how Yogic practices can be used
to manage or even fix an injury.
and if injured yourself,
you may be able to apply some of the ideas.
I recently had an accident in a shop where I was crouching down
and got knocked over by a man with a trolley of boxes.
My left knee twisted and many muscles ripped/tore at once.
It was quite possible I would require a knee reconstruction.
I spent the next two weeks managing the injury:
Firstly, excellent and regular long-term REST is crucial.
This should be obvious, but many people scrap this idea too quickly.
I felt it was silly to do the following two things:
- Take anti-inflammatories
- Take painkillers.
Anti-inflammatories interfere in this natural process. There is nothing wrong with inflammation.
(In the case of anaphylactics, brain haemorrages, severe emergencies, this does not apply).
With Pain, I also see this as a natural part, and unwise to disable my nervous system.
Especially with the idea that if I was under the illusion that my knee was fine (not hurting)
I would certainly start walking again too early, and quite likely re-tear not-yet-ready muscles.
Painkillers do not change pain, they merely cut off the signals to the brain. I want to know the pain.
(In the case of severe emergencies, things may well be different).
*
Within 24 hours I was doing daily gentle exercises for the knee,
mindful of not tightening too much/locking. Special notice was given to
hip looseners, ankle looseners, and toe bends. This keeps the whole limb warm
and blood-circulating at optimum.
Upside down poses like the Head- and Shoulder- Stands were perfect
for draining my leg (and fluids) and then allowing fresh blood to flush through afterwards.
Riding the bike in these poses was a great way to be weightless in the muscles
but still active, keeping them moving, and releasing tension.
* It's important to remember that the whole body will be affected by an injury,
and so keeping all the other muscles and organs relaxed and healthy and normal
is a good idea. It doesn't matter what poses I can't do - what poses Could I do?
Digestive poses, neck, arms, shoulders, back...plus the other good leg...
I knew to keep the rest of the body at its possible best.
*
PRANAYAMA (BREATH-WORK):
Every day, relentlessly, I incorporated a particular breath technique in between
knee bends, ankle, toes, hips... (this Breath practice became my Key Tool for therapy):
- Kapal Bhati (Rapid Breathing). Many people know this breath, it involves quickly
exhaling and inhaling, through the nose, a full breath each round, for up to 40 rounds.
Then immediately hold the empty breath for a long time, then holding the full breath.
Then relax.
I, however, was doing rounds of 200, 300, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 5000...
The reason is to pump as much oxygen into my bloodstream, and to essentially boost
my metabolic rate. In eastern terms, this means to raise the levels of 'Chi' in my body,
although I refer to this in Yoga as "Prana". By raising these levels in my bloostream,
and then doing hip, knee, ankle, toe exercises, I was really cleaning the leg (the blood
cleans and also removes waste, fluids, etc...) and trying to increase its cellular activity and Vitality.
This is so that I can increase my body's ability to heal/repair.
Children heal much more quickly than 80yr olds, and this is because their metabolism
is at phenomenally higher rates than the elderly. The eastern understanding is
that their levels of Prana or Chi are much higher. I was trying to affect such levels.
*
Another thing is that I was quick to use my leg again in standing and walking,
even though I was on crutches. Of course I was careful, and moving slowly.
Many modern physicians encourage people to use their injured muscles
the next day after operations, to keep the muscles from becoming passive,
amongst many other therapeutic reasons. This makes sense to me. Gentle movement is good.
FEELING ENERGY/CHI/PRANA/TENSION:
On the occasions when I used breath-work to extreme levels, and essentially knocked myself out,
I was then operating on a very different sensory level. Mass sections of tension are quickly dropped,
and for a short time one can feel many subtle levels in the body.
Then I was able to feel (actually notice) the extent of how locked my whole leg was.
I knew I lacked the ability to release that.
The lock was extending on very subtle levels up my hip and accross my abdominals.
So I went to have Acupuncture. Again, the main premise is to get Chi flowing.
Curiously, no needles were put anywhere near my knee. My opposite arm was the main focus.
*
One other remedy is that I was also drinking Aloe Vera juice every day.
It's cleansing, and used in healing.
*
A Chinese medicine oil, similar to 'Deep Heat' was pretty useful, too, each day.
*
Mentality, as always, was a major factor too.
I had great confidence in my own body's ability to repair well.
In fact, for the first five days I don't think I had the slightest worry or doubt,
(until I pushed my leg too early and 'ripped' it again. Then I started to worry, which was a worry!)
The best way to deal with that was to Meditate. Presence of Mind always comes back, with this.
One main realisation was the most effective: "It is only my body anyway".
My body is a temporary thing.
Regards
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