Body and Breath - Yoga Shop Talk

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Yoga shoptalk, September, 2001

Question: I am a 40-year-old mother of three children and have been diagnosed as having Pelvic Congestion Syndrome. Beyond the diagnosis, my doctors seem at a loss. Are there any yoga postures that might be helpful in alleviating my pain and discomfort?

Answer: First of all, go to http://www.refdesk.com on the internet and do a Google web search of two words: pelvic congestion. You’ll quickly find that the common denominator for Pelvic Congestion Syndrome is varicose veins in the pelvis. You should be aware of medical treatments, but you asked about yoga postures, and the classic suggested remedy for this condition (as well as for varicose veins in the thighs and legs) in hatha yoga is inverted postures. After consulting with and getting clearance from your doctor, you can experiment with inverted poses. If the headstand and shoulderstand are a little extreme, which will probably be the case, and if even the easy inverted action postures (figs. 9.2 and 9.3b) are beyond your capacity, you can simply lie down on the floor and work your pelvis up onto a thick bolster or couch. The idea is to bring your torso to a 45 degree angle (hips up and shoulders down), which will soon drain much of the blood out of the engorged veins of your pelvis and lower extremities. This will tend to bring the opposing inner walls of the thin-walled veins into close proximity, and that, for reasons that are not entirely clear, seems to bring healing and relief. Try it for 5-10 minutes four or five times a day (always staying within your capacity), and if it works, be sure to report the good news back to your doctor!