Precautions

It is very easy to get injured in Yoga even for an experienced practitioner. Following some simple precautions helps in making a Yoga practice enjoyable, rewarding and vastly reduces the risk of injury.

• Bring an open mind and bare feet in comfortable clothing.

• Do arrive 5-10 minutes early.  Stretch and warm up if you do so.

• Mats will be available at the center.

• If you have any medical conditions, inform your instructor.

• Wait until 4 hours after a heavy meal and 2 hours after a light meal to practice Yoga.

• Breathing is always through the mouth, unless specifically instructed by your instructor.

• Do not try to out-stretch yourself. Yoga is not competitive. Yoga cannot be enjoyed if there is any discomfiture. Check with yourself if you are enjoying and experiencing the posture all the time. At all times keep listening to your inner mind.  If, even in the remotest corner you hear or sense that something may not be okay, STOP from proceeding further. It is very easy even for an advanced adept to get injured. Common sense, baby-steps and respect for your own body are keys to prevent injury.

• Women who are menstruating should not do any inversion postures or postures that create discomfort in the abdominal/pelvic region such as twists.

• If you have high blood pressure, glaucoma or headache, avoid inverted postures except when under expert guidance.

• If you have diarrhea, avoid twisting postures.

• In all postures, breathe normally. Don’t hold your breath anytime, unless the instructor tells you to. Once you have mastered a posture, you may focus inwards.

• Practice makes one perfect. A ½ hour of practice 5 days a week is better than a weekly 90-minute session. With daily/regular practice you body learns and retains while conditioning the muscles.

• Yoga is a fluid sequence of activities; no jerky movements except where advised. The smooth movements help the blood circulation keep uniform without causing tension in any part of the body.

• Since there will be people of all abilities in a class, all postures or their variations may not be suitable to you. Practice a variation suitable or comfortable to you; if no variation is suitable, it is okay to practice a completely different posture or even relax.

• Do not involve in strenuous physical activity until 30 minutes after a Yoga session. This disturbs and comes in the way of the good effects of the session.