Broken Sacrum ... is Yin Yoga safe?

There are often many questions about Yin Yoga and specific spinal conditions. Feel free to ask your question here, or check out other posts or contribute input from your own experience.
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Bernie
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Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Broken Sacrum ... is Yin Yoga safe?

Post by Bernie »

I recently received a question from a yin yoga teacher who asked me the following:

"I have a student who is 40 and in very good physical shape. Last winter (appx Feb) he slipped on the ice and fractured his S3. He discussed the fracture with a doctor and his doctor told him he could continue his Yin practice but to avoid anything that causes pain.

He is still having pain now and finds it worse after Yoga. I am concerned, needless to say, and wondering if I should advise a different practice or a break from the practice for awhile. I certainly don't want students feeling worse after class than they did before class!. He has noticed that forward bends make the pain worse. Any advice on how to proceed would be grreatly appreciated!"

Below, I am sharing my reply, however, I would like to ask other teachers and students to share their thoughts on this. Has anyone gone through a similar situation?

Here is what I suggested: "I have a basic guideline for all these types of situations: if it hurts ... don't do it.

There are times when healing requires pain, but not in yoga. Physiotherapists are licensed to cause pain, but what they are trying to do is break down scar tissues. It hurts to break tissue. Pain is the signal we get when we are about to destroy tissues, or are actually damaging tissues. As I said in YinSights, if you translates the unfortunate Western saying "no pain, no gain" into sanskrit, it is rendered "bullshitihi".

It doesn't sound like your student is working through scar tissue issues, so I would say it is not a good idea for him to continue with this particular form of yoga since it is causing him pain. Yin Yoga is not restorative yoga. If the areas are damaged we need to let them heal before stressing them again. He broke some very dense yin tissues in his sacrum. He probably needs to let this area heal before he tries to do anything else in that region. Restorative yoga targeted at that area could be the best prescription for him...some gentle yang movements to bring chi/prana/healing energy into the region, like Cat's Breath, or rocking from side to side in Happy Baby. He may even find the Mini-Sun Salutation valuable (see YinSights for these ... http://www.yinyoga.com/ys2_2.2.7.1.2_mi ... tation.php)

If he wants to do some yin yoga during his recovery period, make sure he works other areas: ie no forwardward folds, which stretch out the lower back, and very very mild backbends (maybe a few minutes in a low sphinx pose). But he should be able to do some hip work while on his back. I am not sure how he does with sitting postures but it would seem to me that just sitting will stress his lower back too, so reclining yin hip openers may be the best for him...and then gradually add some reclining twists (caution though: the twists will also stress the sacrum/illum joint).

The denser the tissue, the longer it takes to heal. Muscles will heal quite quickly. Bones take months. Ask him to be patient and not to rush the process. Listening to his doctor is a must, but mobilizing the area to bring energy to the bones is also a good idea. Gently, gently ... that is the essence of yin after all.

good luck
Bernie"
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