Consider beginning, or deepening, your yoga practice with me this coming week at Synergy! Mon & Wed, 6:30-7:45p. For those considering yoga in general, below is a little piece I wrote about yoga and injury. ~Kristine Over the last several years, there has been substantial media coverage about yoga and injury. The New York Times published several articles, and William Broad wrote a well-circulated book examining the risks and the rewards of yoga practice. While a bit of this attention may be sensationalism, and because media about yoga sells, the discussion of the risks and rewards of yoga is definitely important for all who practice. It’s absolutely possible to hurt yourself doing yoga. That possibility is a part of every pose and transition. It means we need to pay attention. A significant piece of developing an intelligent yoga practice is finding those fine lines between challenging yourself and injury. It’s about knowing your limits and working within them. Most of us who have practiced over a long period of time have experienced crossing the line, getting hurt and therefore more clearly establishing the boundary between “challenge” and “injury.” There are a few keys to safe practice: (1) Stay with the breath. If your breath gets scattered and frantic, you’re approaching a danger zone because you’re working too hard and not paying enough attention to sensation. Back off, slow it down, regroup, and find your breath again. (2) If a pose or movement feels bad, don’t do it. Pay attention. Just because the teacher said to do it, or the person beside you can do it effortlessly, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s right for you. (3) Learn your practice slowly. Start gradually, gently, bit by bit, and build from there. (4) Practice consistently. Let your body adapt to the movements so that they become familiar and not a struggle. Practice the basics at least several times a week. The chance of injury goes way up if you jump into an exertive practice sporadically. (5) Learn to distinguish the difference between a “stretching” sensation and pain. As you practice, you start to understand where your restrictions lie and how it feels when you’re working with them effectively vs. injuring yourself. Here are some thoughts from two of my teachers that are very helpful to keep in mind: “Hurting yourself is an option,” said Jeff Tiebot. “That means don’t do it.” He’s alluding to the fact that the way in which we approach practice is entirely up to us; paying attention and practicing intelligently is the responsibility of each practitioner. “The trick is to do this often, gently,” said Erich Schiffman. “Learn to do this in a way that you enjoy doing it. Savor the way it feels.”
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 15:26:16 +0000
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