After two whole yoga classes, I’m ready to make a prediction about the effects of Forrest yoga on chronic pain.

Prediction: This is going to help.  Specifically, it will help a great deal with mobility without hurting my back or exacerbating other joint pain.  I will have to be conscious of positions as I continue to be sure I use the right muscles to support myself.  I also will have to be mindful of pain that is indicating injury as opposed to pain that is simply using new muscles.  This is something I have been working on for several months with Crossfit, and I think it will transfer to yoga fairly easily.  I noticed yesterday after doing wrist and finger stretches (which felt very good), my hands swelled and have not gone down again.  My feet, however, are not swelling, so that’s a good thing.  I will continue with stretching despite swelling because the swelling is not indicating injury.  It’s just my body saying, “Does that feel good?  We’ll see what we can do about that.”  Yes, my body is my interminable enemy.  Anyway, since mobility is one of my biggest concerns, I’m very optimistic about this type of exercise.

There is also a psychological aspect that I’m not 100% sold on yet, but the meditation involved with deep breathing and becoming aware of your breaths, spreading your breaths through your body and directing it at specific areas of your body does create a mindfulness that is nothing but positive.  I need to look at deep breathing and fibro.  I know that it is highly recommended, but I’d like to know why.  What is happening in the body with deep breathing that helps chronic pain.  Is it simply oxygenating the blood?  This would make sense and also explain the benefits I had with extreme aerobic activity with Crossfit.