my hope for each of you. I hope that if I talk about it enough, maybe one, two, or even more of you will find a local teacher to guide you. For 13 years my muscles were a frozen, painful mess. With yoga they are quietly and slowly melting, releasing all the years of pain and tension. I want nothing less for each of you!
Thanks to everyone who left a comment. I plan to have more giveaways soon!
I have not tried yoga as of yet. Am walking and doing Curves. The exercise has helped w/ the fibro soooo much that I believe I have turned the proverbial corner! If I do not exercise I am now in more pain.
Am wondering if the yoga would help w/ the weight loss? I am needing to lose about 30 lbs. It is not coming off very quickly.
I haven’t tried Yoga yet either, but I have been going to some physical therapy sessions over the past few months, and I have learned some interesting things about my body and Fibromyalgia.
I haven’t moved (unless I had to) for years…because it caused so much pain. Now that I have started going to physical therapy (for a bad shoulder injury), I am learning to use my muscles a little bit at a time, and yes it does hurt! But no, I can’t stop! And I have learned if I keep doing the exercises and follow what the therapist says…the pain does lessen as I use the muscles on a gentle and regular basis.
I never would have believed using my muscles would make my muscle pain hurt less, but it does seem to be helping. It is taking time and it is slow moving.
I was hurting pretty bad last week and actually did not go to therapy, but I think it it due to the level of pain I am feeling from the shoulder injury (I still have to go through surgery and then further therapy after surgery). I have noticed that the flare-up in the shoulder has settled down a little bit, but my all over muscle pain is a little more intense. So, maybe not doing the physical therapy helped to calm down the flare-up in the shoulder, but I think it actually may have set me back as far as the progress I was making with warming up and working out the stiffness in my Fibro-muscles.
I will be talking to the physical therapist about this and (hopefully) I will remember to come back here and post my findings….ha! ha! We all know how forgetful we can be!
Maybe they will suggest that I work on the Fibro-muscles after I have the shoulder surgery. But at least I know now that there is something to all this talk about gentle exercise actually does make a difference!
Ug, I think both my wife and myself need to start some kind of stretching exercise, though I don’t have fibro, picking up a three year old all the time, hasn’t been good on my back.