Archive for the ‘Hatha Yoga Safety’ Category

By Paul Jerard, R-RYT 500

When should Yoga teachers consider specialist training? The answer lies within the needs of students with whom you work. Whether it is a specialized group, or an individual student, each Yoga instructor has his or her limits when considering helping students with special needs. Below is a case, where networking and continuing education are the keys to the therapeutic application of Yoga.

Q: I teach Hatha Yoga in a rural area. A few students have asked me for private lessons for back issues. One couple, in particular, both had back surgeries and their doctors recommend Yoga. I’ve got a Mayo Clinic back care Yoga DVD and a couple of older back care yoga books, but I was wondering if you have any advice or recommendations – or if I should say “no.”

From my location, it is a long way for my students to travel for any other Yoga instruction. I am the most experienced “local Yoga teacher” and would love to create a “private practice” or get more experience and exposure, but definitely want to do the right thing. Again, any ideas, advice, recommendations?

A: About working with students who have special needs: If you are the only Yoga teacher in town, research the ailment, and see if you feel comfortable with your knowledge. Consider networking with local doctors, physical therapists, and chiropractors. Be honest about what you know and what you do not know.

Tell your students what they should realistically expect from a private session with you. We know that a steady practice of Hatha Yoga sessions will help students, who need to take care of their backs. In fact, there is a need for back care basics for most adults. In areas where adults sit at home, in transit, and on the job, the need for back maintenance is compounded.

Regardless of where we live, the aging process is a reality. As we age, our muscles tighten, bones decrease in density, the range of motion within joints becomes shorter, muscle mass decreases, tendons and ligaments shorten, and articular cartilage degeneration occurs.

However, when practicing asanas, the movements within typical Hatha Yoga sessions lubricate the spine. The spinal discs begin to absorb nutrients. Many of us do not realize these discs are composed of a soft inner core and a tougher outer portion. The composition of discs may be figuratively comparable to a jelly doughnut or a pillow.

A gentle Yoga practice works as a maintenance program for the spine. With all that said – if you do not feel confident that you can meet their needs, you should recommend that they travel to a specialist for Yoga, chiropractor, or physical therapist.

If traveling is a hardship, continuing education, through online Yoga teacher courses, will help you and your students. If you need to learn more about therapeutic applications of Yoga, anatomy, or working with students, who have special needs, a correspondence course will enable you to help the public.

© Copyright 2010 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste, Paul

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Where do you begin to outline safety standards for your Yoga classes? Many studios have a system of checks and balances to make sure every student benefits from classes. At the same time, students have a variety of expectations when attending Yoga sessions. Some students want to reduce stress, while others want to be pushed. Below are a handful of guidelines to help Yoga teachers develop their own policies for safety.

1. Know your Student: Each student has different desires. One student may look to join a group of like-minded people. His or her goals should be discussed before class. Your student application should be designed to help understand a student’s state of health and frame of mind. This helps you, and your prospective student, discover if your school or classes are a good fit.

One student was looking for a class that would be as demanding as the Bikram class she saw in a June 2005 episode of 60 minutes. In that episode, she was most impressed by the fact that Bikram Choudhury jumped on the chest of a student who was performing Camel Pose (Ustrasana).

Needless to say, if you do not jump on your students, while they perform Yogic techniques, a rare few of them might be disappointed. It is interesting that some students want to be jumped on, kicked, or insulted in your classes. In that case, counseling might be better than Yoga, but each of us has different needs. This is the reason why new students should come to their first class early.  This “introduction” is a good time for you and your prospective student to exchange ideas about expectations.

2. Have Safety Guidelines in Place: Prepare a list of policies for common courtesy, safety, and precaution. If you assume that everyone will use their “common sense,” you may be surprised. Most people seem to do well on their own without rules. However, a few set the precedents for rules, concerning safety and conduct.

3. Training and Continuing Education: When you decided to become a Yoga teacher, you may have realized: We are all students for life. Learning and discovering make life interesting. Intensives, specialized Yoga teacher training, workshops, and online learning will help you become the best you can be.

4. Learn more about Modifying, Adjusting, and Assisting: Some teachers have issues with touching their students. If so, work on developing exceptional observation and cueing skills. Some teachers have great cueing skills, but some students do not listen very well. This is why observation is so valuable. It is important to mentally connect with every student in your class.

Adjusting and assisting require a moderate touch. When performing a physical assist, you can feel the resistance within the muscles, connective tissue, and joints. For the sake of your students, gentle adjustments are safer. Make sure you ask permission for an assist, and maintain communication throughout the adjustment.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Ardha Chandrasana, which is also known as “Half Moon Pose,” is an energizing asana that leaves the practitioner with a sense of focused empowerment. It does not matter what age you are; if you can walk on two feet, you can still practice Half Moon Pose.

The modifications for my students range from using a firm block, stool, or chair for the forward hand to balance on, to using a wall behind the spine and extended leg. My morning Chair Yoga classes are filled with students, where the median age is 75 years.

Some students are older, and some are younger, but this posture can be modified to accommodate all of them. Balance can become a major issue as we age. Side effects from prescription medication, and inner ear problems, are just two of the many reasons why seniors may struggle with balance.

If we live long enough, very few of us will be able to avoid prescription medications. If we diet and remain active, we increase the odds for better health. Many active seniors begin to realize that Yoga, swimming, and walking programs may help reduce, or eliminate, prescriptions.

Ardha Chandrasana is a valuable posture for working on balance. If you live in a climate with snow and ice during the winter, you know that balance is crucial. After 55 years of age, very few of us want to volunteer for a fall on slippery pavement.

For seniors who live in warm climates, a fall is still possible. The most common place is stepping into a shower stall. It helps to have a grab bar on the side of the entrance to the shower stall, but seniors take falls going into the shower for many reasons.

The safest way to perform Ardha Chandrasana is with a chair in an open corner of the room, so that your back can lean against the wall if it is needed for stability. At the same time, the chair cannot go anywhere if it is in a fixed position in a corner of the room.

To do this modification with the right foot forward, face the side of the chair in Warrior I. Initially, both hands can be placed on the seat. As an option, the forward hand (right hand) can be placed on the chair seat. The left leg can slowly be lifted to a height that is comfortable.

The next option is to place the left hand on the left hip. Extend the left arm up, if possible. Extend the left leg completely, but do not lock it. Another option is to rotate the hips and shoulders so that the left hip and shoulder stack directly over the right side. Finally, if your neck allows, rotate your neck up to the left side and look up to the ceiling.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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Continuing Education for Yoga Teachers

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste, Paul

By Tracy Moran, CYT

“I’m not flexible enough to do yoga!”

It’s a typical lament of the would-be yogi, and quite a catch-22: Because of inflexibility, people avoid practicing hatha yoga, yet this ancient practice is the very thing that can allow muscles and joints to move through their full range.

A regular asana practice has many physical benefits, including strength, balance and flexibility. Yet I’ve never heard anyone say, “I have such terrible balance I could never do yoga.” Why the fascination with flexibility?

Muscle and joint tightness and limited range of motion can affect any one at any age – even young people.

“The average individual can no longer touch the floor with his fingertips when his knees are straight, even at the age of twenty,” writes Swami Vishnu-devananda in his book The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga. “This type of ligamentous stiffening can be kept at a minimum through yogic exercises, and the body will be as pliable as a child’s, even at the age of eighty.”

That’s quite a claim, and may be something of an exaggeration. While there are some octogenarians with the flexibility of a youngster, they stand out because of their rarity.

Yet such hype doesn’t diminish the fact that the practice of hatha yoga is valuable in creating and maintaining flexibility – both of body and mind.

“A well-trained body,” Swami Vishnu-devananda reminds us, “helps a great deal to train the mind, which is the main purpose of all yoga, in order to attain complete freedom and immortality…”

Flexibility, strength, balance – yogis come to the mat seeking these traits for their physical body, and eventually, dedicated yogis may find these same qualities reflected in their mental and emotional outlook. Like all components of good health, flexibility is something we tend to take for granted until we don’t have it. But through a regular asana practice, we can free up the body and mind, which helps explain why flexibility is so important.

According to Michael J. Alter’s Sport Stretch, “Flexibility is developed when connective tissues and muscles are elongated through regular, proper stretching.”

The ligaments are a form of connective tissue that holds bone to bone at every articulation. Although we don’t want to focus primarily on stretching the ligaments, as an overstretched ligament will compromise a joint’s integrity, the ligaments do serve an important function in flexibility. When they’ve become compressed, pain and tightness will follow, as Swami Vishnu-devananda explains.

When posture and balance are good, he writes, “the ligaments have a long and elastic life.” But, he points out, faulty alignment and poor balance cause ligament shortening. For example, Swami Vishnu-devananda explains that those who sit much of the time will find that ligaments of the vertebral column will shorten. Working at a computer, the head and neck are thrust forward. This sets up a situation where shortened ligaments in the cervical spine irritate the nerves that pass through the facial attachment. The irritation travels throughout the head, neck and shoulders. Yoga postures that stretch the head and neck, such as fish and shoulder stand, help stretch those ligaments and alleviate the compression.

Another factor that contributes to inflexibility is age. With age, the spine stiffens and the ligaments become tighter. Gaining flexibility is not impossible as we age, but it will likely take longer to achieve. Patience and persistence in practicing asana eventually will pay off in greater mobility. It’s well worth the effort.

“The ligamentous structures are continuous,” writes Swami Vishnu-devananda, “and if mobility is restricted in any area, the entire attachment is affected; this brings general immobility of the body.” So inflexibility in one area of the body can impact the whole structure. Moreover, Alter cites research that shows that flexibility is not a general characteristic, but is specific to a particular joint; people can be open in their hips, but tight in their shoulders. And flexibility is not necessarily symmetrical: one hip can be more flexible than the other, one shoulder more open, for example.

But it’s not just age and lifestyle that contribute to inflexibility, according to renowned yoga teacher, physical therapist and author Judith Hanson Lasater.

“After injury, the fascia can become adhered to surrounding tissues and interfere with pure muscle function and locomotion,” she writes in her newest book, Yoga Body. “During asana practice, you may have noticed areas or specific muscles of your body that never seem to stretch out. The sensation of stretching that part of your body seems to be the same year after year. This could be an area where your fascia is adhered to surrounding tissue.”

Fascia, she explains is another form of connective tissue that “holds each muscle and can hold muscle groups … It is thin, white and has a strong cobweb-like look.” If fascial adhesion is the cause of inflexibility, Lasater suggests deep tissue work or massage to free those areas when asana practice cannot.

In fact, stretching the fascia is a key component of increasing flexibility, according to Alter. “A question of great interest to all athletes is the relative importance of various tissues in joint stiffness,” he explains. “The joint capsule (i.e., the saclike structure that encloses the ends of bones) and ligaments are the most important factors, accounting for 47 percent of the stiffness, followed by the muscle’s fascia (41 percent), the tendons (10 percent), and skin (2 percent). However, most efforts to increase flexibility through stretching should be directed to the muscle fascia. The reasons for this are twofold. First, muscle and its fascia have more elastic tissue, so they are more modifiable in terms of reducing resistance to elongation. Second, because ligaments and tendons have less elasticity than fascia, it is undesirable to produce too much slack in them. Overstretching these structures may weaken the integrity of joints. As a result, an excessive amount of flexibility may destabilize the joints and increase an athlete’s risk of injury.”

There’s yet another factor in what we can perceive as inflexibility: compression. In his DVD Anatomy for Yoga, Paul Grilley says that “if your overlying musculature is tight, you might not know what your range of motion is, because you can’t stretch your muscles enough to get there. But after you’ve done enough yoga, you’re going to be stopped in your postures by compression.” In other words, at some point your skeletal structure will prevent you from going any further in a particular pose. However, for some people with tight musculature, gaining enough flexibility to get to a point where they can even discern range of motion can present a challenge.

For all yoga students, but especially those with limited flexibility, regular reminders during class about safety and non-competition are warranted. The ego may not like it, but the body will appreciate such modifications as keeping the knees bent in forward folds to protect the lumbar spine. There should be an emphasis on using the breath to deepen and lengthen into a pose, (“inhale and lengthen first”) versus muscling into a posture. Using force is counter-productive not only from a yogic perspective but also from a physiological stance, as it triggers the “stretch reflex” in the muscle that’s acting as the prime mover, the agonist. This is a reflex designed to protect the body from injury. When there’s a change in muscle length, as when we’re stretching into a pose, the reflex causes the stretched muscle to contract. The more sudden the change in muscle length, the stronger the contraction.

“For the safest stretching,” according to Alter, “relax the parts of the muscle that perform contraction and employ slow or static stretching to reduce the probability of initiating the stretch reflex.”

Another physiologic principle that can aid yogis in their quest for increased flexibility is reciprocal innervation. When one muscle, the agonist, is contracting, its opposing muscle, the antagonist, is relaxing.

“By taking advantage of this phenomenon,” Alter explains, “you can induce relaxation in the muscles you want to stretch.”

So to increase the stretch in the hamstrings, for instance, contract the quadriceps. Reciprocal innervation will allow your hamstrings to relax and enable you to go deeper into the stretch.

Yet another method for increasing flexibility, in fact, one considered to be the most effective, was explained in a Yoga Journal online article by Fernando Pages Ruiz.

“Among the recent developments in Western flexibility training are neurological techniques that retrain the stretch reflex, promoting quick, dramatic gains in flexibility,” he writes. “One of these techniques is called—take a deep breath—proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. (Fortunately, it’s usually just called PNF).”

He explains that the PNF method “manipulates the stretch reflex by having you contract a muscle while it’s at near-maximum length.”

A common method of PNF stretching is called “hold/relax” or “contract/relax.” After moving into a passive stretch, for example uttanasana, the muscle being stretched, in this case the hamstrings, would be isometrically contracted for 7 to 15 seconds, then relaxed for 2 to 3 seconds, then immediately passively stretched again, allowing for a deeper passive stretch, which is held for 10 to 15 seconds. PNF isn’t recommended for children or those whose bones are still growing. Because it’s considered very strenuous, it should only be performed on a given muscle group once per day, and no more than once in a 36-hour period.

Regardless of the method used to increase flexibility, yogis should not lose sight of the ultimate purpose of yoga. It’s not for having a stronger, more balanced, flexible body, though those may all come through the practice of hatha yoga. Rather, yoga’s aim is, as Swami Vishnu-devananda reminds us, “to achieve truth wherein the individual soul identifies itself with the Supreme Soul or God.”

Tracy Moran is a certified Yoga teacher. She teaches classes in the Carlsbad, California area.

  Written By Jay Franco

Once you have decided to follow a healthy regime through yoga, the next step is to pick the type of yoga that you want and be acquainted about yoga basics. You can choose a yoga class near by for easy conveyance. Yoga doesn’t need any kind of costly equipment except for loose comfortable clothes and a yoga mat.

Some easy positions of yoga, for beginners

We all do simple positions in everyday life, like lying down, sitting, standing, prone inverted etc. But with proper practice of the aforementioned yoga postures the beginners can be benefited to great extent. These simple activities are arranged and worked out so that a yoga beginner also gains from them. Medical practitioners find yoga to be therapeutic. They even suggest to make yoga a part of their every day life. With gradual introduction of yoga and its method health benefits can be gained.

As a yoga beginner you can choose moderate style like the Viniyoga, Kripalu yoga or Iyengar yoga. You can choose vigorous forms like the power yoga, Asthanga yoga in late stages. The later one will be too dynamic for the yoga beginners.

See that you start yoga gently with 10-15 mins warm up session, as it increases blood circulation and lubrication in joints. The body flexes and it becomes easier to do the yoga asana. Maintain correct erect posture throughout.

Breathing techniques of yoga, for beginners

Yoga is synonymous with breathing technique. With simple breathing exercises in yoga like the pranayama, kapalbhati, anuloma-viloma, one can improve breathing pattern and lung capacity. This kind of yoga relaxes and eases stress.

Importance of sequence for yoga beginner

Ideal yoga sequences should not be taxing, especially for beginners. As a yoga beginner you can start with standing pose, followed with sitting posture, Supine postures, twist poses, prone postures, inverted and balance postures, back bends and finishing asana.

Some dos for yoga beginners

As a beginner it’s better to inform the yoga instructor that you are new to yoga fitness regime. You can even ask the teacher to help you out in case of need. You can seek the help of other advanced students to demonstrate poses. It’s better to know about basic yoga etiquette and learn some basic yoga poses, this you can do searching online or from books and DVDs. Start fresh with refreshing bath prior to yoga practice. Always end the yoga session with shavasana.

Some don’ts for yoga beginners

Avoid taking large heavy meals before any yoga class. Ensure that you have eaten 3-4 hrs before the class. You can have some water before and after the yoga class. Avoid tight fitted clothes, shoes and socks while doing yoga.

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Physical Assisting in Hatha Yoga

Opinions about the importance of physically assisting students, during Yoga posture (asana) practice, vary. Some styles, such as Iyengar, Restorative, Anusara, and Viniyoga, place much emphasis on proper alignment, props, and physical assisting. Most Yoga teacher training programs focus on physical assists, which guide a student toward proper alignment.

Yet, many students attend classes where a teacher may not look at them for the entire class. Needless to say, there are no physical assists in these same classes. Why? Some teachers feel very uncomfortable physically adjusting their student’s posture. Some teachers are not trained to physically assist students during asana practice.

There is also another factor to be considered: There are Yoga teachers who will not get off their mats. They do not walk around and monitor the room after demonstrating. Sometimes, we refer to this as: “Working the room.”

Physical Assisting in Hatha Yoga

One may think of “working the room” as it is related to a social butterfly, who constantly works on public relations. Assisting is a bond between teacher and student. Physical adjustments help any student to feel where he or she should be aligned, and to be present in the moment, while practicing asana.

However, if we are in Downward Dog, with our backs to our students, how will we know if their posture is correct? It is obvious that we cannot see if our students are in good or poor alignment when we turn our backs toward our students.

Granted, some teachers have exceptional cueing skills, but when we are tempted to take our eyes off our students, that is the time to work the room. There are other issues, in regard to assisting and adjusting. Be sure you have asked for permission before adjusting anyone.

Some students do not like to be assisted. If this is the case, there is no need to ask why. They may feel that an assist is an invasion of their space. In a case where a student wants to be left alone, there is no need to push the matter further.

Recently, a Hatha Yoga teacher told me that physical adjustments were highly over rated. Curious about what was on his mind – I asked him to explain. His opinion was that while teachers “tinker” with a few students, who have improper alignment, the rest are made to suffer by holding postures for minutes at a time.

Adjusting Triangle Pose

While there is a ring of truth in the above-mentioned viewpoint, there is a reward of strength in holding postures beyond 20 seconds. There is also a method to avoid having students hold postures forever.

The method is to disguise repetition, by holding a posture for five breaths, on each side, and coming back to the same, or a much similar posture, later in the class. In this way, students are getting the most out of a session.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

What is an inverted posture, or an inversion, in a Hatha Yoga class? Technically, any posture (asana), in which the head is below the heart, is an inversion. Whether you stand on your head, bend forward, or bend back, if the head is below the heart, you are performing an inversion.

This also means that Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) and Fish (Matsyasana) are also inversions – although both postures are mild in comparison to Head Stand (Sirsasana). If you bend back far enough in Camel (Ustrasana) -that is also an inversion.

This is not meant to beat a dead horse, but inversions are not for everyone. When you perform any Yoga technique, there should be a clear intention. If the risks outweigh the benefits, there is no logical reason why a teacher or student should practice a technique. The following contraindications are specifically related to inversions.

General Guidelines for all Inverted Postures

If you have any of the following conditions, please omit inversions or work with a competent teacher who will modify your practice. To identify a competent Yoga teacher is not difficult. Is the teacher really interested in his or her students? Is your safety a primary guideline in class? If not, please seek the guidance of a knowledgeable teacher, who cares for his or her students.

If you are a teacher, you should make it a point to know about the physical condition of each student. This means that new students, who show up late, disrupt your classes, take risks if they have any medical conditions, and will hold you liable if anything goes wrong.

The solution: Do not teach students who you have not talked to before class. A student’s medical condition is information that you must know in order to teach Yoga safely. In the following cases, inversions should be omitted, adjusted, or modified, depending on the health condition of a student.

In the case of neck problems, eye problems, a previous stroke, high blood pressure, heart problems, sinus problems, and epilepsy, inverted asanas should be omitted, adjusted, or modified. If a student is pregnant, she should be practicing with a prenatal Yoga specialist.

In the case of menstruation, there is much controversy. About a contraindication for menstruation: At this point, there is no hard data or research that would warrant an official warning.

Therefore, it might be wise to let students know about the controversy. Students should be made aware and make a decision based upon their own thoughts and research. You could easily design an informative handout for students and encourage them to research all of these contraindications.

Lastly, never put a student at risk. If you have serious doubts about a student’s ability to safely perform an inverted asana, because of a health issue, you should omit it or insist on a doctor’s note.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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