Is Yoga Safe? (Part 2) - Change the Way You Practice

Yoga poses that are too extreme will cause injury down the road by making your tissues, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and fascia weak. It will destroy your tensegrity. Flexibility is not a healthy goal unless lack of mobility has been identified in your body by a trained professional.
To stay safe we must avoid extreme and forceful ranges of motion, and seek to balance strength with flexibility. The anatomy and physiology behind yoga poses simply doesn't allow for crazy yoga poses in a healthy way.
To protect our joints we must not seek hypermobile poses, and avoid making flexibility the number one goal of yoga. Yoga is so much more than flexibility.
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[@Megh2D]

Thank you so much for breaking down some specific adjustments. I definitely am a living example of yoga damage (my rotator cuff was torn during an "adjustment" from a teacher in dolphin pose -huzzah.) Most yoga teachers I've worked with haven't been able to advise comfortable modifications, and many web searches heretofore have been fruitless. Glad to have found your channel!

[@ShapeshiftWellness]

We tend to over-do it in yoga and stretch rather forcefully. I'm glad this video helped!

[@tobiasmack2623]

The first one is called: Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana.
How can you say the ligaments are getting loosers?
I learned the important thing in this posture is the standing leg. If you are fully straight with Knie extension and hip extension on the standing leg, the posture becomes more a strengthening than a flexible one. Then the nerve system would never ever allow to overstretch the hip ligaments on the other leg . The more you work on the standing leg, the more effort you take there the safer is the posture.

[@cristinalattuada5322]

Thank you, this is very helpful to me. What do you recommend to someone who’s already done all the damage. I feel like I relate to what you say about becoming addicted to stretching.

[@i.m.hidden2788]

I watched this and part 3 of this series, but can't find part 1. Is it named with a "part 1" title? Thanks!

[@ShapeshiftWellness]

Part 1: th-cam.com/video/t5gtMyCFRWw/w-d-xo.html
Part 2: th-cam.com/video/WXwZr2I9ZJc/w-d-xo.html
Part 3: th-cam.com/video/vH3nn0cBVjk/w-d-xo.html

[@3ForPs]

Is there any good books on this? I feel like your on to something but I’m not getting the hole picture here.

[@ShapeshiftWellness]

The best resource to go into great depth on this is my Functional Movement Anatomy course, and the other anatomy courses I've made that are all part of the All Access Membership: www.shapeshiftwellness.com/bundles/all-access-membership

[@yogaelements8366]

What about yin yoga? Does it overstretch your ligaments and fascia?

[@ShapeshiftWellness]

Yes it does, in fact that's the point which seems weird to me. It does get a good "parasympathetic response" basically meaning it calms your nervous system, but it does so by targeting the connective tissue and stretching it out. The main function of ligaments is to limit excessive motion. It's not wise to start stretching them, because they will no longer serve their function well. I recommend restorative yoga where you are fully supported and aren't really stretching, just being taught how to relax and "down regulate" (calm your nerves).

[@yogaelements8366]

@@ShapeshiftWellness I am a new Yoga teacher and been teaching flow but starting to naturally slow down my classes. Was considering doing a Yin teacher training but you got me thinking here. On a personal level I suffer from anxiety and the yin classes really seem to calm me down but I have have also been feeling my ligaments 'looser'.

[@ShapeshiftWellness]

@@yogaelements8366 Start learning about myofascial release (foam rolling). It is a very effective way of getting a parasympathetic response which is needed during anxiety to allow our nervous system to calm down. Also consider that in order to manage anxiety there are two things which are needed and they are opposites. One is to do something very physically challenging. That could be a long run, a HIIT workout, martial arts, a power yoga class, or whatever. Your body needs to MOVE. Just as important though is silence and stillness. That's where the restorative, or the myofascial release, or the breathing techniques are useful. If you exercise regularly and really put effort into it, and you also take time for restorative yoga and meditation and relaxation, you have a great set of tools to start to feel more balanced. This is how I personally manage my own anxiety and I used to have pretty terrible panic attacks. I couldn't sleep, it was awful.

[@yogaelements8366]

@@ShapeshiftWellness I know exactly how that feels! The panic attacks are terrible. Thank you so much for your reply and for the tips. I will definitely look into myofascial release. Will follow your work, it's very good.

[@ShapeshiftWellness]

@@yogaelements8366 Thanks a bunch! By the way, and this is more like philosophy than science, but my personal experience showed me that when I actually fully allowed myself to feel and experience the things I was afraid of, they because either tolerable, or in some cases enjoyable. A safe way to practice dealing with stress in a positive and controlled way is taking cold showers. I do hot, normal showers first, then turn it cold and only get out when I am not shivering or breathing heavy and I find a sense of inner peace. It teaches me that I can be in an undesirable situation and still have a sense of inner peace. Check out Wim Hof Method, there is a good facebook community too with a bunch of us. Basically we breathe real hard and take ice baths for fun lol. Just a thought, it's helped me.

[@triciahughey1204]

:)