Is your yoga hurting you?

September 20, 7:26 AMTampa Yoga ExaminerDanielle Hope Hier

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  Seated forward bend. (Credit: Danielle Hier)

I have a number of students who come to me with chronic conditions and injuries, wondering if yoga will help them, fearful that it may make them worse.

My answer is always the same. “If you do yoga, you may hurt; but if you do nothing, than you will definitely hurt. “ The body is designed for movement. When it is stagnant, so is the internal energy. Atrophy will occur, along with the potential for disease.

How do you know when it’s “good pain” (the kind that’s a bit like shaking out your leg after it has fallen asleep. It hurts, but you know you can’t spend the rest of your days nursing a numb appendage), vs. a “bad” one? When is it recovery vs. injury?

I will preface this by saying that everyone who comes to me with any medical condition must get yoga approved from their healthcare provider.

However, from a yoga perspective, I can suggest a few things to be aware of, with regards to your practice.

1) Does it burn?

A burning sensation means that you are in danger of tearing a ligament, straining a muscle, or damaging a tendon. You wouldn’t want something burning in your house. The same is true in the house that is your body. If you feel burning, stop. It may be that the pose simply needs to be modified so that you are not going into it quite as deeply.

2) Does it pull?

Resistance is normal, particularly if your body is not accustomed to a new way of stretching, and you are already coming into the practice with an injury. Any pose that you adopt should feel like a comfortable stretch or pull. It is also normal to experience an unusual pull, because there’s a good chance you’ve been babying an injury during recovery, so that when you begin stretching and strengthening it again, there’s often an “Ooh. That’s odd” stretch, that actually feels good once you’ve taken a few deep breaths in the posture.

3) Does is shake?

Ever hold your leg overhead in a stretch and have it begin to shake violently? A light tremor means that your body is generating heat to allow you to stretch without pulling a muscle; much like your body will shake in cold weather to create heat to keep you warm. It is also a sign that energy is moving through the body, by making its way through previously blocked paths.

However, violent shaking is often followed by burning. This is your cue that you are taking your stretch too far, and need to lessen or come out of the pose.

4) Does it hurt the next day?

As a general guideline, mild soreness the next day, and for the first few classes in a new practice is normal. discomfort that last more than 48 hours is an indicator that you need to modify your practice.

Pain that persists for more than 3-4 classes warrants a closer look as well. Above all, keep your instructor informed. Don’t suffer in silence. We would rather you tell us if something is not working for your body, than have you give up on yoga, altogether. We would rather you “fire” us as instructors, and find a class that is better suited for you, than give up on yoga.

Oftentimes, yoga instructors get placed in the position of “doctor”, “psychiatrist”, and “nutritionist”, none of which we are (in most cases). We can adjust your postures within our scope of practice, and will refer you to the proper professional when necessary.