Parsvottanasana causing pain in left foot

[GregM]

Hello everyone,

I have recently started a yoga regimine and am now about 5 1/2 weeks into it.  Very recently, however, I started having difficulty with Parsvottanasana and any other asana that shares the same basic criteria with this pose, that being a hamstring stretch and weight centered over the left leg.  I am experiencing an unusual pain on the outside of my left foot.  It feels somewhat like a tendon or some other resilient cord-like tissue that is moving back and forth over a nerve.  Mind you, this is just a guess, but that's what it *feels* like.  This is a recent development occuring within just the past 3, maybe 4, sessions.  Any ideas as to why this is happening and how to rectify it?

Thanks,

GregM

[david_obsidian]

Hi Greg,

I find it very hard to advise on this,  particularly in this newsgroup setting (not that I personally am qualified anyway for anything more in-depth).   It could be as insignificant as some undesired connective tissue attachment that developed over the years and needs to stretch away.  If it is that,  it will disappear in time with just gentle stretching.

Another thing such a thing can be is a single muscle that is extra short or tense relative to its neighbors.  In that case,  it will also disappear in time with just gentle stretching.

Most importantly,  don't move too fast into your asanas.  You don't want to hurt a nerve and you can do that just by being to agressive.

So what I would suggest is just be gentle with the area for some time,  giving it only gentle stretches and if it does not start to go away,  seek further advice.

If you still want to get stretching going in that area at some speed, in that area you can consider doing gentler stretches for a longer time,  rather than stronger stretches for a shorter time.  But don't overdo it.  An obvious warning sign is strong pain -- a less obvious warning sign is numbness -- never push ahead through either numbness or notable pain.

That's the best advice I have for you.  Maybe you can get more from other people here.

-David

[Victor]

well I am curious about a couple of things since this is one of my favorite poses. First, what are you doing with your hands? are they in namaste behind the back or supported in some way? you can press your hands on a wall or on the back of a chair to take some strain off of the leg for example.
 The main thing though is to have the hips squarely facing the front leg. If your right leg is the front leg make sure that your hips (left and right hip bones) are both facing exactly the direction that the right foot is facing.The same goes with the chest and the waist. They should all be lined up facing the right knee or foot. there may be a stretch in the buttock but that is a good stretch. Then you might slightly bend the right knee to deepen the stretch in the hamstring and slowly with the breath move it toward straight but never lock that knee. Go from 90% straight to 95% straight to 98% straight etc but never locked straight. Then at the same time take as much weight as possible on the left leg.
 A picture of your pose would help alot though because its very hard to advise without looking at your alignment

[GregM]

Hello & thanks for your replies.

Victor, I am, in fact, doing namaste behind my back.  I'm a stickler on form and I do my best to ensure I'm doing the form correctly & at all times.  Sadly, personal instruction isn't an option currently, but I have Iyengar's "Light on Yoga" and "Yoga: The Iyengar Way" by the Mehta's serving as a decent substitute.  I appreciate your advice regarding the alignment of the hips as that may play *some* part in the issue I'm having.  My focus has been on trying to extend further and lower as well as relaxing my stretched hamstring more, so I'll examine that more closely next time.  Next time I do the form, I'll see about having a picture taken.  

David, as the problem presented itself only about a week to a week and a half ago, I'm inclined to think that it isn't a muscle that's too short or tense in relation to its neighbours.  That would've been something I'd be aware of from the start of my practice.  And as I haven't done anything to aggravate that area since starting practice, either, I'd also conclude that it's not something I actively did to incur this problem.  So it's my guess that the problem has always been there and time itself has borne it out as I've progressed in the asana.

Thanks again and I'll let you know if (when) I'm able to rectify it.

Namaste,

GregM