The Surya Namaskar or Sun Saltutations The physical aspect of yoga, the asanas, has been much popularized in the West, and devoted celebrity practitioners like Madonna and Sting have contributed to the increased visibility of the practice. Physically, the practice of asanas is considered to improve:
Yoga exercises is an ancient form of exercise that focuses on strength, flexibility and breathing to boost physical and mental wellbeing. The emphasis on the physical part has given rise to the perception that yoga consists only of asana practice. A more esoteric intention is to facilitate the flow of prana (vital energy; qi in Chinese; ki in Japanese) to aid in balancing the koshas (sheaths) of the physical and metaphysical body. Depending on the level of mastery, the practitioner of asanas is supposed to achieve many supernatural abilities. For instance, a yogi who has mastered Mayurasana will not be affected by eating any poison. Some common asanas![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Mechanism of Injury in yogaThere are many causes of labral tears, including high impact or direct trauma, such as a fall, or micro-trauma from overuse. Movements that require repetitive hyperextension or flexion of the hip, extreme external rotation (ER) or internal rotation (IR) of the femur, twisting motions, or any combination of these movements can injure the labrum. Clearly these are the movement patterns of Yoga asanas. Students with intense daily practices who must always “work at the edge” of their flexibility, and those who do not vary their practice, may therefore be at risk. Avoiding Injury Warming up the body properly with preparatory asanas can help prevent injuries. Instructors should teach a balanced practice, with a variety of movements at the hip joint and a focus on both stability and flexibility. Those students who are hyperflexible should be encouraged to practice asanas that emphasize strength, support, and stability, rather than additional flexibility............ Having just gone through this surgery myself, I can attest to the many challenges and frustrations that students will experience. It has been very challenging to be the injured student, as a registered Yoga teacher and an experienced physical therapist. At times, I felt embarrassment and guilt that I had injured myself doing Yoga, and that perhaps I hadn’t practiced what I so often preach: “Listen to your body and respect the messages.” On the other hand, injuries occur and there is no healing in blame........ Elaine Goodall, PT, MEd, RYT Goodall EY. Preventing & Healing Injury in Asana: Acetabular Labral Tears. Yoga Therapy in PracticeAugust 2006;2(3):16-17 |
Exercise Videos >