Hypermobility, Anxiety, Sensory Hypersensitivity and Me...

 

In my life I’ve read several life-changing books. Both fiction and non-fiction books have contributed to my understanding of the world and people around me. However, a couple of books I have recently read have been fundamental to finally starting to understand myself.

I originally purchased these books to help me with my work at The Nerve Injury Clinic – where I provide rehabilitation yoga to some of the patients. I wanted to increase my knowledge for when I’m working with hypermobile clients. So sought out a few books on hypermobility, particularly with regard to yoga.

One was a book by a very experienced yoga teacher who has hypermobility in the form of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)

I began reading and found everything very interesting, then some of the case studies and quotes from people that were presented in the book started to resonate with me in profound ways. I’ve always known I’ve had some natural flexibility and liked tying myself up in knots when I was a child. Then I trained that flexibility even more when I began doing yoga more seriously in my adult life. I never felt like I was bendy though – I knew people were telling me I was and seemed impressed when I did the splits or ‘pancaked’.  In all honesty, I felt rather clumsy and not elegant in my movements, but uncoordinated, and very awkward at times (both physically and socially). I was terrible at team games as I felt I had no idea what was going on!

This book and some discussion with experienced body work practitioners, has helped me realise that I do have hypermobility (falling into the generalised joint hypermobility category) and I also have some of the things that often go hand in hand with it. (I score moderately high on the Beighton scale which is a measurement for hypermobility). For example, many people with hypermobility experience increased levels of anxiety, which I often experience and I work hard to manage. It makes sense that if your body doesn’t feel particularly stable, that is going to affect how safe you feel. But of course, we only know how we feel and that becomes our ‘normal’.

Like many hypermobile folk, I have some sensory hypersensitivity too – particularly lights and certain sounds, yoga has definitely helped manage that. In social situations I used to use alcohol to help me manage this sensitivity, this is not an approach which I would recommend, as this in itself brings an anxiety when it wears off! I'm teetotal now and these days I limit how much social stimulation I get – it’s necessary for me to do this so I can function effectively in the world. If I don’t do this – I feel I want to shut down completely, and go and live in a remote place! I love social connection – but I’ve learnt I don’t need a lot to feel satiated and connected.

Sadly, some health professionals advise people with hypermobility not to do yoga, but I think we have be specific – there are probably some forms of yoga with emphasis on end-range movements/extreme postures that are the last thing a hypermobile person needs, but yoga that focuses on strength in the body, resilience in the nervous system and emotional regulation can be incredibly helpful.

I have also found running and weight training in tandem with my yoga practice is key to ensuring my joints are supported by strong muscles and that I can at last feel safer in my own body…

Photos: Me when I was about 8 or 9 years of age.

 

 

The Stuff of Dreams...

Apparently Paul McCartney wrote the song 'Yesterday' in a dream... well it was the melody anyway! That's what we are told. The reason I've been reflecting on this is because I woke up recently with a phrase in my head, it had come to me in a dream and I'm not sure if it was someone singing it, or just reciting it. I don't even know who that someone was and everything faded so quickly from my memory when I awoke, but I made a point of remembering it. "Wrapped in a cloak of empathy" - that was the phrase. I have no idea what deep recesses of my brain this came from but it certainly evoked a feeling in me. It made me think that this is exactly how I'd like my clients and class members to feel. Not suffocated and stifled, not overwhelmed, but gently wrapped in a cloak of empathy.

I think this is especially true for my one to one clients as many of them have been through the mill with various life challenges and each one has shown such strength and courage and I often feel completely humbled by working with them. Expressing and feeling empathy towards people I work with, feels as important as the practical movement based aspects.

To know someone holds space for you - is not feeling pity, but is sitting alongside you with quiet and unwavering support is priceless. This is what I try to do - not to fix people, but to guide and show tools and practices which could alleviate some suffering. I have a long way to go with this work and there is always room for improvement. Yoga can be such a powerful framework for deep healing, often this is missed by the way yoga is presented in social media. I do worry sometimes people might be put off by the media image of yoga these days. Doing your research is key - finding the right person to help you learn more about yourself through yoga is so valuable. Not someone who makes wild claims and promises, but someone who can open a few doors for you...

To read more about my work see Yogi Claire Hatha Yoga

 

 

Useful Discomfort

When I look back to childhood I often think I was rather a quirky young person, some might say weird, but I'm sure when we look back, we all find idiosyncracies and remember behaviours that seem a bit odd.

I can remember lying in bed in the Winter and noticing how warm and snug I was, but used to take the covers off for a while, to get really cold and shivery and then quickly get back under the cosy covers again - just so I could enjoy the feeling of warm snugness even more! 

In a similar vein, I did a lot of horse riding and I loved getting cold when going out on the horses in the rain as it felt so good coming home to a hot drink and a steaming bath. It was as if I appreciated the warmth and comfort even more. I suppose at a young age I understood that to enjoy one thing I needed to experience the opposite. To appreciate warmth, I need to know cold, to enjoy happiness, I need to know sadness...to enjoy satiety, I needed to know hunger. It's a simple idea, but one I often think about.

I'm not sure where this came from - as I did start the bed covers thing at a really young age. I'm wondering if my Mum (who most of you know is a yoga teacher too) taught me that things are not always how we want them to be and that having somewhat uncomfortable experiences happen to us, can enable us to feel gratitude when something good happens. It takes work and awareness, because sometimes I still just want to stamp my feet and say "I don't like this!"

As I get older I do have to remind myself of this - I do find myself getting stuck - wanting things to be different sometimes.

In my yoga practice, weight training and my running - this manifests as sometimes feeling discomfort...but reminding myself that I need to know discomfort in order to appreciate those moments of comfort and contentment. It is a constant practice though and perhaps doesn't come as easily to middle aged me, than the me that was 5 years old snuggling under the covers!

What were your little idiosyncracies when you were a child and what purpose do you think they served? Did they come from a deep instinctive place?

(I do acknowledge how lucky i was to have a safe and secure childhood, as I know it is sadly not the same for everyone)

Above image from The Man Made of Stars - Illustrations by Lisa Evans 

For more information about my classes see Yogiclaire.com