Yoga Injuries
Safety & Guidelines
Yoga is and should be a gentle practice. However, you can hurt yourself if you do the poses incorrectly or push yourself beyond your limits.
The numerous benefits that Yoga can bring far outshine the risk involved. Keep in mind, though, that this activity can only be advantageous if done properly. Not getting the poses right can only give you pain. You can get muscle strain and injuries in different parts of the body.
Injuries can occur due to various reasons. One of the causes of injury in Yoga practice is the repetition to doing poses incorrectly.
Moreover, you can experience pain if Yoga is not practiced the way it should be.
This activity is and should be a gentle and a no-rush practice.
It must not be taken as an avenue for competition that you force yourself into a pose to keep up with other yogis in your class.
Do not engage in negative dialogue with yourself as you explore the poses.
Practice compassion towards yourself and others. No judgments or expectations.
When you feel discomfort or pain, stop. Yoga is about sensation, not pain.
If you feel dizzy or nauseous while practicing, stop. If you feel any tingling or numbing sensation while practicing, stop.
Know the different parts of the body, which are prone to injury when practicing Yoga and determine what these injuries are:
Knees – Overstretching and/or tear in cartilage and ligaments can result from assuming poses such as the Lotus Pose without caution and warm-up exercises prior to the Yoga session.
Lower back and shoulders – Back sprain due to overstretching of ligaments and tendons is common. In addition, the disks in your spine can be damaged if certain poses like the Forward Bends Twist Poses are not done properly.
Wrists – Poses such as Downward Facing Dog, Crane Pose, and Hand Stand require you to bear your weight on your hands. This can result to strain in your wrists when done repetitively. Moreover, those with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) should refrain from doing poses that bear weight on the wrists. The CTS is a medical condition in which the nerve that runs down the arm and forearm is compressed at the wrist due to increased use of hands.
Neck – Make sure to relax and lengthen your neck first before doing poses such as the Plough Pose and Shoulder Stand. This is to prepare your neck muscles and to avoid neck problems.
