Kundalini yoga giving me a heart attack?

[karenhillary]

HI there--I tried to do this Kundalini yoga workout tape by Gurmukhe. I bought the tape because I loved her prenatal yoga tape--I always felt better after doing it. So The Kundalini tape was so much harder, I think maybe I was trying to hard, but while doing the waist twists I felt a strange pain in my upper chest along with nausia. I stopped and tried to breath through the pain. It gradually stopped. Now I'm thinking, could I have possible almost have had a heart attack? Dh thinks I'm overreacting. Thanks anyone!---karen

[daylily]

I'm not qualified to give medical advice, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to call the dr. just to set your mind at ease. I've been suffering mysterious chest pains since the end of May. I had an echocardiogram and apparently my heart is fine, but chest pain is scary.

[MaWhit]

Probably not a heart attack

But Kundalini Yoga does have a reputation for causing/contributing to heart problems. That type of Yoga involves some very serious energies... I read that doing Kundaluni Yoga for fitness purposes in a serious misuse. I don't know much about this type of Yoga, so someone please correct me if I'm wrong. But if I were you, I'd avoid it for awhile... Try some Hatha or something.... Just my opinion...

Whitney

[daylily]

Maybe all the contortions you were putting yourself through caused your stomach to regurgitate some acid. This sometimes gives pain that mimics a heart attack. And it would explain the nausea as well.

[KarenB]

My chiro told me that my one of my ribs was out of line or dislocated when I had chest pains. Mostly pain taking a deep breath but the pain and fear also produced nausea. Just another opinion...

[yogamama]

If you were experiencing any chest pains (or ANY pain) then that is a sure sign of trouble. I don't think that Kundalini yoga should be done without an instructor, unless you are fit and have practiced with an instructor before.

If you want to do some gentle yoga videos, try the AM/PM Yoga tapes or Beginners Yoga from Yoga Journal. Or can you take a class with an instructor? And maybe you need to see a doctor...

How are you doing now?
Let us know...
Kathleen

[karenhillary]

Thanks everyone!

Thanks you guys--I ended up talking to my doctor--my heart is fine--but I am definately staying far away from that kudalini yoga tape! When I talked to my doctor about it he said that only vegatarians should do yoga. Can this really be true? Yoga is one of the only healthy things I do for myself and I still want to do it. I'm really unflexible--so I can't do the hard stuff anyway. ---karen

[daylily]

Only vegetarians should do yoga???

I'm a yoga novice (I've been taking classes for exactly 3 weeks), but I don't recall my instructor saying anything like that. I do have a cookbook caled "The Yoga Way" and it's vegetarian. The two seem to go well together. Maybe one of the more experienced yoga moms can reply? I'm curious too.
Thanks for the update, KarenHillary. I was wondering what happened.

[yogamama]

I'm a yogi who is not a vegetarian. I wonder why your doctor thinks you can't eat meat and do yoga.

It is true that many yogis are vegetarian because of their deep respect for all living creatures. I have gone years without eating meat and my body craves red meat and so now I eat it (in moderation) and bless it.

I say "start where you are" in your yoga practice. Namaste.
Kathleen