Yoga is for really stretchy people, people without any joint problems, people who can move their arms and legs without having to really think about how to do it… that’s what I thought for a long time.
After five different operations over a period of seven years, the fact that I could walk my own dogs, as well as everyone else’s, running my own dog training and walking business, was a huge hip win for me.
To begin with, going to yoga was not about my hips. It was about relaxation and switching off from the world for an hour. Yoga Nidra, known as the “yoga of sleep” is simply lying down, focusing on your breathing and being guided through a meditation. This was exactly what I was looking for.
I must admit I did still worry about going that first week. Would people notice how difficult I found it to get down to the floor? Would my hips ache from lying down and then I would struggle to get back up?
I did overthink how do I sit down, how do I get back up - but I did it! I have even moved to trying some of the more gentle Yoga classes, allowing me to stretch in a gentle way, using props to support my body. By focusing on my breathing, it has stopped being about what my hips can and can’t do and shifted to being about relaxing and allowing my body to be exactly how it is, day to day, with no pressure for it to be any other way.
The studio where I go is small, really inviting and friendly, with no pressure to do anything my body can’t do right now. They are aware of my hip dysplasia and I am never asked to do anything my body doesn’t feel comfortable with.
I have noticed a massive difference in my mobility and in my mindset. I have hip dysplasia, but I can still trust my legs to do what I need them to do and I can allow them to rest when they need it.
Yoga isn’t just for really stretchy people, people without any joint problems or people who can move their arms and legs without having to really think about how to do it. Yoga is for anyone, it is your own personal journey and it gives you what you need.
