Why Yoga Injuries Occur and How to Prevent Them

Yoga is supposed to be a healing practice. Yoga canthemselves to do better than that person next to
do many great things for your overall health. It bringsthem.
down stress very effectively, it allows for a sense ofIt seems that no matter how many times the yoga
spirituality to be put into people's everyday livesteacher tries to impress upon students that the
without having to adhere to a specific religion, itpractice is their practice, students still seem to want
greatly improves flexibility and helps with bloodto complete. When they compete, they end up
circulation, it creates stronger muscles and thuspushing themselves too hard and their body's revolt.
stronger bodies and encourages practices to try newThe results are pulled muscles, torn hamstrings,
things that will help improve self-confidence.busted knees or even broken necks.
But yoga, like any other sport, can cause seriousYoga Teachers
injury. In some ways, yoga is more likely to causeIt is not always the student, however, who is
injury than other sports because of its unique nature.responsible for an injury. There are plenty of
The number one reason that yoga students end upquestionable yoga teachers who push their students
getting injured during practice is because they pushtoo far. Instead of offering variations to certain
themselves. Yoga is supposed to be about the selfpositions for those who cannot do them properly,
and improving an individual's mind-body relation ship.they urge those students to push through the pain
But as the popularity of yoga seems to be everand finish the position exactly as it is meant to be
increasing, so do the number of yoga students whodone.
do it for the wrong reasons. These students, insteadThese teachers can be found liable for negligence in
of looking inward, look at the other students and tryreaction to serious injuries.
to compete. If they see someone doing a deeperThe best thing to keep in mind when it comes to
stretch in a particular pose or a more difficult poseavoiding yoga injuries is to never push yourself and
that they have not yet tried out, they will pushmake the practice about you and no one else.