As any
chiropractor will tell you, improper posture or spinal injuries can create a
host of seemingly unrelated physical issues. For example, misaligned cervical vertebrae might be related to headaches and sore throats while problems in the
lumbar region of the spine could also lead to tingling in the feet or to
persistent knee pain. Basically, the back and neck have a lot of
responsibilities; they support lifting and carrying, walking and running,
turning and sitting still and any other type of physical activity a person is
involved in. The majority of the population suffers from or will suffer from
moderate to severe back pain, and many with weak or chronic back injuries use
yoga to build strength and flexibility and improve symptom management.
Yoga for Back
Pain
Yoga is one of
the few strength building or fitness activities that can claim respect for the
spine and all it does. In fact, rather than putting stress on the back like
weightlifting does or putting it at a high risk for injury like many dynamic
sports do, physical forms of Yoga practice tend to stretch out weak and tight
back muscles, align the spine and build core strength to improve overall back
health.
Deep relaxation
poses like the corpse pose or the child's pose are particularly effective in relaxing
the neck, shoulders and lower back, areas of the body that many adults never
experience a full release of tension in. Other poses like the cobra pose or the
cat pose stretch the spine and neck and strengthen the muscles associated with
these areas. This combination of tension-release and strength building can
completely eliminate back pain in some people and prevent further aggravation
of old injuries in others.
Teaching
Yoga to Prevent Back Injuries in Classes
It is clear,
however, that though yoga is an effective practice for improving spinal
alignment, core strength and back pain symptoms, some yogis have experienced
back injuries that are related to their yoga practice.
There are
several scenarios within a yoga session where back injuries tend to occur more
frequently, and instructors should be extra vigilant during these occasions to
ensure their students come away injury-free.
1. Students are
at risk for injury when practicing poses they have not mastered yet. Yoga teachers
should keep an eye on pose technique and provide corrective feedback as often
as needed.
2. Injuries
tend to occur when students are distracted or unfocused, and any student whose
mind looks like it is wandering should be guided back into the concentration
required, if possible.
3. Back bends and
inversion poses can place strain on the spine, so movements within poses should
be slow, fluid and as correct as possible. Students with back problems may need
to modify these poses or avoid certain advanced ones, like headstand, completely.
Yoga training isn't very invasive for a therapy that can cause so many positive changes. The problem is all of us face temptations. Yoga instructors are just as human as everyone else, when it comes to temptation, and giving into temptation can become a habit. There is no big secret learned about dealing with daily temptation that is taught at a 200 hour yoga teachers training. Practicing good habits and avoiding bad choices is the result of a trained mind. Bad habits stem from making impulsive choices that aren’t good for us. We
know that certain things have harmful effects, but we are powerless to prevent
ourselves from doing these things. In order to truly break bad habits, we must
think about them in ways that we aren't always comfortable with.
Habits both good and bad emerge from training. At most times,
this training happens in the background without any specific demands placed
upon us. The human mind and body are clever enough to help us form these habits
without any overt thinking required. At other times, it is necessary for the mind to convince the
body of what it can do. A basic example of this is riding a bicycle. Some part
of the mind knows well in advance of the body that it is capable of mastering
this task. The mind provides the determination and the body soon follows suit.
Breaking bad habits is much the same. We stick to our bad habits
out of inertia. At times, bad habits can be so corrupting that the mind itself
begins to believe that it cannot change. It is during these times that bad
habits begin to change from choices into seemingly insurmountable aspects of
our personalities. Without the ability to practice objective self-assessment,
there is virtually no hope of overcoming such a habit. Fortunately, the human mind is very flexible. No matter how far
it persists in one belief or another, it can be guided back through direct
work. The key to success in this kind of behavioral modifying endeavor comes
from knowing how the mind forms bad habits in the first place. Yogic tradition
has been used to break bad habits for centuries.
At its core the yoga is a collection of good habits. It
is unnecessary to ascribe any sense of morality to these habits. It’s simple
enough to know that every asana, every breathing method and every type of meditation in yoga is good for the mind and body. When you practice yoga by standing, kneeling, sitting or lying down, you are
forming habits with your mind and body. Regulating your breathing is a habit.
Holding the body in asanas is also habit forming. As yogic meditation shapes your mind it also
increases your mental discipline. By doing this it increases your self-control.
Increased self-control naturally leads to being able to defend against bad
habits more effectively.
Visit one of the largest yoga communities on the Internet. See videos, demonstrations, and lectures related to affordable yoga instructor training programs and specialized continuing education courses.
Busy schedules and work and family responsibilities often leave
a person stressed out and exhausted. However, it doesn't have to be that way if you
know how to handle stress with meditation. This ancient practice has been used
for many years to calm the mind and body. If it is used on a daily basis, it
allows a person to process all that they are going through in a healthy and
positive way.
Learning This Ancient Skill
Each person meditates a little differently, but there are some
basic principles for practicing this art. First, sit or lie down in a
comfortable position. Then, close your eyes and begin focusing on your
breathing instead of your thoughts. If any intrusive thoughts come through, gently
push them aside, and return to focusing on your breathing. Some people find it
helps to count their breaths as they do this. Or a mantra can be created in the
mind, such as a word or phrase that feels peaceful. Repeat the mantra vocally
as you exhale each time. Some people simply say the words "inner
peace." Just be sure to keep the phrase as positive as possible.
How This Art Affects One's Life
Overtime, meditation changes the way that a person thinks. It
allows them to train their mind to let go of negative thinking and intrusive
thoughts that once kept them awake at night. In other words, it teaches them
how to practice mindfulness and when one knows how to constantly monitor their
thought processes to allow only positive thoughts in, this keeps them calm,
relaxed, and focused. Tasks that once seemed overwhelming can be done with
ease. Depression and anxiety are also reduced.
One More Item on the List
At first, people who are already busy might feel like meditation
is just another thing that they have to do because initially it will take more
concentration to focus on breathing and calming the mind. But if a person
sticks with it, and does it every day at the same time, the time that it takes
to go into a meditative state will speed up.
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about our selection of online teacher certification courses. Please feel free to share our posts with your friends,
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Offering
hands-on assists in a yoga class can be an incredible gift. Through the power
of touch, you can connect with students and help them connect with themselves.
While it is important to focus on the positive aspects of providing touch,
understanding where an assist can go wrong is also critical.
Triggering
Physical contact, regardless of the positive intentions of the instructor, can
be misconstrued by students. If a student has experienced trauma, then touch
may be a trigger. While advanced training targeted toward helping victims of
trauma is available, all instructors can and should be trauma-informed.
Creepy Hands
When you offer an adjustment, use your palms rather than your fingertips.
Practice assists on someone who is willing to give you feedback. They can tell
you if you are using the appropriate amount of pressure. A light touch may seem
kind, but it can be misinterpreted by your students.
Be mindful of where you place your hands and how you position your body in
relation to your student. If someone walked into your class, would they be
alarmed at your physical position?
Frustration
In a society where most of us are corrected on our performance, an assist can
feel like a form of criticism. Some students may think that your constant and
well-intentioned corrections are signaling that they are not strong yoga practitioners. If a student hasn’t internalized the importance of being kind to
themselves, they may become frustrated during assists. With those things in
mind, you will need to choose your adjustments and moderate their frequency
until you have built a strong rapport with the student.
Transferring Energy
A teacher can convey so much through contact. A sense of balance and calm
pervades a space in which an instructor is fully grounded and focused. Teachers
are human beings, and it is important to know that we all have days when we
feel off-kilter. Maybe you are getting over an illness, or your significant
other broke up with you, or a loved one has just been hospitalized. Maybe this
is your fifteenth yoga class this week, and you are feeling exhausted. Be
mindful of your own state when helping others.
While the slings and arrows of life don’t prohibit you from teaching, you may
want to consider how you assist on stressful days. If you are jittery or
insecure, your students will notice. If you are distracted by something going
on outside of the studio, or you generally don’t like to give physical
adjustments, this will come through during the assist. Our goal should always
be to support our students’ safety and well-being. Avoid transferring your
negative energy to students.
Injury
The potential for injury is inherent in any physical practice, and adjustments
that are improperly executed can exacerbate the risks. We offer hands-on
adjustments because we want to deepen students’ practices, but if we are not
cautious, we can do more harm than good. An instructor should never force a
student into a shape.
Understanding the anatomy of postures by using resources like those produced by
Leslie Kaminoff or Ray Long can teach you the musculoskeletal underpinnings of
the asanas. Anatomical knowledge offers insight into how the adjustment will
affect the target area and surrounding muscle groups. Paying attention to your
students’ breath and supporting communication during an assist can also prevent
injury.
Despite the number of
ways that physical assists can go awry, the benefits outweigh the risks. Stay
cognizant of the potential pitfalls, be present with your students, and commit
to doing some homework in order to mitigate the potential hazards of physical
assists.
Any teacher comes to a place in our practice where we sometimes
forget what it was to be a beginner. The fear, excitement, and anticipation -
It was all new, and maybe we weren't sure it was even going to stick. Maybe we
experimented for a while, and came back later. The truth is, it doesn't really
matter how it happened. We didn't know that we were about to embark on a
journey that would forever change us to our cores. We know now that yoga is not
simply a physical practice. It's physical, emotional, and spiritual; Yoga is
holistic and it can touch so many areas of one's life. Yoga is a lifestyle
choice.
Unless we take the time to actively reflect on how that felt,
how it felt to be clueless, it can become frustrating to instruct new yoga
students who are still figuring it out. I'm sure everyone has had that one
student, but really, whom has everything figured out? Don't forget where you
started, be gentle, and use your passionate peacefulness to inspire others.
Don't forget about why you began this practice, and no, I'm not talking about
when your best friend dragged you in to her yoga class. Why did you stay? Why
did you come back? What motivated you to make a change?
Change is hard. Change is scary. Changing your whole lifestyle
is harder and scarier. Be gentle with new students who are just beginning. They
may need a "first" yoga class six times over. You never know how hard
it was for someone to begin his or her first session. It may have taken much
more courage than you can see. Gentle inspiration will always go farther than
irritated intimidation.
Get in the practice of beginning every session in that mindset. Others
can always feel your mood and energy in the room. Do you emanate peace,
serenity, and inspiration? Or can the others around you sense that you've
forgotten why you're here?
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you
know nothing about." ~ By Wendy Mass