Hi all:

Just a general question out there -- does anyone with moyamoya out there do yoga (pre or post surgery)?  I just went to my first class yesterday, post surgery (had gone a few times years ago pre surgery).  I'm exhausted to say the least - it's not easy!!  

That aside, I was more concerned with some of the positions.  There were a few times where we had to bend down, head down.  Every time we did I had this fear that all the blood in my head was being jostled around and that wasn't good for me.  I never fully went upside down with my head.  

I'm just wondering if anyone has done this before, esp post surgery.  Any thoughts are welcome.

Thanks,
Trina

Trina,
I am there with you! ::) I thought I was silly in thinking that it might be bad to put my head below my heart.  So, I am glad to hear that you are nervous about that as well. I love Yoga, however I adjust the some of the positions.  I take a class called Gentle Yoga. What type of class did you attend? Maybe you should consider changing, at least until you have a bit more energy.  If you were exshausted, you might want to reconsider the class. :P However, if you were just worn out from a good workout, I would go a few more times to see if it gets easier.  

Thanks for helping me not feel silly!! ;;D
Take care, Stephanie

hi there!

well, during yoga i stroked....so needless 2 say i don't attempt yoga anymore!!!!!take this 4 what it's worth. this was post surgically.

grasshopper

Hi Trina,
Well I think it just comes down to how you feel - if it's not right for you your body will let you know. Personally I do a full on gym workout doing Pump (Weight training class), Step aerobics and a gym workout with a personal trainer and have no problems. My neurologist and neurosurgeon are very happy with me doing all of this, but I listen to my body and do not hyperventilate, keep hydrated etc. As far as yoga goes, I don't actually do this but I do a moderated class called Body Balance which has a mixture of Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates. Oh and I had my surgeries 4 years ago.  Just take it easy - I would probably try to find an alternative to the Yoga you are doing until you are a little further down the track after your surgeries. This is all my two cents worth - everyone is different, and there are some people on this website who have been told not to do strenuous excercise, but it works for me and my specialists are Ok with it all
Hope this helps
Moira

Trina-
I did yoga for a year before my surgery and went back to it about six months after surgery.  It has been a tremendous help to me.  I was told that there was not a problem with doing inversions.  I sometimes have dizziness but so do others without MM.  Some days my balance is totally off and I just have to honor that.  I do ashtanga yoga which is extremely strenuous and some days are better than others.  I practice three times a week and for me, there has not been any problem but as we know, we are all very different!!!
I had a tough time getting back into it so don't be afraid to back off and give yourself lots of praise for just being there!!!
Good luck!
Chelsie

Chelsie and Moira,
Thank you for such encouraging words.  I just joined a gym and the advice you both share will be priceless.  I will start with very easy workouts and yoga classes. ;;D
LOL, Stephanie

Thanks all for your replies!

Moira:
You are my inspiration.  I hope to get to where you're at after four years!

Chelsie/Stephanie:
Thanks for sharing your experiences.  I am doing Dahn Yoga, which is a stretching/relaxation Korean Yoga.  I am trying to be slow about it.  It's not typical yoga; it's mostly stretching, but I get tired still from standing more than 15 minutes, so it's still hard for me.  I realized it's not just me though.   We had a new student orientation yesterday, and I learned almost everybody else experienced what I was experiencing, and that a lot of the extreme tiredness is normal for even those without brain surgery.  So, that was good to know.  One step at a time.  :)

Grasshopper:
I'm so sorry for what happened to you.  I hope you are doing better now.  Just to share a funny story -- the day I had my hemorrage (which revealed my moya moya) back in Jan, my boss asked our team if I had been overstressed that day.  I told him that it actually was the first day I was the least stressed since I started this job in Jan 2004.  He joked that maybe that was the problem.  ;)  

Trina