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Aaron St. Pierre
As I was falling I started turning clockwise. I could hear something rubbing against the rock as I thought to myself “Why am I still falling?” I watched as my ankle hit the ledge and snapped inward breaking at the tibia, fibula, and malleoli. I hoped it wasn’t that bad but I knew it wasn’t good. My next thoughts were “How am I going to teach and practice?”
My name is Aaron St. Pierre. I’ve been practicing Bikram Yoga for the past 4 years and graduated from the Fall 2010 Teacher Training in San Diego. I was admitted to Mass General Hospital and underwent surgery on May 27, 2011. It took one long plate and 8 screws of various lengths to repair my ankle. I had broken every part of the ankle along with the tibia and fibula (the bones of the leg). The surgery was a success but there were no words that could have explained what I was to see a few days after the surgery.
(See photo on left -- click to enlarge)
Exactly three weeks later I was back in the hot room practicing. The first class back was very difficult. Not from a physical perspective, but an emotional one. Prior to the accident I had a very strong practice. Now I was disabled and had to sit on a stool to practice. As we went down for Padahastasana I felt a wave of emotion rush over me. “What had I done to myself?”, “You are such an idiot!” “You can’t do anything!”. I realized at that moment that I had to focus on what I could do not what I couldn’t. As a Bikram Yoga Teacher I always say “It isn’t about the posture it is about trying the right way. As long as you try the right way you get all of the benefit.”
Prior to my first class I sat down with Tomo and we went over every posture. The goal was be able to do as much as I could while still preserving the integrity of each posture. Even with an injury as significant as this we found that the integrity of each of the postures could be maintained and I was able to try the right way and get all of the benefits.
After my first class I was amazed at how much I could do! Moreover I was amazed at how much my perspective improved. I was doing something to help myself heal. More importantly a healing modality as powerful as Bikram Yoga.
“From the bones to the skin, fingertips to the toes!”
Only eight classes later and the improvement can be seen clearly.
(See photo on right -- click to enlarge)
I am practicing daily and committed to restoring full range of motion and health to my ankle. Each day, each class I am able to do more and more. I have to push myself to see where the pain is at each day as every day is different.
Injury is never a reason to stay out of the hot room. In fact injury is only more of a reason to get in there and work on healing! If you are struggling with an injury and need suggestions with respect to practicing please talk to us.
With Love,
Aaron J. St. Pierre
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