Why did I got pain in my groin from yin yoga?

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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InaDahl
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2015 3:57 pm
Location: Helsingborg, Sweden

Why did I got pain in my groin from yin yoga?

Post by InaDahl »

Hi!
I have practiced yoga (yang - most ashtanga, hatha and chakra yoga) for almost 8 years, and has now started to do yin yoga at home.
I really love yin yoga and how it affects my mind and body!
I am over flexible in several joints, so I take it gently. (I dont really now what you call this in english, but in swedish the word for it is "överrörlig", the joints move a little bit too far).
A yoga teacher said to med once that I should not do yin becuase of my joints, but it feels good, and not all of my joints are over flexible (its the upper body mostly)...
The last few weeks I alternated between yang yoga and yin yoga.
I have never had a problem with yin yoga before, but after a workout the day before yesterday, I got really sore afterwards.
I got pain in the groin - about which the appendix is located, and after a while the pain went back to the right buttock. There were sore, and it felt like lactic acid. It was so painful that I could not sit or stand for the rest of the day.
It feels better after two days. But I wonder why this happened?
I suspect that I may have pushed the "seal" a little bit to far, I stretched my arms and held longer than I usually do. I have a straightened lordosis in the lumbar region, maybe I pushed too hard?
But why did I got the pain in the groin in the front? It was a razor-sharp stabbing pain, and still today, two days later, I feel the pain...

Thanks in advance!

/Ina
Ina Dahl
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Why did I get pain?

Post by Bernie »

Hi Ina

I am sorry that you are experiencing discomfort, but I am confused by your description of where it is. You cite the groin (which is located in the tender area between the legs, unusually indicating the upper adductor muscles) but say near your appendix, which is for most people found in the lower right side of their torso. You also cite your buttocks being in pain. You also describe the pain as being like lactic acid build up, which happens after too much yang exertion, not after yin yoga. So, I am quite confused over what you are experiencing.

In any case, I am not a doctor and trying to diagnose what the cause of your problem is over the internet is not a good idea. You should see a health care professional or a yoga therapist and have them watch what you were doing, check out where the pain is and try to determine the underlying cause. Until you know the cause, there is no point is trying to find a remedy.

Regarding your teachers suggestion that you should not do Yin Yoga because you are already hyperflexible: there are more benefits to Yin Yoga than just creating flexibility. I have had many very flexible students attend my classes (Cirque du Soleil performers included), not because they are trying to enhance their range of motion but because of the meditative and energetic benefits. You do not have to go past your physical edges to get benefit from this practice. And as you point out, you are not hyper mobile in all your joints: you can benefit the other areas of your body through the practice.

I wish you well on your recovery.
Bernie
InaDahl
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2015 3:57 pm
Location: Helsingborg, Sweden

Re: Why did I get pain?

Post by InaDahl »

Thank you for your answer Bernie!

The thing is that a short while after I posted the question to you I got a "between bleeding", which I think must have been the sharp pain in the front. I talked to a doctor because this has never happened before.
I have always been very active, and the last couple of weeks I have been doing a lot of yin yoga and chakra meditation and chakra yoga. Mostly for the root chakra.
Now is my question - can this be the reason why I got the "between bleeding" and pain? Can the root chakra and hips become over stimulated?

I am glad to hear about the hyper flexibility! :)
I am doing yin for many reasons, one of them are the meditation part. And I love it!
Mostly I do one of the programs in your book, I really love them! My absolute favorite program is for the gallbladder and liver meridian! It hurts a bit - but the feeling afterwards is amazing! :)
Thank you again for your answer, and your great book!

/Ina
Ina Dahl
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Post by Bernie »

Hi Ina

I know of no experiments or science that would link the “between bleeding” you experienced and your yoga practice. It may be related, but the only way to tell is for you to really become good at paying attention to what you are doing in your practice, but also in all other aspects of your life, and what happens in your body. My suspicion is that they are not related: you have done this practice many times in the past without such a problem arising --- what is different this time?

There could be many possible causes of your problem: physical, diet; psychological/emotional, stress; energetics, chakra imbalance; pregnancy, drugs, etc. It could be just a one-off hormonal imbalance. You will have to think of all the things that were going on in your life and see what may have been a trigger. Again, it is helpful to discuss this with a health-care professional, one who knows you and can check you out physically and mentally. If there is a physical, yoga-practice related cause, I suspect it was a minor contributor, but that is just a guess on my part.

Cheers
Bernie
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