Ask Juls: Part 5 Yoga & Movement – Managing My Psoriatic Arthritis

Today I bring to you the last part of my “Managing My Psoriatic Arthritis” series!

Diet was covered in part 1, supplements in part 2, in part 3 we talked about toxins, part 4 was about mindfulness and meditation and part 5 is about yoga and movement!

I’m a huge yoga lover.

HUGE.

I even teach yoga twice a week 🙂 BUT, let me tell you. Every time I go to teach yoga, I always say a silent THANK YOU up to God and the Universe. There was a period of time that I never thought I’d be normal again. I never thought I’d have the energy to participate in life. There was a period where I wasn’t even sure I’d ever walk again. So the fact that I’m able to get up, in front of a class, twice a week, and TEACH yoga. . . that fact is NOT (and never will be) lost on me. EVER.

So why do I think yoga and movement is an important aspect in managing your chronic condition? Well let me tell you 😉

 

So, where should you start?

Start where you can! As you begin your yoga journey, or really any movement practice, I’d like to leave you with a few tips to have in the back of your mind.

1. There is no perfect practice. Even if you’re sitting on your mat breathing, you’re doing yoga! When I first started back into yoga, I couldn’t even do child’s pose (which is a resting pose). I used to think, “how the heck am I supposed to do yoga if I can’t even do the resting post?” So you know what I did? For a good 6 months, I didn’t incorporate that posture into my practice. And guess what? No yoga police yelled at me, I received the benefits of practicing and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
2. Listen to your body. This can be a hard thing for people because we tend to tune our body out. But, I urge you to start to connect with yourself. Your breath. How you’re feeling. Where you’re holding tension in your body. Build up a picture of what your body is telling you. Our bodies give us symptoms just like our car dashboard gives us indicators! All we need to do is stop and listen.
3. Start slow and work your way up. Do 5 minutes of breath work or stretching, then increase it to 10, and so on. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Yoga may seem boring or too slow, but it’s because we’re taking the time to listen and to get in tune with our mind-body and soul.

Whenever I was at my lowest low, in the midst of my biggest flare, I could have never imagined even completing a normal yoga class – let alone teaching 2 classes a week like I do now! But I’m the perfect testimonial to show you that if you start slow, and work your way up, yoga can truly become an essential part of your treatment plan with psoriatic disease.

Resources

I’ve written many different posts that can help you on this topic! Some of them are geared towards psoriatic arthritis, but truly they’re applicable to ANYONE with an autoimmune disease or chronic condition.

Make sure to check out my chair yoga flow here. This is a great yoga flow for everyone and anyone!

 

http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/357092/180039/yoga-important-psoriatic/?ap=423

http://www.healthcentral.com/slideshows/best-exercises-psoriatic-arthritis/?ap=423

How Can I Get Into Yoga?

Wishing You A Pain Free Day!

 

 

 

Catch up on this “Managing My Psoriatic Arthritis” Ask Juls series:

This series was created after having been asked the question “Did an elimination diet help you manage my psoriatic arthritis?”.

Short answer – YES

Long answer – YES, but I’ve also done a lot of other things as well to help manage my condition. I focus on the following 5 areas to help manage my psoriatic arthritis.

Part 1: Elimination Diet

Part 2: Supplements

Part 3: Toxins

Part 4: Meditation & Mindfulness

Part 5: Yoga & Movement