Day 3: Check!

20 Minutes of MJ: Check

20 Minutes of yoga: Check

5 Minutes of Meditation/Pranyama: Check

Since being pregnant, I’ve added in the usage of one of those big balls.  Haha.  Off topic but have you seen the Shweaty Balls segment on the Christmas SNL?  Anyway…I love the big balls for for hip circles (lol sorry now I’m laughing), modified windshield wipers and a modified thread the needle pose.

I started doing sun salutations last night and had this incredible pressure in my head during down dog and child’s pose (almost like I was experiencing high blood pressure). :/  That plus swelling in my feet and hands, and a weight gain of 4 pounds in two days has made me think preclampsia!  Yuck.  Going to the dr. today to make sure it’s not.  I’d much rather work than be on bed rest for the next 3 months.  It’s probably not, but better safe than sorry.

I wouldn’t have known about high blood pressure and inversions (any pose where your head is lower than your heart) had it not been for teacher training!  I think Downward Dog is normally safe for people with high blood pressure, but like I said I have never felt that much pressure in my head before.

Check out the below quote from elisiumyoga.com:

“When we invert the body such that the head is below the level of the heart, there is a tendency for blood to pool into the head. This pooling of blood into the head greatly increases when one also elevates the lower body and legs above the level of the head. When we do Yoga poses and other forms of exercise, there is an increased demand for oxygen by muscle cells. The way that the body meets this increased demand for oxygen is by increasing heart rate and blood flow. So if we invert or place the head below heart-level during Yoga poses and other exercises, not only is there pooling of blood in the head, there is an elevated blood flow and pressure coming into the cranial region.”  www.elisiumyoga.com

From what I was taught there isn’t actually a “pooling” of blood in the head, just an increased blood flow, but they got the increased demand for oxygen and the increased blood flow part right.

Anyone else have a better explanation or link to an explanation for why to avoid inversions with high blood pressure?  I was in a hurry today and that’s the best I can find.

Also, ABC-of-yoga.com has some good suggestions for yoga poses to do with hypertension.

Well, off to my doctor’s appointment.

Shawnee

Update:  I went to the doctor and I do have high blood pressure!  :/  I hate when I’m right.  My doctor wasn’t in today so when the nurse asked the other doctor and he said he wasn’t that concerned.  Even though he’s not that concerned, I can’t help but be concerned.  I often don’t trust doctors.

I am still getting swelling in the hands, I’ve had swelling in my legs and feet for a couple weeks now and I have a pretty bad headache today.  Not to mention the sudden weight gain.  How do you explain that?

They want me to take it easy, keep my feet elevated and watch my symptoms.  I’m staying home from work today (Thursday) and hope to be back tomorrow.  We’ll see.

Looks like my yoga will be very light today with lots of pranyama.