Hear this loud and clear: Your yoga practice shouldn’t hurt.
In my years of teaching yoga classes and leading the anatomy sections of teacher training, I heard so many stories of yogis in pain.
- Shoulder and wrist pain in sun salutations and arm balances
- Neck and low back pain in backbends and forward folds
- Hip and knee pain in warriors and pigeons
Some of the students had seen healthcare professionals who recommended avoiding yoga altogether. But for the love of the practice or the necessity of their teaching schedules, these yogis had silenced their intuition, ignored the signals from their bodies, and continued to practice through pain.
There is another way, and although it involves changes to prevent and alleviate the pain, it doesn’t require abandoning the practice.
It begins with releasing these common assumptions:
- The teacher always knows the “right” way.
- More is better.
- No pain, no gain.
Instead, what if your practice were an adventure? YOUR adventure. These five tips will help you develop a rewarding and pain-free experience on the mat.
Build gradually.
A strong practice is built with progressive challenges over time. Respect your physical, mental, and emotional boundaries, and give your ego some time off.
Make adjustments.
If something hurts, try making some adjustments. Experiment with a shorter stance, a wider foot placement, or a creative variation of the posture. The balance of effort and ease is yours to find.
Give yourself permission to ignore cues.
Not every cue is for you, and some cues are just plain misguided. Instead of finding an instructed placement, test out a range of positions and find what works for you based on how it feels in your body.
Choose your teachers wisely.
Find teachers that encourage you to find freedom in your practice, and ask them for modifications when you have pain. Your teacher is a guide, but the practice is yours.
Find a physical therapist who knows yoga.
Talk about when and where you have pain. Demonstrate the movements in your practice that cause discomfort. Work together to find variations that allow you to practice without pain.
The bottom line: If your practice is painful, it’s time to make a change.