In continuation of The Art of Listening to Your Body, where we explored the subtle cues and wisdom your body communicates, it’s essential to dive deeper into how we apply this listening skill, especially when it comes to pain. Just as in life, therapeutic movement is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and part of the art of healing involves discerning what is truly beneficial for your body.
When working with persistent pain, particularly in the context of a yoga therapy practice, therapeutic movement can be a powerful tool for recovery. However, not all movements are beneficial—even those that feel like they provide temporary relief. Sometimes, what we interpret as helping may actually hinder our healing.
So how do you recognize when a stretch or therapeutic movement is doing more harm than good? It’s all about tuning into your body’s signals. Here are a few key signs to guide your practice:
Signs to Pause or Modify Therapeutic Movements
- Feeling Tighter, Not Looser, with Repetition: In therapeutic movement, if your body feels tighter or more uncomfortable as you proceed, this could indicate that your muscles or fascia are guarding rather than releasing. Ideally, the body should feel a sense of ease or openness with continued mindful movement. A persistent feeling of restriction is a sign to reassess.
- Sharp or Shooting Pain: In yoga therapy, the principle of Ahimsa (non-harming) reminds us never to push through sharp or radiating pain. Whether it manifests as sudden, stabbing discomfort or nerve-related sensations like shooting pain down the leg, it is a clear signal to stop and modify your approach. True healing never involves forcing the body through pain.
- Pain That Lingers Post-Practice: While discomfort during movement can sometimes be natural, especially in tight areas, pain that lingers beyond the practice session is not a good sign. If you experience discomfort lasting more than 5-10 minutes afterward, your body is telling you that it didn’t benefit from the movement. A well-executed therapeutic movement should leave you feeling more balanced, not worse off.
- Movement Feels Worse Post-Practice: A simple way to check whether a movement is helpful is to perform a functional movement—such as a gentle squat, walking, or raising your arms—before and after your practice. If your range of motion or stability decreases post-movement, or if you feel stiffer or more guarded, this is a sign that your body is not responding well. In yoga therapy, functional assessments are key to understanding how your body interprets therapeutic work.
- Increased Inflammation or Swelling: If you notice swelling, redness, or warmth around an area after therapeutic movement, this suggests an inflammatory response, signaling that the movement may have aggravated the issue rather than supported healing.
- Fatigue Without Increased Mobility: Therapeutic movement should leave you with a sense of greater freedom in your body. If you’re experiencing muscle fatigue without any noticeable improvement in mobility, the movement may not be serving your recovery goals. Always check whether the effort leads to tangible positive outcomes.
- Numbness or Tingling: If a movement brings on sensations like numbness, tingling, or pins and needles, this is often a sign of nerve involvement or compression. In yoga therapy, such sensations are a clear cue to pause and adjust, as these feelings should never be ignored.
- Delayed Onset Pain (Next-Day Discomfort): If the day after a session you find yourself in more pain than usual, beyond typical muscle soreness, this may indicate that the movement has stressed the body beyond its current capacity. In yoga therapy, gradual progression is key, and movements should never exacerbate pain long-term.
Mindful Adjustment: Your Healing Compass
In yoga therapy, we emphasize the importance of mindfulness. If you experience any of these red flags, it’s your body’s way of communicating that it perceives the movement as a threat. This can lead to further guarding or increased pain.
Therapeutic movement should make you feel more at ease, less restricted, and more in tune with your body. If it doesn’t, it’s time to reassess your approach. Yoga therapy is about honoring where you are in the moment and adapting the practice to support, not strain, your healing process.
Remember, instead of forcing through discomfort, allow your body to guide the way. By testing, monitoring, and adjusting, you can cultivate a practice that nurtures your recovery. The art of listening to your body continues here—your body speaks softly at times, and in the whispers lies the wisdom of true healing.
Namaste
