My blog on Long Covid had a lot of likes. I am glad it was useful for some of you, see the link below if you missed it.
https://tranquability.com/2022/02/19/yoga-and-long-covid/
Since I wrote that article I had IT, Covid-19 that is. I would like to share my experience. My recovery included western and eastern ‘tools’.
Find the balance between accepting you have Covid, resting and doing some form of gentle exercise. We lose muscle tone very quickly.
I was in isolation for nine days (which is longer than the seven day rule set by our Government). I was weak for another couple of weeks after that. Talking to others the latter is common, it takes a while to ‘get back to normal’.
My symptoms were numerous and included runny nose, sore throat and elevated temperature for a day or so. My Doctor recommended I treat the symptoms by using nasal spray, sore throat gargle, vaporizing ointment (which works two ways: by inhalation or by rubbing directly on the skin, usually on the chest). Similar to your cold and flu season remedies.
It helps if you keep a reasonably well stocked pantry so you do not have to worry in the first couple of days, which might be the worse. I ordered groceries online and the delivery was contactless.
In the initial few days of the isolation I did some gentle yoga, mainly mobilizing the joints. Think of neck, shoulders, fingers, wrists, hips, knees, ankles and toes.
By day five I was able to join my Teacher’s online class and apart from the standing poses I managed to participate fully.
Most nights my evening routine includes one restorative pose before going to bed.
The favourite one is a variation on the ‘legs up the wall’ pose. Lay on the floor with buttocks close to the bed. Be warm. Let the calves rest on the bed or a chair. If your legs are short and the bed or chair is too high, place a folded blanket or towel under your sacrum to lift you up to a height where your calves and ankles are resting. See photo below:
Another relaxing pose is bending forward. Sit on the floor on a folded blanket or big towel. Lengthen the torso upwards before bending from your hips. In this pose we create space for the lungs. Resting the forehead quietens the busy mind. See two options below:
If you do not have bolsters to rest your chest on, you can do the forward bend by standing in front of your kitchen table and bend forward to rest your chest. You may place a towel or pillows on the table to make you more comfortable. Turn your head one way for a while then change to the other side.
Keep in touch with your social network, read a good book (a good crime will fill several your iso days). Once your are out of isolation go for walks, start with shorter ones.
If your symptoms do not subside please consult your Doctor.
Wishing you a full recovery!
Tranquability 