Hi Dana,

I am sorry to hear about your injury 🙁 They really can be a bummer, especially when we get so much out of teaching. I taught for a couple of years with chronic low back pain and was eventually made to not demo, or practice much, at all for a year. It was really hard at first but found an even deeper connection to my students through that year. My communication skills increased immensely as I had to be very specific in what I wanted to communicate. I used the opportunity to invite my students to listen with their own ear to the words that I said and to feel more intimately in their own bodies about what movements created what sensations for them. I watched my students practice develop faster than I ever had before! My own practice deepened in all other limbs – meditation, pranayama, and studying the practical application of the yamas and niyamas. Oh and yin…I found yin and I’ve never gone back 🙂 I took my yoga practice off of my mat and into my relationships, rock climbing and lifting weights. It’s been a slow road to recovery but the classes that I am able to teach now have a depth greater than just asana. Overall, I think that teaching through my injury helped me find my authenticity as a teacher. I learned a ton about what I was experiencing physically and have been able to share that experience with others.

I hope this helps. Sending you lots of good vibes lady. Stay positive and get creative!

xo Krystyn