Safe Om at Home

by: AndreaDow
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Word Count: 426

Tuesday, April 3rd

Trying to start a yoga routine outside of the studio in your home can be a challenge. Without the presence of an instructor guiding you through postures and reminding you about proper placement and breath, you can easily injure yourself. A recent on-line article, written by Anne Underwood for msnbc.com, highlights some of the more common injuries when attempting downard dog next to your pet dog. Despite some of the inherent risks of doing yoga on your own, do not let this scare you away from developing a home routine. Practiced regularly, yoga has incredible benefits like increased strength, flexibility, range of motion, improved balance, reduced stress and blood pressure.

I was surprised to read that there were over 5,000 yoga-related injuries in 2005 that resulted in physician offices and emergency room visits. The number is up 1,300 from 2004. This increased number may be reflective of an increase in baby-boomers flocking to their sticky mats, but the number is still high. Dr. Johnny Benjamin was the physician interviewed for the article. He warns that women are most susceptible to injury because they do yoga more often, and are likely to attend a class with a friend that is just too advanced for their level. Dr. Benjamin also warns that using a tape to learn yoga is not recommended. You really do need someone "live" showing and teaching you the basics before you can embark on a home practice.

Wondering about which pose is the most commonly related to injury? The lotus ranks in at number one, two and three according to Dr. Benjamin. We all used to do it as kids, but it is much harder on the joints for people in the 40's, 50's and 60's. If you attend a class where the instructor teaches lotus, insist on doing a 1/2 lotus where you just cross one foot onto the thigh as opposed to both feet. Remember, yoga is not a competition! Do the poses that you feel comfortable with and avoid anything that your intuition tells you to skip.

Some final words of wisdom from the Dr.:

1. Check to see if your instructor is registered with the Yoga Alliance. An experienced instructor is a must!
2. Consult with your doctor if you have any existing or previous injury that might get worse with yoga.
3. If you can warm up your body with a short walk before class, that would be ideal.
4. If you are a beginner, stick with the beginner's class. Tell your friend you will join her when you are ready!

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