​YOUR (YOGA) INJURIES DO NOT OCCUR OUT OF THE BLUE:

NO MATTER IS YOU ARE A NOVICE OR A SEASONED YOGA PRACTITIONER, the path of YOGA CAN LEAD TO CALMNESS, FOCUS, IMPROVEMENT in BREATH AND BODY.
THE LATEST RESEARCH SHOWS THAT YOGA IMPACTS NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEURO-COGNITIVE MECHANISMS RELATED TO SELF-REGULATION, PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH, AND STRESS MANAGEMENT.  REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE MAY BUFFER THE EFFECTS OF AGING AND INCREASE RESILIENCE TO LIFE CHALLENGES AND STRESSORS. YOGA WILL IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE AND BREATHING AND HELP THE MUSCULOSKELETAL, CARDIOVASCULAR AND NERVOUS SYSTEMS FUNCTION MORE SMOOTHLY. YOU’LL EXPERIENCE A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE AND MORE RELAXED LIFESTYLE.*
 
WHY IS IT THEN THAT YOU HEAR MORE AND MORE ABOUT INJURIES, IN ALL TYPES OF YOGI’S?
 
FLEXIBLE AND NOT STRONG!
WHILE IT HAS BEEN PROVEN THAT YOGA CAN COUNTERBALANCE DAILY POSTURES AND REPETITIVE MOVEMENTS, SOCIAL MEDIA MAKES IT LOOK LIKE THE GOAL OF YOGA IS BEING FLEXIBLE. THAT’S WHERE THINGS CAN GO PEAR SHAPED!
WHILE BIOMECHANICALLY, AN OPTIMUM RANGE OF MOTION IS GREAT TO PREVENT INJURIES, IF THIS DOES NOT GO HAND IN HAND WITH STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY IS A THREAT TOWARDS INJURIES. YOGA PRACTITIONERS WITH AN ADVANCED, BUT SPEEDY DEVELOPED ADVANCED ASANA PRACTICE, MIGHT HAVE CUT CORNERS OF DEVELOPING A GOOD STRONG BASE, BEFORE GOING TO THE NEXT ASANA.
 
WHEN YOU DISCOVER TIGHTNESS IN CERTAIN MUSCLES OR FASCIAL LINES, IT CAN BE A SIGN OF WEAKNESS, IN OPPOSITE AREAS OF MOVEMENT/STABILISING STRUCTURES. I EVEN SEE YOGA TEACHERS, NOT AWARE WHY E.G. THEIR LEFT HAMSTRING IS INJURED, NOT REALISING THAT THERE IS A MISBALANCE BETWEEN QUADRICEPS STRENGTH AND ACTIVATION AND HYPERMOBILITY OF THE HAMSTRINGS, PUTTING STRAIN IN THE SI JOINT (PELVIS). THE LAST THING YOU SHOULD DO IS MORE STRETCHING! STRENGTHEN!

IT’S ALL IN THE MIND!!

BEING INJURED IS INSTEAD OF ONLY A NEGATIVE, A GREAT TOOL TO WORK WITH!
IT CAN TEACH YOU AS INJURED YOGI TO BE MORE PATIENT AND QUESTION THE EGO: I WANT TO DO THAT TOO/WHY CAN’T I DO THAT? BE AWARE WE ARE NOT ALL 21, SUPER MOBILE GYMNASTS, SHOWING THE MOST ADVANCE POSE ON INSTAGRAM: IT IS JUST A POSE!! YOGA IS ABOUT CALMING THE MIND WITH FOCUSSING ON THE BREATH. AN ASANANA IS JUST A POSE AND TOOL TO WORK WITH BODY, MIND AND BREATH. INTROSPECTION DURING YOGA HELPS TO BE AWARE WHERE THE BODY IS IN SPACE (PROPRIOCEPTION) AND WHAT SENSATIONS IT GIVES (INTEROCEPTION). THEY BOTH CAN PLAY A ROLE IN PREVENTION OF INJURIES AND HEALING PHYSICALLY AND ON DEEPER LEVELS.
SCIENCE IS LOOKING MORE AND MORE AT CONNECTIONS BETWEEN BODY AND MIND.
FOR EXAMPLE, QUANTUM PHYSICS EXPLAINS IF YOU ARE STRESSED AND YOU BELIEVE THERE IS A THREAT, THESE SIGNALS RELEASE CHEMICALS INTO THE BLOOD TO PREPARE THE CELLS FOR A PROTECTIONARY RESPONSE. EVEN IF PHYSICALLY THERE IS NO REAL THREAT, THE BODY WILL RESPOND TO THE CHEMICALS, BECAUSE THEY ONLY RESPOND TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT. WHETHER YOUR THOUGHTS ARE RIGHT OR WRONG, YOUR THOUGHTS ARE CHANGING YOUR BIOCHEMISTRY!               
OBSERVING AND INFLUENCING YOUR THOUGHTS CAN CREATE A HEALTHIER BODY!

RELAX AND LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!

WHILE IT IS WONDERFUL TO BE ABLE TO DO A STRONG PHYSICAL PRACTICE ALMOST EVERY DAY, WE NEED TO LISTEN TO OUR BODY’S SIGNALS. SOMETIMES THE BODY AND MIND REALLY HAVE TO DEAL WITH STRESS.
EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS HAS AN IMPACT ON YOUR BODY, YOUR PRACTICE, NUTRITION (COFFEE, DAIRY, SUGAR ETC) A NAP ETC.

A tool that I use (as an exercise physiologist) to see how well I’m recovered is measuring the heart rate variable!
The intervals between the heart beats can tell me how well you are recovered. So maybe the results show, you are running low on energy. Then it might be a good day to sit, meditate and do pranayama (breathing exercises).
 
Nowadays, the problem with popular big yoga classes is, that the one on one aspect observing/ adjustments is gone. In the past, a Guru would work together over an extensive period of time. The Guru would observe and tell the student when he was ready for the next level of pranayama or asana. It is in western society common to have big classes, even up to 40 people with 1 teacher. It makes it impossible, even for the most experienced teacher, to observe all and adjust everyone who needs it.
 
Respect and honor your body, with a calm mind and relaxed breath, to grow spiritually. Understand, it is not about the most advanced asana that makes you healthy and gives you the happy state of mind
Namaste

REFERENCES:
 
GARD, T., NOGGLE, J., PARK, C., VAGO, D. & WILSON, A. (2014). POTENTIAL SELF-REGULATORY MECHANISMS OF YOGA FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH. FRONTIERS OF HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE

​KLATT M, STEINBERG B, DUCHEMIN AM. MINDFULNESS IN MOTION (MIM) (2015), AN ONSITE MINDFULNESS BASED INTERVENTION (MBI) FOR CHRONICALLY HIGH STRESS WORK ENVIRONMENTS TO INCREASE RESILIENCY AND WORK ENGAGEMENT. J VIS EXP.  JUL 1;(101)

SCHMALZL, L., POWERS, C. & HENJE BLOM, E. (2015). NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEUROCOGNITIVE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED PRACTICES: TOWARDS A COMPREHENSIVE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK. FRONTIERS OF HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE. 

VILLEMURE, C., CEKO, J., COTTON, V.A. & BUSHNELL, M.C. (2015). NEUROPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE: AGE- EXPERIENCE-, AND FREQUENCY-DEPENDENT PLASTICITY. FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
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HTTPS://WWW.ELSEVIER.COM/CONNECT/THE-SCIENCE-OF-YOGA-WHAT-NEW-RESEARCH-REVEALS

WANG M-Y, YU SS-Y, HASHISH R, ET AL. (2013),THE BIOMECHANICAL DEMANDS OF STANDING YOGA POSES IN SENIORS: THE YOGA EMPOWERS SENIORS STUDY (YESS). BMC COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. 2013;13:8.

HTTPS://WWW.ELSEVIER.COM/CONNECT/THE-SCIENCE-OF-YOGA-WHAT-NEW-RESEARCH-REVEALS

**HTTP://WWW.THENEWSMINUTE.COM/ARTICLE/HARVARD-STUDY-FINDS-YOGA-AND-MEDITATION-REDUCES-HEALTHCARE-COST-43-36026

THOUGHTS BECOME CHEMISTRY - DR. BRUCE LIPTON QUANTUM UNIVERSITY
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WELLTORY/ POLAR : HEART RATE VARIABLE