Wristopia: Yoga for recovery after wrist surgery

                 “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”  What an annoying statement.  At yoga class this Tuesday, we didn’t just make lemonade, we made lemon meringue pie!  One of my students is having significant wrist surgery soon, so we spent the class working on developing a practice for him post surgery.

                What was so interesting was how much more difficult and intense the practice is.  Changing downward dog to dolphin and standing up without using your hands is a wonderful challenge.  We actually ended class early (a half hour of savasana seemed a bit excessive).

                Removing the bend in the wrist from these poses puts a lot more emphasis on shoulder opening, so if you use the practice below, make sure you do all of the breathing and warm ups at the beginning to get the shoulders nice and warm.  It may feel excessive at first; just persevere, the challenges are coming to you. The first time through the modified sun salutation, give each pose several breaths. And now we are off…

“Wrist-less” Yoga

Stand on your mat in tadasana (mountain)  and begin to notice your breath

As you get a feel for the breath, begin to move your arms with it

                Inhale arms overhead, exhale arms down

Continue for 2 rounds

Continue arms for 3 rounds adding as you inhale up, let your heart rise and open, as you exhale allow the ribs to relax down

Add your mantra for 5 more rounds (inhale “So,” exhale “Hum”)

Inhale arms up overhead, grab your right forearm with your left hand, pull up and, exhaling, lean to your left

Inhale to upright, exhale arms down

Inhale arms up overhead, grab your left forearm with your right hand, pulling up, exhale lean right

Inhale to upright, exhale arms down

Continue for 2 more rounds

Add your mantra for 3 more rounds

Step your feet to the width of your mat, parallel through the second toe

Inhale arms up into eagle pose arms (stack right on top of left with elbows bent, wrap forearms or grab shoulders)

Bend knees and exhale, forward bend

Stretch from side to side, hanging out down here for a while

Repeat with the arms stacked the other way

cat in dolphin pose from here

Come to tadasana about two feet back from the front of your mat.

Inhale arms and heart rises, exhale forward bend, leaving hands off mat

Fold down to your knees or come down one knee at a time

Drawing abs in firmly, come down to your elbows, one at a time (make a big “C” shape with your back)

Walk feet back to dolphin, bend the knees deeply, stretch hips from side to side

Settle into dolphin for 3 breaths

Exhaling, walk feet back to low plank

Inhaling, roll body forward into sphinx (on elbows, chest open, gaze ahead, with the body along the floor)

Exhale back into child’s pose with arms in front

Inhale, rise up to dolphin

Exhale, walk feet in, drawing abs in, coming back to knees and forearms (make a big “C” shape with your back)

Come up to your knees, roll over toes up to standing or rise up one knee at a time

Repeat 2 more times

Finish with a few standing poses and 5 minutes of savasana.