By Marcia Freeman—
MUNCIE, IN—Chronic joint pain has plagued me for many years starting in my late thirty’s. I struggled to find relief outside of pharmaceuticals, until I found the practice of yoga. To say that it has been life changing is an understatement. It has become my main health practice for physical and emotional wellness.
I was diagnosed with a very painful, chronic and debilitating joint disease in 2009. I was immediately advised by my doctors to stop running, an exercise I loved and had formed a large community around. I was advised that immunosuppressant’s, anti-inflammatory and pain medications were going to be with me for the rest of my life. Additionally, I was informed there would be periods of extreme fatigue and pain. This led me to having to retire at age 52 from a rewarding job I loved and was very good at. I was deeply depressed for over year.
Over the last ten years I have had seven major surgeries. Four on my back to fuse and stabilize vertebra, two on my hip, and one recently on my right shoulder. Despite the surgeries and pain I have never quit exercising for health, fitness and pain relief. Even though many days it hurt to walk across a room or do activities of everyday living. I have always tried to rely on exercise and holistic things like weight management, drinking water and not eating red meat or pork to help that goal. But, even though I tried very hard to eliminate pain holistically, I still had to take pain medication at times to function.
I found yoga about a year and a half ago. I began slowly at once a week. I now practice three to four times a week at the Corner Mat in Muncie, a studio close to the Ball State campus. Through hot yoga, restorative yoga and gentle stretching, I have found the pain of my condition is at least fifty to seventy five percent less. As of this writing, I cannot remember the last time I took pain meds and am off of two of my main medications. I have also made a “Yoga Community” of friends that share the practice with me and that I feel a sense of accountability to. For me, yoga has been life changing in regards to greater mobility and less pain. The yoga community and all of the instructors affirm each other and provide motivation.
In an interview with Debbie Gant, the owner and my instructor at the Corner Mat, Debbie shared many aspects of yoga that reinforced my findings that my sustained yoga practice has indeed provided pain relief for my chronic pain.
According to Gant, yoga allows you to “be” in your body. To allow you to achieve greater range of motion and additional benefits that allows for a different type of exercise. Gant is highly trained in multiple forms of yoga that allows you to honor your body and take what you need. There is no judgement and it can open a door to a safe community and a welcoming environment. In Gant’s classes you learn how to move and adjust “your” body to do weight bearing exercises, with or without props to aid you. Yoga gives you confidence and a calm mind. Debbie states that many come to yoga to find pain and emotional relief regardless of age. She asks, “at what point do we say enough is enough and make positive changes to our bodies?” Gant gets emails from the yoga community that affirm that pain relief has been achieved or that range of motion is better. These are the moments she celebrates.
I am a Christian Pastor and I have heard some skeptic’s share that yoga is not for Christians due to its roots in Hinduism. However, my beliefs and traditions have never been questioned in my yoga practice. It is repeated over and over that whatever happens on your mat in your space is up to you totally. I feel calm and more connected to God when I leave.
In addition to my yoga practice I also bike, walk and stretch six times or more a week. If you are skeptical, I get it. I was too. But you have nothing to lose and possibly pain relief and greater function to gain.
Marcia D. Freeman, M.A. is a Doctoral Student at Ball State University and an Ordained Nazarene Pastor for 22 years. She is a community advocate in her church and for health, wellness and the benefits of exercise and yoga practice.
