First practice after surgery
I was at the post office with my granddaughter which happens to be in a pharmacy. I’m standing at the counter paying for the letter and my granddaughter says “hey granddad, look, they have your diapers on sale you should get some”. The lady behind the counter smiles and I smile back.
It is just over three months since my surgery.
Before I go back to practicing at the studio I need to be able to do at least half an hour of home practice and not leak through whatever I am wearing – or not leak at all.
My first practice I raised my hands and holly shit I felt something pull in my lower abdomen. I haven’t even started yet and I can feel what’s missing. I fold forward and I can just barely touch the mat with my finger tips and my knees are bent. I step back and lower into Chaturanga and almost face plant. I follow my nose to the sky and there goes that lower abdomen thing again. I step back and position into downward dog. This position is one of my favourites but I’m not enjoying this at all. My hamstrings are screaming at me so I bend my knees and lift my heels off the ground. My upper body and arms are also feeling the strain of holding up my body weight. My breath is a little shallow as I’m concentrating on maintaining the position which makes the breathing less enjoyable. I walk my feet up to my hands and raise my head, fold back down, unfold, raise my hands. This time not as far but I can still feel that pull. I do one more sun salutation, a couple of standing forward folds and that’s it – maybe five minutes in all.
I felt every single muscle in my body. So incredibly tight and weak. This is way worse than my first time. I knew it was not going to be easy but those few minutes were shocking.
There’s a new scar that goes from my navel to my pubic bone and it looks like a dent or divot because there really is something missing – looks like a seven iron could of done it – ha.
Yoga’s physical requirements depend considerably on the core muscles some of which are right smack dab where that scar is.
But it’s interesting because the first time I practiced I wore the pull-up adult diaper and really did not think about leakage I guess I was more engaged with how bad my practice felt. And also the pull-ups do not leak so I have nothing to worry about. But it’s not optimum ‘cause I like to wear compression shorts to protect my hamstrings and I really need them, especially now.
As I post this I have practiced several times since then and I don’t wear the pull-ups anymore. I just ware a pad with my compression shorts. And as I “flow” through practice there tends to be an awareness of that area where the scar is. And thinking about it is helping because it has turned into a light version of Mula Bandha (Root Lock). A great practice for engaging muscles in that area that hold back pee.
As I gain strength and flexibility I have followed the traditional sequence and skipped some of the “really twisty ones” – how’s that for asana description.
While I’m not embarrassed by my granddaughter outing me at the post office, I’m pretty sure I would be if I leaked while I was being assisted at the studio.
Take care
☺️☺️☺️
Amazing!!!