Seriously?

Posted in ashtanga yoga on 03/22/2010 09:28 pm by karen

It’s been a long, dedicated haul, and now there is significant movement in my backbending practice. It feels transformative. Here’s the catch though: I’m breaking out. Yes, my skin. Worse than when I was a teenager.

It’s both astonishing and horrifying, and I have no idea what to do about it. I guess if it’s some kind of detoxification, it’ll have to subside eventually? In the meantime, though, it’s rather disconcerting.

 

9 Comments

  1. Oh no! From backbending, really?

    I once was doing a kind of detox, I did some stuff like eat bentonite clay for five days, then I was taking milk thistle and stuff, I don’t know quite what combination of factors caused it, but I was doing lots of bikram at the time because I wanted to SWEAT (forgot how much you could sweat in a shala, this was five years ago or so). So one day I was in class and my face felt kind of stinging from the sweat. I went home after and looked at my face and it was covered in PUSTULES – that’s right, weeping pustules, absolutely disgusting, they would ooze yellow stuff and it lasted about a week, during which time I had to go to work, had to go stand in front of the class and teach… people would fall silent when I walked up and stare, it was REALLY BAD. I so, so wish I had pictures. Finally it went away – the relief!!!

    So I hope yours is nothing like that :)

    Aggravated pitta???

  2. When I was visiting scottsdale last winter and met you, I was going thru the exact same thing with my skin. this had never happened to me before. My mom suggested I call my doctor for a Z-pack, which I thought was ridiculous. And I continued to suffer the awful teenage skin…until I had a toothache.and was prescribed the Z-pack by my dentist for the tooth. Boom – skin cleared, never to rear its ugly “head” again!!

    Must have been some very mild bacteria in my system or in the deep layers of my skin, and the antibiotic (a really mild one, the Z is) knocked it right out.

    The tooth was a whole nother thing….but the skin…voila!

  3. hi Karen
    hope you find a solution to the problem or that the skin clears by itself. there’s that book called “prescription for nutritional healing” that gives advice on what foods to avoid at different circumstances and i think it includes skin conditions.
    hugs
    Arturo

  4. Gosh, Susan, thanks for putting my mild breakout in perspective! No weeping pustules! I feel much better now. :-)

    I actually had a bit of a brainstorm this morning as I nuzzled my face against Waylon’s. You know, Waylon the dog who I am (though I try to ignore it) allergic to, and Waylon who spends his free time rolling in dirt in the backyard and drooling on himself. Maybe I need to stop rubbing my face on his every chance I get.

    Or at least make sure to wash my face after I do (’cause there’s no way I can stop — he’s just too cute!).

  5. I think you might be onto something there. lol!

  6. Weeping pustules! Great name for a punk band.

    No, you can’t stop the nuzzle action. Just keep some face cleanser nearby!

    When I got my hair cut the other night, my hair stylist said, “looks like you got some sun on your scalp”- meaning, there were big flakes of skin she was noticing. I laughed and told her it’s my head stand dandruff. My addition to head standing has its price. But… it’s not weeping pustules!

  7. Hi!
    I recently stumbled upon your blog. A fellow Ashtangi and a Buddhist meditation practictioner.
    I like both Zazen meditation and Vipassana. I just found your blog because I recently had and “a ha” moment regarding the similarities between Zazen approach and Ashtanga’s approach as taught by SKP Jois.
    Pretty much show up and do the work on the mat or the cushion- be it zazan or ashtanga.
    I thought it was interesting and while doing some searching online I found your post from 2007: http://donutszenmom.com/2007/12/26/ashtanga-and-zazen/

    Just wanted to say hello!

  8. Hi Flo! I was just thinking about how practice (both zazen & Ashtanga) is a kind of background metronome for me: an ongoing, smooth experience that works to help me see/feel/understand that the ups and downs of life aren’t as dramatic as they might seem; they’re all just grist for the mill.

  9. They really are. I’ve never had a practice (asana) that I’ve left feeling so grounded as I do with Ashtanga. That could just totally be my take on it. But it feels like a Zazen meditation in a way.
    I am glad I found your blog! :)

Leave a Reply

« | »