How can I repair my body after a Vipassana retreat?

Sven, modified 8 Years ago at 1/21/16 7:16 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 1/21/16 7:16 PM

How can I repair my body after a Vipassana retreat?

Posts: 9 Join Date: 1/21/16 Recent Posts
I recently finished a 3 month retreat and my body is pretty banged up in several places. I am looking for something to help me fix it up as well as keep it in shape during future retreats. I am thinking tai chi would be a good choice but I am still new to this and looking for anything people have found useful. Thanks.
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svmonk, modified 8 Years ago at 1/21/16 10:18 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 1/21/16 10:18 PM

RE: How can I repair my body after a Vipassana retreat?

Posts: 400 Join Date: 8/23/14 Recent Posts
Hi Sven,

Usually a couple nights in the hot tub work for me. Other people who have more problems get structural integration (aka rolfing). But I think a somewhat more skillful course is to avoid post-retreat problems in the first place by doing physical practices during the retreat to keep your body in good condition. Basically yin yoga and I usually take some yoga balls along to roll out places in my body that get knots or push in bones that get out of alignment. I have one spinal vertebra in my thorassic spine that sometimes gets out of place, and I use the yoga balls to push it back in. If I don't, I end up with back pain. This means that you need to have a close awareness of what is happening in your body and take action if something seems to be not right.

Hope that helps.
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Daniel M Ingram, modified 8 Years ago at 1/24/16 5:00 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 1/24/16 5:00 AM

RE: How can I repair my body after a Vipassana retreat?

Posts: 3268 Join Date: 4/20/09 Recent Posts
which places?
Sven, modified 8 Years ago at 1/24/16 8:10 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 1/24/16 8:10 PM

RE: How can I repair my body after a Vipassana retreat?

Posts: 9 Join Date: 1/21/16 Recent Posts
Thank you for the advice, I think I will look into rolfing when I get home, there are definitely some vertibre out of position. I will try to be more skillful during my next retreat, this was my first long retreat and the said I should "practice without regard for life or limb". I will practice with more regard in the future lol.
Sven, modified 8 Years ago at 1/24/16 8:12 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 1/24/16 8:12 PM

RE: How can I repair my body after a Vipassana retreat?

Posts: 9 Join Date: 1/21/16 Recent Posts
There some pain in one of the very lowest areas of the spine, as well as pain in the knees and thighs. I think they are getting better since I have been off retreat for a few days now, but I would like to make my body stronger for the next retreat.
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Daniel M Ingram, modified 8 Years ago at 1/25/16 5:18 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 1/25/16 5:18 AM

RE: How can I repair my body after a Vipassana retreat?

Posts: 3268 Join Date: 4/20/09 Recent Posts
I personally am a big fan of deep tissue massage.

As to strenghtening those things, yoga can definitely help, as can just sitting more consistently in daily life, but it is also possible that you should modify your sitting posture and/or rotate sitting postures, as it is possible to simply damage yourself by sitting in some way your particularly body doesn't like for too long.

On some retreats, I have rotated between Burmese Friendly position, benches, chairs, sitting kneeling on a cushion or two, half-lotus, full-lotus (I am lucky in that I am very flexible, likely due to having a connective tissue disorder, such as Ehlers-Danlos hypermobility type, I am beginning to speculate), and found that this sort of rotation helped my body weather the long sitting hours a lot better.

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