{"id":3493,"date":"2016-11-03T14:01:43","date_gmt":"2016-11-03T14:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movementformodernlife.com\/blog\/?p=3493"},"modified":"2017-09-08T12:55:04","modified_gmt":"2017-09-08T12:55:04","slug":"injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movementformodernlife.com\/blog\/injury\/","title":{"rendered":"Avoiding Injury In Yoga"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s been a lot in the press lately about the regulation of yoga and the yoga industry. It goes without saying that a teacher should go through rigorous training before they teach – but should this be done by just one yoga school? \u00a0At MFML, we don\u2019t think so.<\/p>\n

\"fig-pain\"<\/p>\n

We Celebrate Diversity In Life<\/h4>\n

This is why, on the site, we have teachers from different yoga traditions. Some traditions suit some bodies at some times better than others. As\u00a0with life, there\u2019s no \u2018one size fits all\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

What About Injury?<\/h4>\n

It is interesting that part of the discussion about regulation has been in the interests of reducing injury. In fact, there\u2019s not much evidence that yoga is particularly injurious.<\/p>\n

In Dec 2014, research<\/a> was released to say that:<\/p>\n

\u201cLess than 1% of individuals who had ever practiced yoga (n<\/em> = 2230) reported an injury from yoga that led to discontinued use.\u201d\u00a0 International Journal Of Yoga<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We all risk a possibility of a sprained ankle when walking across a field, or a torn ligament when running if you\u2019re not warmed up. Not to mention RSI or carpal tunnel from tapping away at your computer. Injuries can happen all the time, it\u2019s a question of being mindful about what your body\u2019s doing and only doing things within your range of capability.<\/p>\n

Does Doing Yoga Online Increase The Risk Of Injury?<\/h4>\n

It depends how it\u2019s done. If you\u2019re practicing at home by just doing what the teacher is doing without listening to your body, or craning your neck to see the screen, you may injure yourself!<\/span><\/p>\n

But if you go to a crowded yoga class where one teacher is meant to look at sometimes upwards of 30 students and individually guide them, this may be more potentially injurious as our ego\u2019s tend to jump in here.<\/p>\n

If we are led by our ego, we can stretch and strain beyond our capabilities to impress the person next door. If we are not aware of our body and too reliant on the teacher seeing us we are giving too much of our power away.<\/p>\n

Stay Present In Your Body – It Is The Most Potent Teacher<\/h4>\n

We\u00a0advise that you practice with a seasoned teacher. Not necessarily the most famous teacher, but a teacher who has been practicing and teaching yoga for years. That\u2019s where our handpicked selection of senior teachers kicks in – to give you a reassurance that if they\u2019re on our\u00a0site, they\u2019re pretty special teachers.<\/span><\/p>\n

See if you can practice each movement as mindfully as possible, so that you start to enquire into your body as to the feelings during practice.<\/p>\n

Feel The Sensations<\/h4>\n

What is the healthy ache of a muscle being used? As soon as your body doesn\u2019t like something it will give you a warning sign – usually a sharp pain or something you automatically back away from – listen to that.<\/p>\n

The general rule: Any pain at all, stop what you\u2019re doing immediately. However, if you have a dull ache in a muscle, that’s okay. Our recommendation if you are a newcomer in a fast paced class and you haven\u2019t done a foundations course: Go easy.<\/p>\n

To minimise injury in practicing yoga at home, I would recommend you see a teacher in person 1:1 regularly. They can check your alignment and give you personal attention to an extent that many class teachers won\u2019t be able to. Check that the classes you choose are suitable for you, and a good teacher will help to bespoke your practice, whilst challenging you within your own capability.<\/p>\n

My own top tips for safety is to leave your ego tucked away in a box, lock it, and throw away the key. If we stop striving for positions and just feel what we feel and enjoy the process, your yoga is unlikely to hurt you and you\u2019ll enjoy your practice more.<\/p>\n

Play Safely!<\/h4>\n

Founder of project WAWADIA – or ‘What Are We Actually Doing in Asana’, Matthew Remski, talks with Kat Farrants, Founder of MFML about his experience of working in the yoga community.<\/p>\n

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