What to avoid in yoga

L - I have LE, but I love my yoga classes and wouldn't give them up for the world!  That said, I always wear my compression sleeve & gauntlet and I do avoid poses like downward dog.  I can do plank just fine for some reason.  After dealing with LE for so long, I've just kind of learned what poses will leave my arm with that dreaded "heavy" feeling, and I avoid those, but I do all others with enthusiasm. 

I take a Gentle Yoga class - the instructor is very good about giving alternate poses for those of us who have special needs.  Maybe you could find a gentle or restorative yoga class near you - the instructor could work with you to give you alternate poses that give almost as good a workout but that protect your arm.  One you learn some of the alternate yoga moves, then you could go back to your DVDs, just using the alternate moves as necessary.  If you've had any nodes removed, you may want to get fitted with a compression sleeve and gauntlet to use when flying, and you could use that while doing yoga as well.  Just pay attention to your arm and how it feels, and if you get a heavy feeling, swellingn or anything else that feels strange, stop immediately.  

Good luck!

LtotheK, I also love yoga.  Started a year ago when I was six months post-op just breathing and stretching.  Now I'm 18 months out and can do most poses including plank and down dog. 

Have you tried chair yoga?  It takes a lot of the weight off your arms.  In yoga class today, we did several poses using a chair, including Warrior 3 and a modified down dog.  

I find my balance is off after tx and wonder if chemo did a number on the tiny sensory hairs in my inner ears.  So I've avoided balancing poses (forget tree pose) and was happy to be able to do Warrior 3 today.  Anyone else experience this in your practice?

Namaste!

I have to be careful with anything involving inversion, or going up side down. I found out with a headstander (totally going upside down and staying there for a bit) that this gave me an LE flair (trunctal & breast LE). I had to give it up! My arm is pretty much okay but I wear a sleeve when exercising or flying in a plane for sure.

So in Yoga, I avoid shoulder stand (I do bridge pose instead). For down dog, I alternate down dog and plank rather than holding the down dog the whole time - so that I am not dumping all the blood down into my chest for too long! 

I wear a sleeve and an under armour T inside out.  I have found the inside out compression T really great for the trunctal LE. 

I re-started my yoga practice exactly 6 weeks after my mastectomy.  I started gently but within a few weeks, was back to my usual routine - doing everything including headstands and inversions. I do not have Lymphadema, so I cannot say what poses to exclude if one has it. With severe joint pains caused by Arimidex, yoga and acupuncture keep me relatively pain-free and active.  I would not and could not give yoga up!

Namaste

I used to do yoga although I was never really good but I felt better. First BC had sentinel nodes only removed - just 2 of them. Went back to yoga and was fine. Second BC had lots of nodes (on the other side) and have just a little bit of LE on that side. I told the rehab therapist that I want to do yoga again and she said to avoid down dog and plank. At this point I have very little flexibility and am very overweight. I want to go back to yoga as I think it will help me to get back to better health I do have a compression sleeve and gauntlet which I wear daily. Also a few years ago i did have kneww surgery so i have 1 knee that is tight so even child's pose is a challenge - i can do it but i can't get down low the way i used to If any of you experienced practioners have advice for me, I'd appreciate it as I feel very discouraged right now hearing more of what i can't do rather than what I can

Which one is dophin pose??

I am so glad I have found this thread!   I started Bikram yoga in December of last year.   I feel that it has given me so many health benefits, strength and peace of mind.  I've had primary lymphedema in my legs since my 20s and I've seen so much improvement in my legs with my practice.  I saw incredible results in my body.   I fell in love with it after the very first time.   Then BC happened, and honestly, throughout this my main worry is when can I get back to my Bikram.   I've been worried because of the heat factor but I've been doing research and found that others who are at risk of lymphedema are practicing and doing well.

I asked my PS when he thought I could go back and he said months.  Months!   When I questioned him he said it was building body strength back and pain.   So, I'm thinking maybe not months but it will be a process.   I'm sure I need to talk with a lymphedema specialist and get fitted for a sleeve too.  Currently, I'm not experiencing any signs but I know I must be cautious and aware.   The only had to take 2 nodes out on my right side.

Any other Bikram practioners out there?  Any input?

Thanks!

Jule

I did yoga all through treatment - had to give up my regular classes but then started at the cancer center where they offered free, very gentle classes. It was great to do gentle movements - felt healing to my wounded body! I even did it all through rads and reconstruction, as soon as I could. I don't think I would wait "months" !! Can you try to do some basic things at home? I worked with a Yoga CD at home until I felt I could return to regular classes. Then I started with "gentle" and move up when ready. The instructor was very supportive. 

I do a weekly Iyengar class. It's pretty slow and gentle compared to a lot of other forms. At first I was a little wary of weight-bearing poses, and I had some challenges with poses that stretched my arm on the mx side. I told my instructor about the surgery and she was supportive and showed me alternative poses (like downward dog against a wall).

It didn't take long before I could do every pose in the class. We don't do handstands, which would probably be hard. But I can do downward dog and other weight-bearing poses. I decided to not push it but not limit myself, and haven't had any LE problems. The latest research shows that reasonable weight bearing can be beneficial to preventing LE.

I agree that Bikram sounds like a no-no, but I never liked that form anyway .

Maybe I will have to look at more types of yoga...but I am not ready to give up on Bikrams.  Hee hee hee....nasty marine types.  I think you went to the wrong Bikrams.   I've been very fortunate in mine.   Last February while mine had to close for some repairs I had to go to another center and HATED it.   So, I really believe there is a difference where you practice.

I see my BS on Friday for my first postop visit so I'll be asking him about a lymphedema specialist so that I can at least start getting answers about what I can and can't do.

Do whatever feels right, and don't worry about what you think you should be doing in yoga, That is counter-productive.

I love yoga as well, and have continued a regular practice with no problems.

Katalin, I am sorry you had such a hard time going back to Yoga. It is true that MD Anderson received a $5 M grant to study the effects of yoga on recovering cancer patients and the initial findings are very encouraging.

Because of my sentinel node excision, my doctor has always warned me to stay away from hot tubs, Japanese Onsens, and Bikram Yoga.  I did start with restorative yoga 6 weeks after my mastectomy but did not stay there for long. Now, 16 months after my surgery, even with Arimidex caused joint pains, I am back in my level II Hatha class. The key I think is to let your instructors know about your surgery ( and joint pains) and be patient with yourself.  

katalin - i went to Bikram yoga for a while BEFORE BC, and it is brutal - hot and hard and unforgiving... seemed to me to be the opposite of yoga's spirit of wellness...