[Porthardygurl]

Hey Everyone....

Well..its been awhile since I have been on here..unfortunately I am back because my Dr. stuck me on a supervised diet for the next 4 months..yay

Anyway.. I have been battling a lot of chronic pain and fatigue and the Dr. thinks I have Fibromyalgia. I was just wondering if any of you who have Auto-immune issues, do yoga to relieve pain ? Does it help you cope ?

I tried my first session at home with a video...it was good..i dont feel as bad as i did before. .I was in a lot of pain last night to the point of tears. Almost went to the E.R. but toughed it out.. Just wondering if anyone has done it and seen improvement in pain management?

[Desiderata]

Gentle yoga does help quite a bit when I practice it consistently, but it's subtle. I'll mostly notice that it hurts less just to lay there when I go to bed. BUT - overdoing does not help. If you are in that much pain, you need to listen to your body -- the video you used is a poor choice for you right now. Do not push yourself thinking "harder" yoga will lead to better results. The only way to get relief is to consistently practice and to respect your limits.

I am extremely fond of yin yoga - mostly seated, very gentle. My very favorite find of all is a Gentle Yoga dvd by Zyrka Landjwit -- that's what I'd recommend.

I am a bit of a hypocrite because I fell off my daily yoga routine a couple months back, keep telling myself I'll get back to it and haven't. You'd think the extra pain would be all the motivation I'd need! Anyway, I hope you find a gentle form that works for you -- I really believe when done gently, it can be very helpful for fibro pain.

[BreathingSpace]

I don't have fibro but I do have chronic pain. I really think yoga would be good for you. I get so much out of yoga than just pain relief. I get meditation, the hugest sense of connectedness with my body and mind, I am able to handle difficult situations easier, and when I get excruciating pain I yoga breathe my way through it. It really does help me in every aspect of my life.

I encourage you to try all types until you find the one that speaks to you. I agree that gentle or Yin would be a good place to start. If you have any questions about yoga, ask away! I have been practicing for nearly 2 years and love to talk about it :-)