CREATE A SAFE PRACTICE
Yoga includes physical movements as well as an opportunity for relaxation, stress reduction, and relief of muscular tension. As is the case with any physical activity, the risk of injury, even serious or disabling, is always present and cannot be entirely eliminated. Yoga should NEVER hurt. If you experience any pain or discomfort, listen to your body, and immediately adjust or come out of the posture and ask for support from the instructor.
PRACTICE AT YO UR OWN LEVEL, BALANCING CHALLENGE WITH EASE If you are suffering or in pain, you’re not doing yoga. Pushing or straining to keep up with others will only create resistance and injury. You’ll make more progress if you take a compassionate attitude toward yourself and work from where you are, rather than from where you think you should be.
LET YOUR TEACHER KNOW ABOUT INJURIES AND VULNERABILITIES Avoid working any area of your body that is inflammed. Skip poses you can’t or shouldn’t do, or try a modified version or an alternative posture. Always listen to your body.
STIFFNESS Always warm-up before stretching. Never bounce while stretching.
HYPER-FLEXIBILITY Tendons and ligaments are too loose. Stretch the belly of the muscle. Engage and strengthen the muscles around vulnerable joints.
HERNIATED OR DEGENERATIVE DISK DISEASE Practice slowly and carefully. Maintain an extended (straight) spine in forward bends and spinal twists.
OSTEOPOROSIS Practice carefully at 100% to strengthen your bones. Alignment is important. Maintain extended spine in spinal twists. Support your spine in forward bends. Avoid forward and back spinal rocking or putting all your body weight on a vulnerable joint.
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE (UN-MEDICATED) Avoid inverted postures, or any positions where your head is below your heart. Avoid kapalabhati (skull-shining or breath of fire).
LOW BLOOD PRESSURE Come into and out of postures slowly. If you feel dizzy, bring your head below your heart (child’s pose).
ASTHMA Practice breathing exercises slowly and focus on relaxation.
EMPHYSEMA Avoid vigorous practice, ujjayi breath (ocean sounding breath), kapalabhati (skull-shining or breath of fire) and breath holding.
INFECTIONS OF THE HEAD AND NECK Avoid inversions.
DIARRHEA, HIATAL HERNIA, HEARTBURN, ULCERS Avoid kapalabhati (skull-shinning or breath of fire), abdominal pumping and inversions.
OVERACTIVE THYROID Modify postures that deeply stretch the front of the throat. Allow only a gentle curve in your neck or keep your chin tucked.
EPILEPSY Keep your practice gentle rather than overly vigorous. Avoid prolonged holding of postures. Avoid breath holding.
MENSTRUATION & PRE-MENSTRUATION Listen to your body, practice at your own pace, and allow your belly to relax as much as possible. Avoid strong abdominal work like ha-breaths (forceful exhales while saying “Ha!”), kapalabhati (skull-shining or breath of fire), abdominal pumping and abdominal strengtheners. Avoid strong, prolonged root lock (mula bandha) or abdominal lock (uddhyana bandha). Avoid full inversions with your feet off the floor (half inversions with feet grounded are okay). Avoid extreme backbends. Avoid prolonged holding of standing postures if you feel weak or tired.
PREGNANCY 1st trimester - Avoid vigorous practice and abdominal work as above. It’s okay to lie on your belly (prone). 2nd trimester - Avoid prone postures when they become uncomfortable. Use alternatives - standing, kneeling, supine or resting on your side. 3rd trimester - Practice gently, about 50-60%, as ligaments loosen up and can be easily overstretched. Use alternatives to postures that compress the belly. Lie on left side so as not to constrict the vena cava and aggravate varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Inversions may feel unstable and make breathing difficult. Instead, lie on your back with your legs resting against a wall. Postnatal - Practice at about 80% for 2 months as ligaments are still loose and vulnerable.
PRACTICE AT YO UR OWN LEVEL, BALANCING CHALLENGE WITH EASE If you are suffering or in pain, you’re not doing yoga. Pushing or straining to keep up with others will only create resistance and injury. You’ll make more progress if you take a compassionate attitude toward yourself and work from where you are, rather than from where you think you should be.
LET YOUR TEACHER KNOW ABOUT INJURIES AND VULNERABILITIES Avoid working any area of your body that is inflammed. Skip poses you can’t or shouldn’t do, or try a modified version or an alternative posture. Always listen to your body.
STIFFNESS Always warm-up before stretching. Never bounce while stretching.
HYPER-FLEXIBILITY Tendons and ligaments are too loose. Stretch the belly of the muscle. Engage and strengthen the muscles around vulnerable joints.
HERNIATED OR DEGENERATIVE DISK DISEASE Practice slowly and carefully. Maintain an extended (straight) spine in forward bends and spinal twists.
OSTEOPOROSIS Practice carefully at 100% to strengthen your bones. Alignment is important. Maintain extended spine in spinal twists. Support your spine in forward bends. Avoid forward and back spinal rocking or putting all your body weight on a vulnerable joint.
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE (UN-MEDICATED) Avoid inverted postures, or any positions where your head is below your heart. Avoid kapalabhati (skull-shining or breath of fire).
LOW BLOOD PRESSURE Come into and out of postures slowly. If you feel dizzy, bring your head below your heart (child’s pose).
ASTHMA Practice breathing exercises slowly and focus on relaxation.
EMPHYSEMA Avoid vigorous practice, ujjayi breath (ocean sounding breath), kapalabhati (skull-shining or breath of fire) and breath holding.
INFECTIONS OF THE HEAD AND NECK Avoid inversions.
DIARRHEA, HIATAL HERNIA, HEARTBURN, ULCERS Avoid kapalabhati (skull-shinning or breath of fire), abdominal pumping and inversions.
OVERACTIVE THYROID Modify postures that deeply stretch the front of the throat. Allow only a gentle curve in your neck or keep your chin tucked.
EPILEPSY Keep your practice gentle rather than overly vigorous. Avoid prolonged holding of postures. Avoid breath holding.
MENSTRUATION & PRE-MENSTRUATION Listen to your body, practice at your own pace, and allow your belly to relax as much as possible. Avoid strong abdominal work like ha-breaths (forceful exhales while saying “Ha!”), kapalabhati (skull-shining or breath of fire), abdominal pumping and abdominal strengtheners. Avoid strong, prolonged root lock (mula bandha) or abdominal lock (uddhyana bandha). Avoid full inversions with your feet off the floor (half inversions with feet grounded are okay). Avoid extreme backbends. Avoid prolonged holding of standing postures if you feel weak or tired.
PREGNANCY 1st trimester - Avoid vigorous practice and abdominal work as above. It’s okay to lie on your belly (prone). 2nd trimester - Avoid prone postures when they become uncomfortable. Use alternatives - standing, kneeling, supine or resting on your side. 3rd trimester - Practice gently, about 50-60%, as ligaments loosen up and can be easily overstretched. Use alternatives to postures that compress the belly. Lie on left side so as not to constrict the vena cava and aggravate varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Inversions may feel unstable and make breathing difficult. Instead, lie on your back with your legs resting against a wall. Postnatal - Practice at about 80% for 2 months as ligaments are still loose and vulnerable.