People keep asking me whether I can do everything I used to be able to do before I had my double hip replacement. What a hard question!
Here’s a shot of me in 1990 doing a backbend, pre-hip arthritis.
And, here I am 22 years later teaching my bionic hips how to extend.
Urdhva Dhanurasana
Those of you out there with your perfecto-meters will note that as a 68-year old, my shoulders are stiffish, but, hey, I used to be overly flexible.
It’s a funny thing. When I had my natural hips, I didn’t get as much sensitive enjoyment out of them in this pose.
The thing is, just because you can do this pose well, it’s not necessarily going to make you happier, or a nicer person, or even bestow you with better health. I mean, I ended up with osteoarthritis, for goodness sake. I’m still working on the ‘being nicer person’ thing 🙂
If you find doing urdhva dhanurasana a bridge too far and would like to work towards it or feel some of its lovely openings, try the supported bridge pose on a block. And remember, yoga isn’t about doing things perfectly. It’s about quietening your mind to meet the nice person inside.
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