Last year someone was whining to me about their torn up toe. Yeah yeah yeah I said. Nope that hasn't happened to me, didn't you know I was invincible? Duh!
Slowly, my mortality revealed itself. Dry, chapped skin and callouses around my big toes have formed protective coverings marking exactly the spots where my toes roll from chaturanga to up dog and up dog to down dog. Yes, it is a little ugly but not the end of the world. Nothing a proper and regular pedicure regime couldn't counter. But now it has gone too far. There wasn't any callousing around the bottom of my big toe and a few days ago I noticed that the skin was tearing and then it just ripped. It looks like a splintered piece of wood and feels like it too.
"You have 'Mysore toe'?!" My friend yells. Huh--no, me? Of course not. She explains that that was why Sharath's toes were all taped up when we were in Mysore. Really? I ask her. Uh huh. The story goes that she went in to ask Sharath about it during the Indian afternoon class (westerners at crack of dawn, Indians in afternoon). "OH MY GOD! So THAT'S why you have tape on your toes!" She's yelling, he's adorable and quiet. He laughs a little and says shh.
Slowly, my mortality revealed itself. Dry, chapped skin and callouses around my big toes have formed protective coverings marking exactly the spots where my toes roll from chaturanga to up dog and up dog to down dog. Yes, it is a little ugly but not the end of the world. Nothing a proper and regular pedicure regime couldn't counter. But now it has gone too far. There wasn't any callousing around the bottom of my big toe and a few days ago I noticed that the skin was tearing and then it just ripped. It looks like a splintered piece of wood and feels like it too.
"You have 'Mysore toe'?!" My friend yells. Huh--no, me? Of course not. She explains that that was why Sharath's toes were all taped up when we were in Mysore. Really? I ask her. Uh huh. The story goes that she went in to ask Sharath about it during the Indian afternoon class (westerners at crack of dawn, Indians in afternoon). "OH MY GOD! So THAT'S why you have tape on your toes!" She's yelling, he's adorable and quiet. He laughs a little and says shh.
That toe thing drives me nuts. My teacher is always on me about rolling over my toes. I do it, but not in the fashion he would prefer. "But..." I told him, "haven't you noticed that all the people who are supposedly doing it correctly are the ones with bandaged toes? Why would I want to do it that way?". He had no answer, but I think it was out of exasperation more than acquiescence.
ReplyDeleteWow, now I"m scared. I have a lot of trouble rolling my toes--it's not a skin thing; they do hurt and I'm afraid to crack them if I really charge my weight on them. The first few times at practice I developed a little "jump" in and out of the dogs and chaturanga during the Suryas, and then I got called on that. I've been trying harder and managed to get to do something that "looks" a bit more like the rolling but I know I'm cheating. Fair enough, I've been practicing Yoga for a month, so I'm not a good parameter, but now reading about the fact that the actual rolling is so damaging I really do not understand why I should do it differently from the way I do it now... I"m with Liz on that one (sigh).
ReplyDeleteoops, don't mean to discourage anyone. I was being slightly dramatic, nairamsroads... please don't listen to me! Just keep faking it. ha!
ReplyDeleteL-actually, I was cheating and doing it the wrong way which is how I got my tear. Basically, from chat to up dog, I am doing this little backward scoot on my toes.
ReplyDeleteN-If you're doing it the "right" way it shouldn't be damaging. It's just that sometimes we get lazy and cut corners.Rolling from updog to downdog is a lot about bandhas and chat to updog is a whole body integration experience...
L-Bad Liz!
I've got a Harmony mat and it is so sticky and thirsty that I never slide on it, but it is sucking ALL the moisture out of my hands and feet. I am pumacing furiously every day in the shower and sleeping in socks with tons of moisturizer because my dried-out skin is starting to crack in *several* places. Boo. I've been limping around because of a crack on my big toe and a crack on my heel! It is so ouchy and ugly. I am so good about doing maintenance on myself but spending two hours on that mat every morning is rendering all my efforts useless. :(
ReplyDeleteI guess I should switch mats. But at least it taught me to keep my feet picked up nice and high in jump-throughs! It also stops me from faking my jumpbacks.
Hope your toe gets better soon.
Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, sometimes the props help us to practice better by showing some tough lovin'!
Oy! Rub your feet in at night with coconut oil and wear socks to bed...all toe things and callouses will heal :)
ReplyDeleteCaturanga toe treatment:
ReplyDeleteApply a thin coat of Super Glue to the affected area. Let it dry.
Apply another thin layer. Let it dry. Apply a third layer.
So not use tape. The Super Glue will eventually be worn away but the lifted skin will have healed.
If not, repeat treatment. Lot nicer experience than with tape.