Getting sick when skip practice

[Medea]

Hi all,

I've recently encountered an issue for which I can't find a solution, so I hope somebody here has a suggestion.

I started AYP 1.5 years ago, and for the first year I never missed a session. The last months however, I've been travelling. I sometimes end up in situations where it is not possible to do proper practise (like having long bus rides etc). If I miss one session it is ok, but if I miss a whole day or more I start to feel sick. I get hangover/migraine like symptoms; pounding headache, sore body and nausea to the point of vomiting.

In most cases, as soon as I do proper practices the symptoms disappear immediately, but sometimes things have gotten so bad it takes a day or two to settle. Sleeping doesn't help, I wake up with the same headache and nausea. Also, doing a little bit of on the road practise doesn't make a difference. The symptoms don't disappear on themselves. Only when I do the whole set of practises I'm used to they go.

My practice routine has been the same for months, so that's not it. My travels are not hectic, but very relaxed with long stays in one place. I did a 10 day solo retreat 2,5 months ago (went very well, no complications during or afterwards), which is the only thing I can think of that triggered these episodes.

Is their anybody who has experienced something similar? Is this just a phase I'm going through? Any tips? All input is highly appreciated!

Love, Medea

P.s.: practices consist of: AYP asana sequence, SBP 10 min, DM 20 min, Samyama.

[AumNaturel]

There is the idea of superimposed cycles from lesson 148 which might make your solo retreat amplify your nice and steady routine. Other than that, I find yoga to bring in a balance of its own. So far it has made me overdo brahmacharya without knowing it. Maybe the extra balance it provides you makes you overlook some other aspect of your daily life. just a thought.

[gatito]

You're travelling at the moment: are you at high altitude (e.g. Himalayas) or in the tropics? It could be altitude sickness, diet, motion sickness or something else - and the symptoms could be being controlled/alleviated by your practice.

I'm a recent arrival at AYP but I took up meditation seriously about 30 years ago and when I was practicing, I rarely, if ever, got ill. At the first sign of colds or 'flu, I'd sit and meditate for an hour and the (apparent) onset never developed.

However, this is not at all scientific and I'm not advocating yoga as a cure . So, if you have access to a doctor, I'd get it checked out if I were you.

Hope you enjoy the rest of your travels and it settles down quickly.

With Love

gatito

[HathaTeacher]

I get far less jetlag when doing yoga and meditation daily 6 time zones away than when skipping them for a couple of days while in my home timezone...

[American Baba]

While certainly not ideal, I have done practices on buses, in airports, on flights, and on one occasion I walked into the lobby of a hotel at which I was not staying and found a little corner in which to do sbp and dm.  I generally limit practices to just these in public places.

[Medea]

Hi all,

thanks for the responses. I still haven't found out exactly what the problem is, since it is not environmental, and not motion sickness. But I I figure it out y'all are the first to know!

@Aumnaturel: Thanks for the food for thought.
@American Baba: I dear you to do your meditation in a bus on Lao roads

[American Baba]