Why Participants Get Hurt Practicing Yoga & Ways to Avoid Injuries

Updated: Apr 4

Hi Guys, 👋🏽

As this month brings us International World health day (April 7th), it seemed appropriate to discuss a few reasons why participants get hurt during yoga practice 🧘🏽‍♀️ and how to avoid injuries.

When I discovered the benefits of yoga, I felt as if I could do anything! I practiced often, but every once in a while I would push myself into an injury, or exacerbate old ones. And believe me, I had old injuries. But I couldn't understand why I was injured if yoga was so gentle. 😕 Yoga brings relief from a host of problems, right? I laugh now as I think back to those early years. 😅 What I didn't realize was that I understood and paid more attention to volleyball and Kung fu more than to my body.

Yoga calls for a listening to, feeling, and a comprehension of my breath and body. Yoga calls for my focused attention 😌 to me from the inside out - mind, spirit, breath, body in one accord. 🙏🏽

Injuries can be caused by a variety of things and in a number of ways. In no particular order, here is a short list:

Not warming up before class
Unawareness of one's own body
Pushing beyond one's capabilities too soon and too early
Ignoring warning signs of pain or injury
Not listening to, or forgetting instructor's advice
Infrequent or sporadic practice
Returning to practice too soon after an injury

So, how can you avoid injury during your practice?

Step onto your sacred mat with the right mindset, ready for yoga
Breathe: inhale and exhale deeply end with intention
Do a gentle warm up when practicing on your own. When in class your instructor should also do a warm up

📝 I often did, and sill do my own warm-

ups before classes - even as an

instructor.

Be aware of any injuries you already have.
Only do movements wherein you can avoid exacerbating your injuries
Accept that every movem