I Have Hypermobile Joints

I Have Hypermobile Joints

What they call double-jointed

He teaches a type of yoga that involves stretching. Harish Garg

June 21: International Day of Yoga. Do you practice Yoga? If so, what’s your favourite asana(s) and when and how did Yoga enter your way of life? (Anu maheshwari)

Twenty years ago, I used to go to a yoga class on Monday nights at the local hall. Our teacher took up yoga to help with his pain. He was not very flexible. He couldn’t go anywhere close to touching his toes. I’ve never struggled. I can reach down and put my hands flat on the floor.

Or pick up a matchbox off the floor while standing on a wooden fruit box. It was a party trick of mine. Another party trick was to pick up a matchbox from the floor with my mouth without letting any other part of my body touch the floor. I’d do this by using my legs scissor-wise back and front. My sister can also do this trick but by spreading her legs to the sides. We are both what they call double-jointed, but it is actually hypermobility in the joints. My sister does yoga at home every week. She watches her yoga teacher on Zoom. She can’t attend classes. She has zero immunity. She credits yoga with getting her through four bouts of cancer.

The last yoga class I did was chair yoga, which I didn’t really enjoy. I've done Tai Chi, which looks easy but I found it quite hard. I haven’t done any yoga since COVID, but I can still lay my hands flat to touch the floor even with my fake knees. I can feel the stretch in my spine.

Until Keeley went back to university last year, I haven’t been able to attend my scheduled physiology class on Tuesday. I quite enjoy that class. I try to impress with my ball skills. It’s a circuit class with a bit of everything thrown in, even boxing.

[embed]June is Bustin’ Out all Over Writing prompts coming out the yin-yangmedium.com