What will I wear (TMI).
This story could go in either the Yoga or the MS side of this blog however I posted it on the MS side because of how clothing affects my own MS symptoms.
Clothing is kind of a strange topic and may not sound worthy of a real discussion. It could be classified as too much information; however, I have found that clothing influences my practice. And some things that I wear actually help engage parts of my body. For me it makes a difference not only because I have MS but it reminds me that part of my body is there.
In general I do not have consistent sensations throughout my body. It’s harder for me to walk in pants than if I wear shorts. As the pants touch my legs; sensations occur in different areas on my legs which causes different messages being sent to or not being sent to my brain. For instance I can walk further in shorts than I can in pants. Sensations throughout my body affect what I wear even the type of material and the tightness of clothing. They all provide different kinds of sensations.
At my first class I wore a cotton t-shirt, cotton thighty whities (underwear), flimsy elastic-waste shorts, and I stayed in that general vicinity for a while. As I learned more asanas, got twisted, being upside down, and the heat; I figured out that I needed to change things.
Tighty whities have never really been comfortable for me but it was something I really never gave much thought to. One day I was in the store looking for underwear and could not find my usual type so I tried boxer briefs which are boxer style but tight and stretchy (in case you didn’t know – I didn’t). Eureka! This is something I wish I had discovered a long time ago, way way way more comfortable. I wore the boxer briefs from that point on and they are great.
To take this a step further when I practice now; I wear knee length compression shorts (similar to boxer briefs only longer very tight and stretchy), elastic waist shorts over top that retain their form, and a sleeveless cotton shirt. At home I don’t wear a shirt anymore as I’ve discovered it’s actually quite freeing and I feel somewhat more connected to my body. I would never not wear a shirt in public – vanity does not normally play a part in my life but age has done its job.
I’ve discovered knee length compression shorts help a couple of issues I have with my legs. For years I have had a problem with my left hamstring. It does not bother me when walking mostly it’s noticeable when practicing and or sitting. It bothers me at the insertion point at the butt and in the middle of the back of my leg. It is not painful just bothersome. Compression shorts, I feel, protect my hamstrings and help them feel better. There are different sensations between the top and the bottom of my legs. And for some reason wearing the compression shorts help my legs feel more like one unit which also helps.
The compression shorts also help me feel and engage my quads. In postures such as Prasarita Padottanasana (Feet Spread Intense Stretch Posture) this feels more stable and I can go deeper into the asana. I can hear my teacher chuckle here because she knows I don’t like being taken deeper in the C version of this asana (but I’m happy she does). However I actually notice a difference between with or without the compression shorts. I don’t need the shorts to engage my quads it just reminds me to do so and I feel more connected to the bottom part of my legs and also my core. It sort of forces me to engage all at once.
And this ends my commercial for compression shorts – ha.
Take care.
PS:
This experience is mine and male oriented and I welcome any other experiences. You can post it here or comment directly on the site. I’d / we’d love to hear from you.