Common injuries and how to tweak your practice

Posted Date: 7/14/2018
Posted By: Alice G
Common injuries and how to tweak your practice

It’s becoming more and more common that yogi newbies are learning yoga from watching videos online rather than learning from an instructor in person. But, instead of enjoying their newfound flexibility, are suffering in the orthopedic and surgical departments of hospitals. So how can you enjoy the benefits of studio care while practicing on your own? How can you avoid the most common mistakes that lead to injury?

Although asana (the poses/the physical movement branch of yoga) might seem simple, you can get injured even in the beginning stages of a yoga practice. Often this happens because the student chooses the wrong angle of inclination, incorrect direction of certain parts of the body, or making an effort where you need to soften. The ability to be at ease in asana (yoga pose) is the manifestations of one of the principles of yoga, ahisma, non-violence.

If you feel sharp pain in asana then it means the pose is not working for you. Yoga should not be accompanied by sharp, pointed pain in a small, discrete area.

How can we avoid this nonsense?


Wrist Injuries

Wrist injuries can occur if the angle between the wrist and forearm is too small, in excessive flexion or extension. When you press the weight of the body on the wrist, you might feel a sharp pain. To prevent an injury, make sure that the body weight is evenly distributed between the two hands as well as between the hands and feet. If the body weight is shifting into the hands, enter the asana gently and smoothly to release out of the posture in time when pain occurs.

Elbow Injuries

Elbow injury is often expressed by damage to the tendon. An elbow injury can occur moving through chaturanga and not listening to your body. When learning this asana try holding it on your knees instead of feet to reduce the burden on your hands. Be sure to listen to your body and notice placement of the hands in alignment with the elbows and shoulders to avoid sharp, pointed pain.

Shoulder Injuries

Overstretching in the shoulder joint can occur when arms are reaching above the head and triceps are by the ears. This can also be see in downward facing dog and injury can occur when a student will dump their weight into their chest, to avoid this common pitfall, engage the shoulders and shift your shoulders and weight forward.

Knee injury

Warrior poses can stress the knee joint of the front leg. The typically correct position of the forward leg is 90 degrees between the thigh and the shin, causing the knee should be aligned with the ankle joint. Be sure to not let the knee cave in and keep it stacked right over the ankle as a guide.

Neck injury

Inverted asanas that require a support of the upper back or a head can lead to an injury. You shouldn’t use head as a main support, it is only an auxiliary point for maintaining balance. Never do an inverted asana if you are in a hurry or not ready. It’s not recommended to learn these inverted asanas at home without an instructor. Even if you work in the studio with an instructor and you feel that you are not yet ready to do a headstand, please refuse.

Avoid an injury with the help from the instructor

When you start a yoga practice, it's safer to do it under the guidance of an instructor and preferably in smaller vinyasa classes. The instructor will not only explain to you how to properly set the body in each asana, but also set the right energy. You will learn how to use props appropriately to avoid an injury and deepen your practice. Focus on your body and the sensations it feels, and always practice only for enjoyment, not for results.

Another blog is coming up on how to practice if you have an injury :)