Since the pandemic has forced us to stay inside, it’s a blessing in disguise in a way that we are now more capable of working on ourselves. Starting with physical and mental health, the best thing to rejuvenate our spirit and strength is yoga.

Foam Yoga Wedge | Yoga Direct UK

Start small and lying down to limit the weight-bearing on your sacrum: Draw one knee in and then the other, or practice thread the needle. (While “leveling” or “squaring” the pelvis is an accurate description of ideal alignment in symmetrical poses, note that when practicing asymmetric poses, the pelvis isn’t exactly “square”: Ideally, the two sides of the pelvis will move slightly with their respective legs. The stabilizing muscles of the pelvis can be further strengthened through a practice that encourages these small movements.) Great Value.This yoga wedge kit includes two wedges and a travel case for a great overall value. What We Liked:

Downward Dog

Repeat this sequence on the left side, then alternate sides until you have done it five times on each side, or feel a decrease in your pain. Don’ts of Yoga Practice

Yoga-Mad Cork Yoga Wedge | Eco Friendly Cork | Natural Cork Yoga-Mad Cork Yoga Wedge | Eco Friendly Cork | Natural Cork

As if the breathing, balancing, and flexibility aren’t hard enough, yoga can actually be really challenging on your wrists and hands. Even after years of practicing yoga, I still find myself wanting to stretch and massage my wrists after repeated sun salutations or a prolonged downward-facing dog. Even activities in which both sides of the body are worked fairly equally, like running, swimming, martial arts, and yoga, may contribute to SI dysfunction. “All physical activity requires a firm base from which we generate movement. If core muscle control is poor, the pelvis will be unstable during these movements, and SI dysfunction is one of the many diagnoses that could result,” Reif says. Reif recommends wearing a sacral belt like the Serola belt throughout your day, especially while you do any of the activities or exercises that seem to aggravate your SI joint. “An SI belt goes around the pelvis itself, about two inches below the waist, where it can help to do some of the stabilizing work your muscles or ligaments may not be doing,” he says.

When you are feeling mild to moderate SI pain, lunges, warrior poses, side bends, side planks, and seated poses ranging from cow face pose to easy seat should be avoided. “They will accentuate the asymmetry,” Reif says. It is not enough to tell someone with SI dysfunction to line up their frontal hip bones—they won’t be able to,” Reif says. “They need a manual manipulation, like an exercise called a ‘sacral reset’ or ‘sacral correction,’ which will realign the pelvis.” Additionally, it can hurt your SI (sacroiliac) joint, which connects the sacrum and bones of the pelvis, as well as supports the spine. Jai Sugrim, an NYC-based yoga teacher with more than 20 years of experience, says he sees this all the time with yogis. Movements like ascending or descending stairs or hills can be aggravating, and so can forward folds. Many people find that asymmetrical movements make the pain worse. Sometimes, SI dysfunction is also accompanied by pins-and-needles sensations in the hip or groin, and urinary frequency. For women, pain can be worse during menstruation and sometimes with intercourse. You might have a sense of feeling uneven or lopsided, and perhaps you’ve been diagnosed with or noticed a minor leg-length discrepancy.”