While there is a lot of buzz about the benefits of a regular yoga practice, Time Magazine recently reported that more and more doctors are seeing an increase of yoga-related injuries. While doctors are simultaneous encouraging their patients to take up yoga for back and neck pain, one thing is for certain—like any exercise that is performed improperly, you can get hurt doing yoga if you don’t do it right? So, how to avoid yoga injuries?
Find a qualified teacher
This is perhaps the most important way to stay injury-free during class. Although it would be great if every yoga teacher had undergone intensive training, that’s not always the case for each teacher. In an effort to standardize teacher training, the Yoga Alliance issues 200 hour and 500 hour certifications. So, when choosing a teacher, check out their credentials before you start practicing. Remember, the more experienced a teacher is, the less likely he/she will be to push you beyond your limits or comfort zone.
Don’t show off!
At one point or another, we’ve all been guilty of this. We each have our favorite pose and we try to push ourselves extra hard to look REALLY good doing it. Or we might see someone else in the class performing an advanced posture, and we want to try it too. This is how injuries occur! Yoga is all about the spirit of non-competition. While it may be fun to try putting your leg behind your head, it’s not worth risking getting hurt if you’re not ready to try it!
Try not to over-do it
It’s important to listen to your body during class. If you’re a frequent yoga practitioner, you know that your body responds differently each day. One of the most important aspects of yoga is getting to know your own body and exploring what you can do. At the same time, if you’re not ready to progress into a pose, it’s perfectly acceptable to set a goal for yourself and try it some other time.
Perform the postures correctly
If you’re unsure about how to do a pose, stop and ask the instructor. Proper alignment is very important to staying safe during yoga, so take special care to make sure that you approach a new pose with caution. If you find that a particular asana hurts, don’t do it! While it’s good to push yourself, the “no pain, no gain” mentality won’t help you stay injury-free!
The best way to avoid injuries during yoga is to just be patient with yourself! Stamina, flexibility, and strength will all come in time if you just keep at it!
