Mar 23, Pluck a Flower ... Disturb the Star

by Neal Wiegman
(Chico, CA, USA)

Until my body allowed me to run and cycle of 55 years long distances, competitive play tennis and swim a mile. But my left hip gradually began to hurt more while running and play tennis until I was forced to give up both activities. Allopathic medicine not offered any diagnosis except the first signs of arthritis in the left hip joint. Recommended treatment was analgesic and muscle relaxants, I was reluctant to take.

Finally, after many visits to several chiropractors, I have a diagnosis of Bertolotti s syndrome, congenital instability of the lower back that affects 6% of the population. In my case, it took the 55 years for the symptoms of misalignment appear not on my back, but in my hip. Symptoms included an estimated 30% atrophy of the muscles in my left buttock, pain and stiffness of the left side of my neck and in my left knee.

The Chiropractic manipulations recommended for my condition began and it was suggested that I can improve the strength and flexibility of my hip with a strict style of Yoga called Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, which consists of a sequence of movements connected with the breathing rhythm. Since I was doing the practice for therapy, I was pleased to learn that the Sanskrit name main Ashtanga s series is Yoga Chikitsa, which literally means "yoga therapy.

The class starts at 6: 00 a.m. and meet three days per week. It's often difficult to get out of bed to make such yoga challenging early, but I'm motivated by not wanting to let down the team: the half dozen ashtangis regular are enthusiastic, encourage one another and we breathe together conspire. This facilitates the circulation and creates a link inside the group.

There are many months, I had to modify the poses, especially on the left side, because of the weakness, pain and stiffness. In an effort to redress the balance I would hold the poses more left than the right. This would not delay the other practitioners as a style Ashtanga Mysore class (as taught in Mysore, India) is a practice of supervised self-study, where each student practice at your own pace and level and instructor moves from student to student individual adjustments and offering suggestions.

Very gradually the left side of my body began to loosen and tighten until it was hardly distinguishable from the right side. One day during the relaxation at the end of practice, after nearly a year of rehabilitation, I put in my yoga mat with my eyes closed and suddenly reminded of a quote that I had read: Yoga makes us realize that we cannot pluck a flower without disturbing a star. Although I intellectually understood the significance of this metaphor when I first encountered, I started at that time really experience the unity of all creation. I felt that my be extended to encompass the entire universe. Tears of gratitude welled in my eyes for my experience transcendental, my physical recovery and camaraderie. I knew that I would practicing yoga for the rest of my life.

View the original article here