Gah!

Posted in ashtanga yoga on 02/26/2007 07:46 am by karen

Backbends, dropbacks. Sloooooooow assisted dropbacks, and urdhva dhanurasana for long holds. I felt like my guts were gonna shoot out from under my skin. What’s the dealio? Does anyone have any insights? I was breathless and had that intense stomach weirdness (not nausea, not an ache, but just a kind of bitter spasmy feeling) that you can get from overexertion.

In other situations where I’ve run into this, it was a feeling that passed after a few more workouts/bike rides/hard climbs. I’m assuming (as in, praying!) that this, too, will pass. Anyone else ever had it?

 

No Comments

  1. Yes, and it passed :-)

  2. Thank goodness! It’s kind of awful and definitely affects my eagerness to work on backbends.

  3. I’ve gotten that bitter spasmy feeling before in my abdominal muscles and I’ve found not drinking coffee to help somewhat….not sure if you’re on the bean or not.

  4. Oh my God, I am SO on the bean! LOL! Actually, just one cup a day, but it’s why I get out of bed in the morning.

    How do you quit? I know the cold turkey thing is a recipe for headaches. What do you do, SD? Green tea? Hot water? A cup of bitter coffee-missing tears?

  5. Drink it after practice….

  6. I know a lot of advanced practicioners drink coffee before practice, but for me it’s a no-no these days as it does make me quite nauseous in backbends. Instead, a large glass (1 pint) of water helps things move and re-hydrates me nicely for the practice. After practice I gulp my breakfast down and THEN I have coffee :-)

  7. I can drink coffee pre-practice but ONLY if it is two hours prior… otherwise I feel like I might puke in Kapotasana.

  8. It seems like many people have the pukey feeling, but has anyone ever witnessed an actual asana-related upchuck? (My husband is fascinated by this question.)

  9. Hi, I enjoy your writing. I’ve never seen an asana-related upchuck. I wake up super early and eat about 3 before practice – just fruit/cereal and herb tea. The amounts are very small, but I find I need to have some food in my system for energy before practice. I don’t know why or if there is any the fuzz against coffee in yoga circles. They prepare strong coffee for you for after yoga in India, I’ve been told by a senior teacher.

    Thanks for sharing about the stomach feeling from urdha danurasana. I’ve experienced it and it’s good to know it will go away.
    Cheers
    Arturo

Leave a Reply

« | »