Yoga and Mindfulness Instruction Video
Easing Pelvic Pain: The Benefits of Yoga and Mindfulness Practices
Yoga is a great way to give a body in pain a chance to move. Too often when we experience pain we want to rest. This is very important, but so is moving. Why? When we stay still for too long our muscles become stiff and sore which can then contribute to more pain.
The other benefit to practicing yoga is increasing interoceptive awareness. This means we become more aware of how we feel physically and emotionally. It helps us to notice what is happening in our bodies, identify different types of pain and respond to each type accordingly.
However, not all yoga is appropriate when we are in chronic pain. Avoid the strong and vigorous types like Power Yoga or Hot Yoga. Stick to gentle hatha (which I am demonstrating in this video) or restorative yoga.
The great news is that studies have shown that a consistent gentle yoga practice can reduce the amount of chronic pain for people with endometriosis and improve their quality of life.
Mindfulness practices like meditation are also proven to reduce pain levels for people experiencing chronic pain. Plus, regular mindfulness meditation is beneficial for improving body image, self-esteem, mood and reducing anxiety and depression.
This video includes 2 mindfulness practices – a body scan designed to reduce physical tension, and a breath focused meditation to induce calm and serenity.
If you don’t have time to do the full 40-minute session you can find the yoga class starting at 2:02, the body scan at 25:15 and the mindfulness meditation at 32:42.
