Yoga in the torture chamber (aka hot room) has taught me all kinds of cool things about my body... chief among them: what it sounds like when you injure your hamstring. And what sound is that, you ask? A very crunchy pop!
The first time I heard the telltale pop was a year ago, in one of my first Yin classes. I was doing Winged Dragon pose with my left leg forward and tilted out, forearms on the ground, probably pushing myself too far, when I heard a springlike "boing!" from underneath my left leg, high up near my glutes. It was accompanied by a sizzling sensation. The injury wasn't debilitating, but that hamstring was sore for the better part of six months. I kept going to class regularly and stretching it out and eventually it healed into a nice, big, shapely, body-builder-esque hamstring. It is much better looking than my tiny right hamstring. Like I said, yoga makes you notice all kinds of cool things about your body.
Yesterday morning in Bikram, I heard the pop again, this time in one of my favorite poses: Standing Separate Leg Stretching. I leaned forward onto my toes, relaxed my pelvic floor, tightened up my quads (ostensibly to help release my hamstrings), and pulled my forehead toward the mat with my biceps.
Pop! From the underside of my right leg, way up under my glutes, in the middle of a very quiet class... there was that same spring-like "boing!" noise and some sizzling pain. Probably pushing myself too far, too fast again. This injury is not debilitating either, but it is tender even while sitting at my desk. Fingers crossed, I hope it heals into the same kind of freak monster muscle as its left side twin!
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