illustrated head for yoga journey to hip replacement.
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A Profound Yoga Journey: The Paradox of Practice

The Interplay of Stillness and Activity

My yoga journey has brought me to the quiet sanctuary of my hospital room; a confluence of stillness and activity defines my current state. My body lies immobilised, a new hip joint nestled within, while my mind races through a marathon of thoughts and emotions. Clad in the uniform of recovery—pressure flow socks gripping my feet—I’m awash with a sense of relief that’s almost euphoric in its intensity. This is ‘Santosha’, a contentment profound enough to weave together the disparate body, mind, and spirit strands into a tapestry of gratitude. It extends its threads to encompass my surgeon, Mr Millington, his team, the bastion of modern medicine, and the earthly and ethereal love. The day’s procedure—a total hip replacement for my “funny left hip”—marks a significant turning point in my yoga journey and understanding the intricate dance between our practices and our being.

Before

Total hip replacement

Yoga After Hip Replacement
Yoga After Hip Replacement

After

Total hip replacement

A Voyage Through Time and Self

As I rest with the backdrop of rhythmic beeping from the machines, I’m prompted to consider the layers of my past, each adding to my present narrative. If hindsight were my guide, what choices might I have altered in my 28-year-long yoga journey? In the early years of my practice, I pursued the mastery of asanas with a fervour that bordered on the evangelical. Did this intensity contribute to the wear and tear that led to today’s surgery? Yet, this same passionate commitment to yoga has been cited as the reason for my robust health—a paradox that has been noted with a blend of professional respect and mild surprise by my surgeon and the anaesthetist. This dichotomy is the essence of my reflection now, as I lie in the recovery room, a few short weeks from my 60th birthday, contemplating the complex interplay of action and consequence.

From Rugby Fields to Yoga Mats

My physical journey did not begin with yoga. It started on the rugby fields of my youth, where, at the age of 14, I experienced the first of many injuries—a torn meniscus. The injury, which should have slowed me down, instead became a testament to my body’s resilience. Seasons of rugby transitioned into summers spent swimming in the sea, the water’s resistance serving as a balm, alleviating the swelling and mitigating the injury’s persistence. As I progressed through the ranks, culminating in a position among players three years my senior, the demands on my body increased, setting a precedent for the compensations my body would continue to make throughout my life.

Life went on—with the injury as my constant, if unwelcome, companion. I chased culinary dreams in Oslo, skiing down slopes by winter, hiking through nature’s splendour by summer, all the while nurturing a knee that was less an injury and more a part of my identity. However, the discovery of mountain biking brought a turning point. The daily cycling ritual, the communion with nature, and the rhythmic pedalling brought healing. My knee, once a source of constant discomfort, found its strength again, and the torn cartilage became a distant memory.

woman sat crossed legged for the blog about a Yoga After Hip Replacement

The Embrace of Yoga

When yoga entered my life at 32, it was embraced by a body already seasoned by physical challenges and triumphs. I brought to the mat a history of endurance, a legacy of injuries, and a warrior’s spirit seeking a new battlefield. Yoga offered this in the form of asanas, pranayama, and meditation. But it was in the aftermath of a Sivananda class, in the stillness of Sivasana, that I discovered the core of yoga’s promise—tranquillity that had long eluded me. This newfound contentment was addictive, and I dove into the practice with the same intensity that I had approached sports.

The ensuing years were a tapestry of experiences woven from the threads of dynamic practices and the introspective sensory journey inspired by teachers like John Stirk and Marc Aquaviva. It was a passage from striving to sensing, from conquering to contemplating. My practice became a yoga journey, not just a sequence of postures but a dialogue with my inner self, a discovery of the body’s wisdom, and a surrender to the flow of life’s rhythms.

Abigail workshop 600 750

A Deeper Understanding of Personal Anatomy

A revelation, a moment of profound understanding during a workshop with Pete Blackaby, crystallised my awareness of my body’s individuality. As a group of yoga teachers observed, my physical limitations were laid bare—a foot that refused to lie flat against the floor and hips that defied the outward rotation so easily achieved by others. This was a truth I had known since my earliest days, a truth that was now shared and understood by others. This understanding has since been a guiding force in my personal practice and teaching, emphasising the importance of honouring the body’s innate intelligence over the rigidity of prescribed postures.

The Historical Context and Modern Application of Yoga

In the tapestry of yoga’s history, the innovations of Krishnamacharya stand out, shaping the practice into what it is today. His teachings, while revolutionary, were tailored for the young and lithe, only sometimes accommodating the varied landscape of human anatomy. This reflection on the tradition of yoga, coupled with the insights from my physical narrative, underscores the importance of adapting the practice to the practitioner—a philosophy that has been validated by my yoga journey through hip surgery.

Yoga Makaranda Pyramid of Asanas 1934

Reflections and Lessons: Adapting Practice After Hip Replacement

Reflecting on the question, “What would I do differently?”
the true value lies not in changing the past but in the lessons learned and
how they inform the present and future. The yoga journey is a rich
and complex one, full of paradoxes and personal discoveries. As I
recuperate, the insights gleaned from years of practice and the recent
surgery shaped my resolve for the future. My practice, henceforth, will
be a tapestry of these lessons—woven from threads of past experiences,
present awareness, and future intentions.

In the grand scheme of things, my hip replacement marks a
significant milestone, a pivot point that invites a deeper understanding
of my body’s unique narrative. This surgical intervention has not only
repaired a worn joint but has also offered a profound opportunity for
renewal and reflection. It beckons a new approach to yoga—a practice
that’s not just about achieving physical feats but also about nurturing
the body, honouring its limits, and celebrating its capabilities.

There’s a profound liberation in accepting that the journey itself
is the destination. The asanas, the breathwork, and the meditative
states achieved are not merely stops along the path but are the path
itself. They represent a series of evolving relationships: with oneself,
with one’s body, with the practice, and with life.

The Yoga Journey: The Road Ahead

As I look forward to the road ahead, I am equipped with a richer
perspective. A perspective that values presence over perfection, process
over posture, and the intrinsic wisdom of the body over the imposed
rigidity of tradition. This is not a step back from the practice I have
known and taught but a step toward a more authentic engagement with
it—one that understands the impermanence and evolving needs of the
body, especially after major surgery.

Embracing the Uniqueness of Every Yoga Journey

My message to fellow practitioners and teachers is to embrace the
uniqueness of every yoga journey. It’s crucial to listen—to truly
listen—to the body’s innate intelligence and the subtle signals it
sends. Yoga is not a one-size-fits-all practice, and as such, it should
be adapted to fit each individual’s context—particularly when
recovering from surgery or managing long-term conditions.

The paradoxes of yoga—a practice that can both challenge our
physical limits and facilitate our healing—mirror the paradoxes of
life. They teach us resilience, adaptability, and the beauty of balance.
As I continue to heal and grow, I am reminded of the timeless wisdom that in movement, we find stillness, and in healing, we discover strength.

As I integrate these learnings, I invite my readers to ponder their own practices, question, explore, and embrace yoga’s never-ending learning cycle. Share your stories, challenges, and victories. Together, let’s celebrate the diverse and transformative yoga journey that yoga offers to each of us, hip replacements and all.

What lessons have your yoga practice taught you about adapting to physical challenges or life changes? Share your reflections in the comments below.

You can find out more about my yoga here: My Yoga.

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