By:  Anita Hartman

In November of 2005 I had my left hip totally replaced.  I never envisioned myself slowing down as I got older nor did I see myself with a crippling injury that might force me to give up the physical activities I enjoyed doing.  My thoughts were that this kind of injury doesn’t happen to someone who practices Yoga faithfully.  But my years of participating in impact sports had caught up with me.

When I was sixteen I was in a severe automobile accident that traumatized my body and took me in and out of hospitals for several years. Back in 1971 the hospitals I went to didn’t offer physical therapy.  So as a young teenager I was left to find my own ways to strengthen and rehabilitate my broken body.  I chose impact sports.      

In my early twenties running and aerobics were great outlets for my abundant energy.  I would always feel exhilarated after participating in these activities and mentally thought my body was also benefiting.  My muscles and heart became strong after each workout.  However, I always felt stiff and never really felt complete after my exercise practice.  My body started showing signs of wear.  I developed red knots on my back and I had the feeling of being stiff and compressed.  Finally after years of chiropractic adjustments and my husband telling me that my body did not have a genetic disposition for impact sports, I listened.

 In 1980 I started taking Yoga classes.  It didn’t take me long to realize that Yoga was what I was missing.  However, it wasn’t until around 1990 that I totally gave up impact sports and began teaching Yoga.  It was too late for my body.  In 2002 I started developing severe pains deep in my left hip.   Sometimes the pain in my left hip would become so intense that I found I had a hard time walking.  I developed a very noticeable limp and used a cane.  

I sought the advice of a family doctor who told me my hip x-rays showed I had no cartilage in my left hip.   Unfortunately, I would need a hip replacement.  Fearing the surgery and an uncertain lifestyle afterwards, I put it off.  When I finally went to see an orthopedic surgeon, I was told that I had severe osteoarthritis in my left hip.   Unless I had a total hip replacement, the pain I was experiencing would become severe enough that I would eventually be disabled and end up in a wheel chair.

Practicing Yoga helped to keep me in good physical condition and postpone my hip surgery.  I continued to focus on teaching and practicing Yoga as a way to relieve my pain and calm myself.  However, Yoga alone couldn’t avoid the inevitability of surgery.

I had waited a long time for surgery.  This time I knew that my recovery from injury would be different because I knew practicing Yoga would help me rehabilitate myself.  I would embark on a new journey that would change the quality of my life. 

Within days following my surgery I started incorporating a gentle upper body and deep breathing Yoga practice to help me with my recovery.  I went back to work within two weeks and stopped using my crutches within four.  After two months my surgeon sent me to a physical therapist.  The therapist identified muscle atrophy resulting from my extended disabilities that were causing structural problems in my body; I had to learn to walk again.  Throughout my physical therapy and with the permission of my surgeon, I continued with my Yoga practice.

Now, a year and a half post op, the quality of my life has been restored and I am back to teaching Yoga.  I will always have a few range of motion issues and I will have to intuitively modify Yoga postures to fit my bodies limitations.  Practicing Yoga has increased my flexibility and strength and allowed me to re-establish a level of physicality and a quality of life that I had lost over a period of years.  

If you are anticipating or recovering from hip replacement surgery, ask your doctor when you can start practicing Yoga.  Ask which postures will be beneficial and which ones to avoid in your personal case.  His or her recommendations may differ from the practice I offer on my Yoga CD.

There are a few advanced postures on my Yoga CD (for example:  double pigeon and cobbler poses) that I have difficulty with.  Otherwise, I can do all of the other poses I reference.  Just remember no matter how you modify the various poses on my CD there is still benefit in the pose.  Never rush, allow your body to be the messenger and use good common sense in your practice.  If you intuitively listen to your body and think through the pose, you will be able to determine where you will need to be careful.

At anytime you need assistance with your practice or just have a question regarding hip replacement surgery, please feel free to contact me through my website e-mail link.

Namaste,

Life Changes
Author unknown

In every change that you experience in life,
There will be times when you’ll wonder if you can endure.

But you’ll learn that facing each difficulty one by one isn’t so hard.
It’s when you don’t deal with a situation that it sometimes comes back to confront you again.

Changes are sometimes very painful,
But they teach us that we can endure
And that we can become stronger.

Everything that comes into your life has a purpose,
But the outcome is in your hands by the action you take.

Be wise with your life,
Be willing to endure,
And always be willing to face life’s challenges

“A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.” – Chinese proverb