Useful Tips For Yoga Student Safety

oga can change lives and improve your mind, body and soul. No matter what type of yoga you practice, from Vinyasa to Bikram, yoga student safety should always be a top priority. At a glance, yoga seems like it would be the safest of all the athletic pursuits, as stretching and contorting oneself into poses – or “asanas,” as they’re known in the yoga world – seems like it would carry with it little risk of injury. However, there are actually a myriad of ways that yoga students can injure themselves if they aren’t careful. To help you keep your yoga practice safe and injury-free, here are some yoga safety tips.
Don’t Overexert Yourself – The easiest way for a beginner yoga student to injure his or herself is by attempting an asana that is far beyond the scope of his or her abilities. Many novice yogis are eager to ditch the same boring basic poses and move on to complicated, showy asanas. However, it’s crucial that you take your time. A yoga practice isn’t about pushing yourself beyond your limits or attempting too much too soon. Instead, it’s about gradual improvement and creating a mind-body connection.
Be Careful in Your Home Practice – Many yogis enjoy yoga in the form of a home practice as opposed to taking a class lead by an instructor. Home practices can be wonderful, but a home practice also comes with some unique risks. In a yoga class, an instructor will correct your form if you’re doing an asana incorrectly. Doing an asana incorrectly can lead to strained muscles or injury. This is why it’s a good idea to have some professionally lead classes under your belt before starting your home practice. This will help to ensure that you are doing poses correctly and not risking injury.