For those who observe yoga, you’ve in all probability heard the entreaty, “Take heed to your physique.” It’s good, sound recommendation. Whenever you embark on any bodily observe, it’s essential to know and respect your physique’s limits. Tuning in and listening to your physique and what it’s making an attempt to speak to you every time you observe is crucial not solely to your physique’s well being, however to the expansion of your observe. How else can you actually know the results of an asana?

As academics, we will’t really know what one other individual is feeling in his/her physique. So encouraging college students to develop their very own physique consciousness is essential. Though listening to your physique, and inspiring your college students to take action, is essential, typically it’s not sufficient to maintain your physique secure.

3 Causes Why Listening to Your Physique Would possibly Not Be Sufficient

Physique Consciousness Is Not a Given

A few of us come to observe with pretty refined physique consciousness, whereas others come to observe barely capable of perceive what they’re feeling even when it’s by no means refined. This disparity is likely to be the results of some folks having already engaged in a number of bodily exercise whereas others haven’t. An individual who has suffered bodily or emotional trauma may very well be both hyper-aware of bodily sensation, or may need developed a mechanism to close down excessive sensation. Regardless of the purpose, it’s secure to imagine that each pupil who involves your yoga lessons just isn’t experiencing the identical degree of physique consciousness. So not each pupil will be capable of belief his/her listening abilities, at the least at first. That is the place an skilled instructor who is aware of methods to assess alignment integrity is so essential. And alignment integrity doesn’t look the identical for each individual—people should not cookie cutters.

Ligament Ache Could Not Present Up within the Second

Even when your physique consciousness could be very refined, there are occasions while you is likely to be hurting your self inadvertently. A pose could really feel advantageous within the second, however in some instances, the ache response may very well be delayed. For instance, chances are you’ll not really feel overstretched ligaments till the subsequent day. As soon as ligaments are overstretched, they don’t return to their unique size. Over time, constantly over stretching ligaments can destabilize your joints. Refraining from pushing to your absolute edge is wise, wholesome observe, in your ligaments in addition to your cartilage (up subsequent!).

Joint Harm is Typically Hidden—Till it Isn’t

A stickier, extra long-term subject is the potential of joint injury, particularly within the hip joints. Our acetabula (the sockets of the hip joints) are lined with a cartilaginous floor referred to as the “labrum.” As well as, cartilage covers the heads of our femur bones. The cartilage on each surfaces permits the ball and socket to articulate easily and freely. Cartilage has no enervation, so we will’t really feel the ball and socket articulating with one another. Once we make a behavior of pushing or collapsing into our joints—this particularly applies to the bendier of us—the cartilage can tear or put on down over time. We don’t really feel cartilage injury till the cartilage is gone, after which it’s typically too late. Happily, hip substitute surgical procedure has improved by leaps and bounds. However a greater concept could be to keep away from over stretching our joints within the first place.

How Can Yoga Lecturers Assist?

As academics, we must always encourage college students to take heed to their our bodies, and assist them perceive that ache and discomfort are indicators to again off, to not maintain going. However we additionally want to coach ourselves to know what collapsing right into a joint appears like. A number of the poses that individuals generally collapse or push into their hip joints embrace excessive hip openers—suppose Kapotasana (Pigeon), Hanumanasana (splits), Anjaneyasana (lunges) and Yoga Nidrasana (ankle behind the pinnacle). (Do you really want to place your ankle behind your head to take pleasure in a grace-filled life?)

Backbends is usually a drawback as effectively as a result of there’s an inclination to push into your hip joints to get that additional few millimeters of peak. And that ubiquitous instruction about retaining your pelvis squared in standing poses? Please don’t do it. Let the hip of your again leg rotate inward so that you simply keep continuity between the legs and pelvis. This goes for twists as effectively.

Listening to your physique is crucial. You possibly can keep away from plenty of current and future struggling by merely paying consideration. But in addition, do keep in mind that simply because all the things feels advantageous within the second, it might not be in the long term. Know what regular vary of movement is in your joints. And keep in mind: Nowhere in yoga’s texts does it say that pushing previous your limits is sweet observe. Bear in mind shtira (stability) and sukkha (ease) from Sutra 2.46? (Translated: The bodily physique ought to be regular and cozy.) For those who’re going to place vitality into something in your observe, purpose for a steadiness between these two qualities. And end up an skilled instructor who is aware of what meaning.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and commenced educating in 1986. Charlotte is the writer of Conscious Yoga, Conscious Life: A Information for On a regular basis Apply and Yoga for Meditators, each printed by Rodmell Press. Her third e-book is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and people sextet Crimson Rock Rondo, whose DVD gained two Emmy awards in 2010.