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In the instructions that follow, the assumption is made that
the practitioner is in good physical condition, and is without injury. If
there are injuries of any kind, individual instruction from a skilled teacher
is absolutely essential. Because these instructions are written for healthy
individuals, there will not be much information about modifying posture
around injuries or health conditions, so please take the time to consult
with you physician before beginning yoga practice, and always tell any teacher
with whom you are studying about any injuries, recent surgeries, or health
conditions with which you are dealing, including but not limited to: pregnancy,
recent surgery (particularly involving knees, hips, spine, or internal organs),
wrist difficulties or any joint conditions, glaucoma or any eye disease,
any sort of spinal difficulty, and blood pressure or heart concerns.
When injuries or specific conditions that require modifications are present,
a skilled teacher will often be able to recommend ways of altering posture
to work in a way that will still be beneficial, and Iyengar-based hatha
yoga classes are generally more useful for learning appropriate modification
around personal challenges. B.K.S. Iyengar’s large volume Yoga: The
Path to Holistic Health has an extensive section offering sequences for
working around injuries and health conditions using props and restorative
practice. Since the aim of the writings that follow is not specifically
therapeutic, I will not be including that sort of detail. Some
simple examples follow:
1. Generally, in Backbends, it is essential to learn to NOT rigidify
the gluteal (buttock) muscles around the Sacrum and Coccyx. Nonetheless,
in individuals with back pain resulting from chronic hyper-extension in
the lumbar spine (lower back) when doing Backbends, or with unstable sacro-iliac
joints, working consciously and intentionally with the glutes can actually
alleviate this pain.
2. Generally, in Forward Bends, the focus is on folding forward
from the hips (rolling the pelvis across the heads of the femurs), but
the spine is allowed to round forward comfortably. Nonetheless, in individuals
who have lower back pain from excessive rounding of the spine (usually
related to limited hip mobility), or with unstable sacro-iliac joints,
keeping the spine completely straight can be of immense benefit, and again,
alleviate this pain.
3. During pregnancy, please consult with a qualified yoga teacher
about how to modify practice accordingly. Geeta Iyengar, in Yoga: A Gem
for Women, gives detailed information on pp.234-250. What will be appropriate
will be directly related to how you were practicing prior to pregnancy,
and generally, working into deeper practice during pregnancy is not a
good plan, but rather, yoga practice should be used to support the pregnancy.
Geeta writes: "A feeling of radiant health after practice is a sign
that one is working correctly; if one feels tired or exhausted, either
the practice is faulty or one has over-done it. It is wrong to over-strain."
(235) A few basic notes:
a. Poses involving lying on the belly are contraindicated.
b. Strong contractions of the abdominal muscles, such as in Arm Balances,
are likewise contraindicated, as are the practices of Uddiyana Bandha
and Nauli Kriya.
c. Twisting postures should be done gently, as in twisting the spine
is mildly shortened at each vertebral disk (much as a dishrag is shortened
by twisting), and thus there is the possibility of creating pressure
on the fetus.
d. Likewise, in Forward Bends, keeping the spine straight and the sternum
moving away from the pubic bone is ideal, so that the rounding of the
spine will not put pressure on the fetus.
e. Strong Backbends should be done with care, as Backbends stretch the
entire front of the torso, and if done during the latter half of pregnancy
the belly can stretch excessively, such that it is more difficult for
it to return to a normal shape after deliver. These postures, though,
are not particularly challenging to the fetus.
f. Generally, jarring activities are contraindicated, such as the jumpings
of Vinyasa, or jumping the feet apart for Standing Poses.
g. If Corpse Posture becomes uncomfortable later in pregnancy, talk
to a qualified instructor about appropriate modifications or alternatives.
8. Additionally, it is traditional in many forms of Hatha yoga (including
Iyengar, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa) to avoid Inversions (such as Headstand
and Shoulderstand) during menstruation. Each teacher has somewhat
different guidelines around how practice should be modified around menstruation,
and I strongly recommend that you talk to several different female yoga
instructors about how they modify their practices accordingly.
a. Yoga: A Gem for Women has extensive details on the Iyengar way of
approaching women’s issues in practice. Geeta Iyengar writes: "During
the monthly period (48-72 hours) complete rest is advisable. Asanas
should not be practiced, but if there is some tightness or tension then
forward bends…are helpful; over exertion should be avoided. Normal
practice may be resumed from the fourth or fifth day." (77) At
the very least, she recommends completely omitting Inversions, Backbends,
strong work with the abdominal and lower back musculature, and rope
work, and goes on to offer suggestions for dealing with a wide variety
of difficulties with menstruation (and menopause).
9. The Ashtanga Vinyasa approach is simpler: practice is simply
omitted entirely for the first three days of flow.In working into a personal
practice of Hatha yoga without an instructor present, it is most important
to learn to differentiate between the ‘pain’ of stretching and
intense muscular engagement and the ‘pain’ that is actually
a signal of potential injury. If uncertain, err on the side of caution.
Two simple rules to follow in that regard are:
a. Do not force the posture to happen, but rather find the place where
resistance comes and breathe in that position, allowing the pose to
open rather than forcing through the resistance.
b. Intense feeling in the belly of a muscle is generally fine (provided
it is not sharp or tingly), but such feeling in a joint is generally
not (so, pain INSIDE the knee joint or BETWEEN the spinal vertebrae
is to be avoided, and is not helpful).
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