I have undergone multiple surgeries and have a unique depth of knowledge in pain management, strengthening the body in ways that might make surgeries avoidable, as preparation for surgery and as rehabilitation back to a full movement practice after a surgery or joint replacement.

In September 2019, I had a bilateral hip replacements.  In 2023, I had lumbar fusion surgery.  In 2025 I had to have one of the hip replacements revised because the bone never fully adhered to the prosthetic on one side, then a few months later I had to have my right shoulder bicep tendon and rotator cuff repaired.

People ask me often if it was the rugby or the yoga that caused all of these injuries.  But it's not as clear cut as that.  There are lots of people who have done much less activity than I who end up needing surgery.  There are lots of people in the world who have done WAY more grueling activities and never need any of these types of surgery.  Genetics handed me some dysfunctional hips, an oddly shifted vertebra, and some connective tissues that became weak despite me doing all the right things to keep everything strong and mobile.

The pain in my hips started years before I finally decided I needed surgery, but my mindset was one of "let's see if I can fix this with strength and mobility."  So I started on a long journey of learning about anatomy, pain science, functional mobility, and how to bring what I call "functional alignment" into my yoga asana.  I learned how to add load to yoga asana to make it more of a strengthening workout, and I learned about the brain and nervous system and different ways to stimulate (or calm) those for the best outcome.  For each of of my injuries, these techniques allowed me to reduce or eliminate the pain for long bouts, putting off surgery until it was absolutely necessary.  In addition, practicing yoga in this way created strength all the way around my joints so that my rehab and recovery were faster and easier than if I had not built as resilient a body as I could, given my genetics.

So if you have pain, I feel you.  I see you.  There is a lot that we can do within a yoga practice to manage and alleviate pain, and a yoga practice can be a safe space within which to perpare the body before surgery and to rebuild the body afterwards.  If you don't have pain, let's bulid up that body awareness and resilience to keep it from ever knocking at your door.

Practice with me to learn ways to strengthen AND mobilize the body at the same time, and maybe a brain hack or two.
 
Of all the things the universe could have become, it became YOU, exactly as you are.  And your yoga practice should serve, stimulate, strengthen, and enliven YOU, exactly as you are.

Namaste.