Managing Injuries & Expectations in Your Yoga Practice

“Action is movement with intelligence. The world is filled with movement. What the world needs is more conscious movement, more action.”
—B.K.S. Iyengar

As a yoga student, it is easy to get caught up in the physical aspects of the practice; the desire to stretch your body into new asanas and to potentially push past your limits to achieve impressive-looking shapes. However, it’s vital to remember that yoga is so much more than just the physical practice. At its core, it’s about deep listening. And that also means listening to your own body. 

If you want to avoid injuring yourself and maintain a safe practice, it’s important to know your physical limitations, understand the benefits of modifications and not get caught up in chasing after the perfect pose. Let’s dive into managing injuries and expectations in a yoga class.

1. Know Your Limitations

First, it’s essential to understand that everyone comes to yoga with different levels of flexibility, strength and mobility. In addition, there are anatomical differences that will always vary from person to person. Take forearm stand for example. If you have shorter upper arms (humerus bone), you may find that your head can’t clear the floor in a forearm stand. It isn’t about your shoulder strength or stability. It’s about the anatomy of your arms and neck! 

In Your Body, Your Yoga, author and yoga teacher Bernie Clark advises yoga students to think about “What stops you?” In other words, what is limiting your mobility? He then goes on to note it is one of two things: 

1. Tension, which is resistance of the tissues to being stretched or 

2. Compression, which is created by contact: bone to bone, flesh to flesh, bone to flesh. 

Both of these things should cause you to pause—one may change over time (tension), and the other most likely will not (compression). It is essential to listen to your body and be honest with yourself about your physical limitations. If you feel pain, it’s a sign that something isn’t right, and you should move more gently or stop altogether. Don’t push yourself past what feels comfortable, especially if you’re experiencing an injury.

2. Communicate With Your Instructor

If you have an injury or any physical limitations, communicate with your instructor before class. They may need to give you modifications, help you adjust your practice or even suggest alternative poses to mitigate the effects of your injury. Your instructor’s goal is to ensure your safety and to provide you with a positive and beneficial practice, so always ask if you have any concerns. At the same time, it is your practice and your responsibility to honor your own body. If an instructor is asking you to do something that doesn’t feel right, listen to your intuition and create a modification or take a pause in downward dog or child’s pose. The instructor will likely provide you with other alternatives when they see that you are listening to your body.

3. Embrace Modifications

Modifications help make poses more accessible and diverse to different bodies. They allow everyone to experience the benefits of the asana regardless of level of flexibility. So, embrace modifications and don’t feel like they represent a step back from the traditionally practiced poses. In fact, I often find that when I explore modifications, I find a deeper connection to the posture.

4. Avoid Comparing Yourself to Others

Yoga isn’t about competing with someone else or being better at the practice than your neighbor. It’s essential to avoid comparing yourself to others in your yoga class (or on IG!) and instead focus on your own relationship with the practice. This also means stop comparing yourself to your past self as well. There are some days when a vigorous vinyasa practice feels energizing and others where it feels depleting. Listen and make modfications so that you walk off the mat feeling better

5. Practice Mindfulness

Above everything else, yoga is a practice of mindfulness and presence. So, use your breath as a guide and pay attention to how your body feels in each pose rather than externally-focused goals. If you find that your breath is compromised, you’ve likely pushed yourself too far. Find a quiet, resting space and just pause. And then return to your practice with the reminder and intention to nurture yourself.