Tips for Avoiding Yoga Injuries
1. Let the teacher know if you already have an injury
Before class starts, give the teacher a heads up if you're recovering from an old injury or if you've had any sort of surgery that might affect your practice. Carpal tunnel syndrome and back, knee, neck and shoulder injuries will definitely require some adjustments. Your teacher will help you to modify postures accordingly.
If you have an acute injury, it's better to skip yoga altogether and allow your body to heal rather than stressing the body further.
2. Let the teacher know if you have certain health conditions
Modifications may be needed for some types of health conditions. If you have high or low blood pressure, insomnia, or heart problems, be sure to tell your teacher before class starts.
If you're pregnant, it's best to take prenatal yoga classes only.
3. If it hurts, don't do it
Your own body is your best teacher. If a particular posture gives you pain or just doesn't feel right, then back off. There's a difference between a good stretch and pushing the body over the edge. Yoga should never hurt.
We come in all shapes and sizes with different bone structures, stamina, and flexibility. This means that we won't all able to practice the same postures. Learn the limitations of your own body and respect them.
4. Take rests when needed
Yoga is not meant to exhaust the body, so take mini rests in corpse pose (savasana) or child's pose (balasana)when needed. Huffing and puffing, breathing through your mouth, and feeling light-headed are all signs that it's time to take rest. Don't worry about falling behind in class. After 30 seconds or a minute in child's or corpse pose, just jump right back in. Teachers will respect you all the more when you honor your body in this way.
5. Give your body a chance to rest at the end of class
Nearly all yoga classes will end with five to ten minutes of rest in corpse pose (savasana). This might feel like a yoga nap time, but it's really a chance to rejuvenate the body after a yoga practice. It also allows any lactic acid buildup to be released. When you give your body this time for relaxation, you'll leave the studio feeling energized and revived.
6. Hydrate after class
Hydration is especially important after you've been to a sweaty yoga class like Bikram, Ashtanga, or vinyasa. You'll need to replenish your fluids, so drink plenty of water throughout the rest of the day.
Yoga is also a process of detoxification. The twisting, pressing and stretching of the abdominal organs encourages the elimination of toxins, so you'll want to hydrate well to aid this purification process.