Variations

So, I injured my right wrist and it has to be completely rested for at least a couple of weeks, so heavy-lifting plus most the usual physical activities I do have to be halted. That means I get an irrational (really? irrational?!) fear of gaining weight within this period. I mentioned this to a friend at my dance class last weekend - yes, I still can dance, albeit with one arm stiff in a bandage - and she rolled her eyes.

"What's this talk about gaining weight? So you hurt your hand.... your LEGS are still working!"

Ah, so brutally honest... (but I like it!)

Except I don't run. What else are legs alone (without arms) good for other than cardio? Sigh.

So, I strolled on the treadmills and I danced. I bought a high-quality wrist brace, complete with a built-in metal splint and wore it as much of the time as possible. I let my incompetent left hand take over all the usual tasks that can be done single-handedly (literally!). The first time it made tea, it spilled the right-at-boiling-point liquid out of the mug and scalded 3 fingers. The first time it tried to use chopsticks, it couldn't, so had to thereafter switch to the sissier fork. The first time it had to stick a key into the keyhole, it took 3 times a long as it would take the right hand - it still does. Every day is a struggle, but the rewards are more than worth the troubles.

My right wrist is healing well - the pain has reduced rather significantly and although the swelling hasn't completely gone, I'd say I'm much better than when it first started to hurt. Today, I felt well enough to rejoin my yoga class.

Sure, I've decided without deliberation that I will not attempt arm balances - that's pure madness - nor will I persist in holding any poses if the injured area as much as hints discomfort. I thought I ought to have enough knowledge to make up feasible variations for poses I can't do. So I thought. I informed the teacher of my "delicate condition" before the class started. She said I musn't do the Plank or Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana). That's right, I thought, and definitely not handstands, which are one of her favourites, right after headstands.

I must be in good fortune today, for we started off with a lot of poses targeting the core, in which arm strength was almost unnecessary. Then, we moved to Wheel (Urdhva Dhanurasana). I stayed in Bridge (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) and sort of felt proud that I could actually do something in the place of the one I can't do!

Instead of Plank, I did elbow Plank. Still good. Instead of Downward Dog, I did Awkward Downward Dog on elbows. Yikes. I don't even want to describe how I elbowed a Cobra (Bhujangasana) To my great dismay, I realised the extent of my knowledge of pose variation is replacing hands with elbows when your hand hurts. Gah!

What's worse? During one of my elbowed Downward Dogs, the teacher addressed a newbie who happened to be right next to me.

"Don't follow what she's doing! Her hand is injured!"

I realised she was referring to me, and that the poor girl had actually been doing all the "variations" I'd been doing. Not only had I succeeded in showcasing weird, ugly "yoga", I'd inadvertently caused a first timer to pick up weird, ugly "yoga"...

I don't mean to be mean, but when I related this to my roomee, we both had a good laugh. New girl is so silly but adorably so! I hope she will continue her practice and if I have to resort to "variations" still next week, I hope she'll remember to ignore me!