Movement Matters: Yoga for Recovery

As a practising yoga teacher who holds multiple classes each week, I have always found my daily mobility and movement to be flexible and fluid.

I recently experienced an injury that I acquired through a fencing accident on the farm, which is a whole other dimension of my life. This accident resulted in bruising to the rear of my ribcage and from impact to my back, as well as bruising to the cartilage and soft tissues joining to my sternum on the dominant side of my body. For a week, I was barely able to breathe or move my right arm, making movement and relaxing a painful affair!

When faced with injury, the body needs time to rest, to heal and recover. Movement is not always recommended, especially if there are fractures to your bones and damage to the connective tissues or ligaments. After this time of rest, however, there is a transition period when one’s body is not only in pain due to the bruising and breaks but also from the tension built up in the body due to mobility being restricted. The muscles begin to seize up, and tension builds in the surrounding muscles and joints connected to those that are injured. With guidance from your doctor or physiotherapist, it’s time to start incorporating movement that helps with your recovery. We must retrain the body to function and avoid atrophy.

I started to feel an intense need to stretch my body, however, the pain of stretching meant taking it slow with soft stretches to begin with and following it up with time for rest and recovery. I was fortunate that by 1.5 weeks post-accident, I was holding a small class and decided it was time to start adding more movement to my stretches. I listened intently to what my body was telling me with each pose, and I noticed that there was a threshold between the pain from the injury and the pain from having stepped away from a regular yoga practice. Crazy, it had only been a short time! I needed to connect to my breath, inhaling deep (very slowly) and using my exhales to let go of the tension that had started to create more discomfort for me. When my body told me I had had enough, I found a comfortable position to rest as I continued to guide the class. This was not a time to push me to succeed but grounding myself and listening to what I physically and mentally needed in that moment.

The soft movements I began with are the same movements that benefit us after we wake from a long night of slumber.

In a comfortable seated position, start with:

Slow rotations of the neck, tying the movement to our breath
A gentle twist to the spine in both directions
Slow ‘hoola hooping’ of the core while seated
Side stretches to lengthen the abdominal muscles.

I was unable on the first day to bear my body’s weight, so I found ways to accomplish different stretches that may require doing so. This is where the ‘hoola hoop’ movement while seated is so beneficial for those that have shoulder, arm or wrist injuries. It can be used in place of the ‘Cat and Cow’ spinal movement performed on all fours. It is also a great idea to utilise props such as a chair, blocks or cushions to bring the ground to you and to soften the pressure on the area of your body that is bearing the weight.

What I love about Yoga as a movement is the diversity in each Asana (pose) and how the practice can be used for recovery after injury or as an ongoing therapy to manage physical pain and mental health. After the first class, in which I was able to perform one-quarter of the movements I was guiding my students through, I found the pain in my body to have lessened significantly, and by the next day, I was able to perform double the amount. It’s not a competition and comes down to listening to your body and using Yoga as a tool to connect with your internal world and your physical body. The other aspect of Yoga which is so beneficial for recovery is breathwork.

At significant times in my life, I clearly recall my breath at that moment, from childbirth to panic attacks, to the impact on my body causing extreme adrenalin, to managing pain through movement post-injury and into injury rehabilitation. Yoga offers a practice that connects you to your breath, drawing it deep into your lungs and away from your shoulders. When the body experiences deep abdominal breathing that encourages full oxygen exchange, it can slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure. Deep breathing calms the nervous system, reduces stress, and anxiety and can help relieve pain.

I honestly can thank Yoga and the breathwork within that practice for the strength and support I’ve needed to persevere through all the trials, tribulations and crazy experiences that life throws my way. I hope this inspires you to give it a go.

Leila Verban, Our Expert

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Leila Verban is a creative writer and a qualified Yoga teacher who is the sole owner of Earth Side Yoga. Situated at the base of the Eungella Range, she continues to evolve her practice and refine her skills to incorporate counselling, meditation, energy healing and positive manifestation.