Have you tried Yoga?
I’m sitting at the doctor’s office and finishing up my checkup for the day. She goes over my final print out and says in a helpful tone, “Have you tried Yoga? I’ve added some information on it and think it would be just the thing to fix your health issues.” I try to keep from rolling my eyes all the way into the back of my head. Mom always said they would get stuck there anyway if I did that.
“Yes, in fact I have been doing Yoga and meditation work for two years now. As you can see, it hasn’t done much. Although I do appreciate the philosophy and practice of Yoga and admire anyone who can turn into a pretzel at the drop of a hat. I’m afraid Yoga isn’t super helpful with my inflammatory markers, LS, and Long Covid.”
The provider inevitably looks crushed, like I popped their balloon at a birthday party. But I don’t even try to make it better at this point. I find it exhausting to have to explain, that Yoga is not a miracle cure.
Don’t get me wrong. I do indeed love Yoga. And I have been doing Yoga for quite some time. It is a beautiful practice which brings harmony to the mind and body. While I can not get into super complex poses without needing someone to “undo” me or live stuck forever in Bakasana, I can do some pretty great stuff and find the discipline incredibly relaxing.
What gets me irritated is that every doctor and specialist I have seen acts like it is a miracle cure and by faithfully posing like a cow, dog, fish, chicken, or rack of lamb all my infirmities will be healed thanks to some mythical transcendence.
It also makes me a bit sad. It may be a just me thing, but sometimes suggesting Yoga seems like a cop-out for actually doing some research and finding things that can work. Like one of the medications my doctor put me on six months ago. I did Yoga for two years and my inflammatory blood work was off the charts. I was on this medication for six months and guess what? My inflammation is under control.
There is still a time and place for Yoga. And to recap, I do indeed love Yoga. However, to have doctors suggest that it will “cure” me is a bit much. I need my providers to research, speak with other providers, and work to find solutions to help me stabilize and thrive. I deserve more than a generic printout. I deserve real help and support for my chronic conditions and not generic suggestions that could actually cause more harm physically. I don’t want to have health issues. But I do and I am very vocal about my needs and will not replace actual medical support with unhelpful advice.