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Yoga Private Yoga Instructor Santa Monica Los Angeles Brentwood Pacific Palisades Bel Air Venice Marina del Rey Preventing Yoga Injuries

Published on August 10th, 2018 | by Catherine Tingey

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PREVENTING YOGA INJURIES

PREVENTING YOGA INJURIES

Any discussion of yoga would be incomplete without a mention of injuries.

Injuries do happen in yoga but they are preventable.

Injuries happen for two reasons: 1) we push ourselves too much 2) an inexperienced teacher literally pushes us (via an adjustment) too much.

This is why I believe it’s so important to work with a yoga teacher who is conservative, compassionate and embodies the Sanskrit principle of non-harm, ahimsa.

I have been injured in group classes by yoga teachers.

I know people who have been injured in group classes by yoga teachers.

I remember laying on a physical therapist’s table and the guy next to me had his hamstring attachments severed by a teacher’s adjustment in Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend.

Private Yoga Instructor Santa Monica Los Angeles Brentwood Pacific Palisades Bel Air Venice Marina del Rey Preventing Yoga InjuriesThis kind of occurrence gives yoga a bad name and frankly, makes me angry. It should not happen.

The best way to prevent injuries in yoga:

  1. Always listen to YOUR body. This is easier said than done, especially if you have the misfortune of a dogmatic teacher who is telling you what you should feel, as opposed to allowing space for your body to be unique.

  2. Request No Touching. Most studios have a system where you can decline hands-on adjustments by putting a small chip beside your mat. Unfortunately, I don’t see these used often by students – probably because people are embarrassed to be seen as different.

  3. Stay Close to Your Breath. This is the golden rule of yoga. If you focus on keeping your breath deep and free, you’ll be far less likely to overexert yourself to injury.

  4. Observe the language used. Are you being asked to pull, push, grab, yank on, force? Avoid teachers and classes where there is a culture of ‘pushing’.

  5. Keep Your Focus on Your Mat. Resist the urge to compare yourself to others in the class. If this is difficult for you, pick a corner where you have some space. Or practice at home with YouTube videos. Or hire a skilled private yoga instructor who can teach you yoga in a safe, non-judgemental space.

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Entrepreneur, yogini, designer, award-winning filmmaker, personal trainer and former marathon runner. She left a career in finance to start her own business and along the way, became a yoga teacher. She has been practicing yoga for 31 years and teaching privately for 11 years.


About the Author

Entrepreneur, yogini, designer, award-winning filmmaker, personal trainer and former marathon runner. She left a career in finance to start her own business and along the way, became a yoga teacher. She has been practicing yoga for 31 years and teaching privately for 11 years.



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