When to start yoga after surgery
Yoga Post Abdominal Surgery
[Music]
leave and welcome to this yoga post
abdominal surgery this has been
requested and this is for when we're at
points where we've been given the okay
that we can gently start exercising
again so this could be roughly around
six week mark depending on the surgery
could be less could be a bit more the
first thing though is to treat yourself
with kindness and compassion if you're
returning to the yoga mat and you have a
yoga practice pre-surgery
please don't hold any expectations of
what you're going to be able to achieve
at the moment your body probably feels
like an alien at the moment because it
would be so weak so at this point you
will be recovering but you won't have
the strength of flexibility that you had
pre surgery so what I'm trying to say is
don't have any preconceived expectations
allow your body to be as it is today and
know that you are nurturing it and
helping it on its recovery now if this
is yahoo is new to you then this is the
perfect way to start this will aging
covering and it is suitable for
pre-surgery all levels of yoga and post
surgery
all levels again this is a restorative
practice so during times of surgery and
illness are sympathetic
vitals right now the system is really
active poses starts break down the
adhesions help with the scar tissue but
you have to listen to your body
everybody that's not what you where you
need to be today you skip that pose and
the next time you come to the practice
you try again and see where you are this
could be done on the mat which is what
I'm doing it whether you're on the mat
or on the bed begin in a comfortable
seated position so that can be kneeling
or that can be sitting up on a pillow or
a block if you're in bed still sit up on
a pillow into sukhasana easy pose cross
legs tall as you can through the center
channel head over heart heart over
pelvis you will not be drawing up as
much as you used to
sighs hands on the thighs are the palms
down or palms up again whichever's
comfortable close off the eyes and come
into the breath during this practice
really concentrate on the breath if it
becomes short and shallow you know
you're going too far into the pose
notice the breath coming in and coming
out let's begin with the neck release
we'll have got very tight across our
shoulders so left ear lowers to the left
shoulder this may be enough or you can
bring your right left hand up above the
right ear and imagine you're pulling the
right ear up that may be enough or if
you're want a little bit more walk the
right fingertips away so we're really
trying to release that upper trapezius
muscle trying to sit as tall as we can
we'll be holding this for 10 breaths be
where you are today and it may just be
just that the ear is aiming slightly
towards the shoulder and you can
progress to these later stages with time
deep breaths
last inhale exhale gently hold that
navel into the spine if your hands
fingers were walked away bring them back
in bring the left arm the hand down
beside you and gently inhale the right
arm up now it may not come up very far
at all and that may be as far as you can
go or you may be able to bring it up
further don't expect to be able to go
over fully into the side stretch as you
used to do that will come with time if
you can straighten your upper arm then
lovely if not then let it be where it
wants to be and that may be quite bent
and that is fine as well you just want
to feel a very gentle gentle stretch in
that side body
so find where you need to be today and
be glad to be where you are today you're
in your recovery breathing deep inhale
exhale bring that arm back down
carefully come back up to Center
gently lower the right ear towards the
right shoulder bring the right arm up
and place it just above the left ear if
you want to if that's enough stay here
or you can walk the left fingertips out
to the side again to release the upper
left appeasing earth muscle this time
breathing deep here
we're holding these poses for about 10
breaths so the muscles really get chance
to actually release gets into the
connective tissue and really stimulates
our parasympathetic nervous system these
long holds help our body recover inhale
exhale bring that left hand back in if
it was out to the side place the right
hand down carefully inhale the left arm
up as far as it wants to go it may not
be very far at all and with time you'll
start to come over into your side
stretch again but do not try too far too
soon the top arm may be very bent at the
moment again that is fine you need to
find your edge and by edge that's the
sort of three to four out of ten no more
than a four to five out of ten of
stretching sensation and certainly no
pain
breathing deep keep the mind on the
sensations in the body and the breath
exhale carefully bring the left arm back
down come back up to Center now you may
want to hold on to your tummy as we
transition we're coming on to all fours
and again that can be on the bed as well
as on the mat and then we're coming down
onto our forearms to come into a very
gentle Sphinx so make sure the elbows
are well forward of the shoulders to
begin so it's not too much of a stretch
and you're thinking chest forward heart
is opening and you can bring your elbows
as far forward as you need so you just
feel a gentle stretch no pain and this
may not be a posture that you're ready
for yet in which case that is fine go
into a child's pose if that feels nicer
and breathe for 10 breaths
as you returned to this practice during
your recovery you find that your Sphinx
will become more sphinx-like but don't
rush it
inhale exhale bow your forehead all the
way down take a few breaths here if
you're noticing you're holding any
tension try to release it
carefully coming back to tabletop so
supporting that spine with the neighbor
coming in slightly push up using your
arm strength we're coming down onto our
backs
I'm just moving the props ready for when
I need them in a moment useful to have
either blocks or pillows to hand come
down onto your back and that can be
quite a challenge at the moment pelvic
tilts on an inhale flatten the spine
into the mat navel coming in and on an
exhale arching the spine so this can be
a really small movement doesn't have to
be a big movement we're starting to get
the abdominal muscles working so on the
inhale you flatten the lower spine
against the mat and on the exhale you
arch the lower spine so the pelvis is
tilting one way and then the other
inhale flatten the spine to the mat
exhale arch the spine just gently
if you have a strap to hand or a towel
or a bathrobe rope we're coming into a
hamstring stretch place the strap around
the ball of your foot and extend through
that knee now you may find you've got a
really bent knee at the moment do not
worry with time your flexibility will
return and if you've never had
flexibility then we will begin to work
on it now keep the left leg bent do not
try to straighten that left leg now if
getting a strap is just too much effort
at the moment just bring the hands
behind the thigh
breathing here and with each exhale you
may just be able to straighten that knee
a smidge more but don't force it
remember the intensity is a 4 to 5 out
of 10 on an exhale carefully bend that
knee remove the strap if you're using
one switch it round to the other foot
and extend that left foot up so it's
parallel to the ceiling knee bent as
generously as it needs to be keep that
right knee bent and you can if you
haven't got a strap you can be holding
on behind the thigh
keep breathing on an exhale carefully
bend that knee remove the strap if
you're using one and place the foot back
down all these movements use our call
now I'm grabbing the pillow so you can
use a block or a pillow for this on an
exhale carefully if you can lift your
pelvis and place the pillow underneath
now if at the moment lifting the pelvis
to place that pillow underneath is too
much you can stay flat on your back but
with time aim to get the pillow or the
block under the sacral area so we're in
a supported bridge breathing here so
we've got a very very gentle stretch in
the abdominal area very gentle and with
time and I wouldn't expect it on the
first go of doing this see if you'll be
able to straighten your legs and then
further on see if you can bring your
arms up overhead so that's really
increasing the stretch in your abdomen
do not go this far if it is painful and
if this is the first time you're doing
this practice I would suggest staying
with the knees bent and the hands by
your side
exhale bring that navel in against the
spine gently lift the right knee off and
the left if you can now that's working
your core you can keep your knees bent
but see if you can straighten them up
Ripper each big cutting viparita karani
legs up the wall but we haven't got a
wall such a good restorative pose but it
is beginning to work our core a bit here
so if it starts to feel too much bend
the knees and come out of the pose at
any point where you think you've reached
enough
exhale bend the knees holding that navel
into the spine and maybe you want to
support your abdomen bring one foot down
followed by the other as you inhale
carefully lift your pelvis remove the
pillow or the block come back down on to
the mat carefully hug one knee and
followed by the other gently and you
might just want to do the smallest of
rock side to side you'll know and that
might be too much at the moment probably
find you can't draw your knees in as far
as you normally would
you'll still have lots of inflammation
in the abdominal area place one foot
down carefully at a time roll onto your
side bring yourself up we're coming into
supported fish so I like to use two
pillows here for this so that you don't
have to go too far back two pillows
lengthways bring them snug up against
your lower back and then gently ease
yourself down knees bent arms by your
side and this may be where you stay
today we're just beginning in our
recovery it might feel nice to open the
knees bring the legs in to suit to bow
to konasana but that again could be too
much at this point listen to your body
there is nothing wrong with keeping the
knees bent and then as time progresses
you're aiming to straighten your legs
and by time that could be weeks so again
you're starting to extend those
abdominal muscles
so find where you want to be today and
breathe wherever you are it's a
wonderful heart opener as well
on your next exhale gently bring the
navel towards the spine and if you're on
pillows it's really easy to just roll
over to the side so you're not using any
abdominal strength trying to get back up
remove the pillows and I'm now placing
them under the knees which may be a bit
too tricky to do straight away but if
you can or if you've got someone nearby
who can place them under your knees come
on to your side then roll onto your back
see all this wriggling around is really
difficult when you've just had abdominal
surgery so if you've got somebody there
that can put them under your knees then
do because that then allows the
diaphragm room to move and we're going
to do some diaphragmatic breathing so on
the inhale feel the belly rise and on
the exhale feel it fall place your hand
on your belly so you can feel it rising
and then feel it falling on the exhale
this is challenging after abdominal
surgery but this is great for first of
all for the parasympathetic nervous
system it stimulates it it's great for
the lungs and the abdominal muscles keep
going on the inhale belly comes up and
on the exhale belly full and this can
take practice if you're not used to
doing this so don't be disheartened if
you find that at the minute it's really
hard to do exhale
barely four inhale belly Rises exhale
the belly falls keep going with your
breath
laughs belly breath
and then let's come into shavasana if
you've got your legs up on pillows
leaves and their arms out to the side
palms up close off the eyes let the
breathing just return to normal now I'm
going to leave you here in shavasana
because you may be a bit worn out now I
need a nap in which case you're in the
perfect spot to do it when you are ready
to come out of it roll gently on to your
side to help you to come up there won't
be any outro music so that if you do
start to drift nothing will disturb you
thank you for joining me with this
practice as we begin to start the
recovery process I shall bid you namaste
