| If you're suffering from chronic pain - whether it's back | | | | away from the faster-paced flow-style classes and |
| pain, knee pain or some other type of persistent pain - | | | | look for a class that is more detailed, where you stop |
| you might have heard about the benefits of yoga to | | | | frequently and examine the poses to ensure you're |
| relieve those aches. But what you don't know about | | | | doing each one correctly. |
| yoga might actually make your pain worse. | | | | Talk to the instructor: A yoga instructor can't help you |
| There's a myth out there that if you do yoga, it's | | | | if he or she doesn't know you have any chronic pain |
| automatically good for you, but it can actually make | | | | issues. It's important you speak to any instructor |
| your neck pain or back pain or other chronic pain | | | | before class and let him know of any issues you may |
| worse if you don't do it right. | | | | have. That way, the instructor can ensure you don't do |
| Take someone with a herniated disc in the back, for | | | | any poses that could aggravate the source of your |
| example. Many yoga poses in bikram yoga, for | | | | pain. |
| example, involve bending forward, grabbing on to your | | | | Find the source: Yoga is great for helping relieve |
| feet and pulling hard. If you have a herniated disc, that's | | | | tension and improve alignment, all of which can help |
| one of the worst things you can do. | | | | ease pain. But it's important to know what's causing |
| Does that mean you shouldn't turn to yoga in an | | | | the pain, Finn adds. For example, you may have a |
| attempt to ease your pain? Not at all. Yoga is a great | | | | sore, tight neck and want to stretch that out in yoga to |
| way to relieve chronic pain without using drugs or | | | | ease the pain. However, it could actually be the |
| painkillers. You just can't assume that every yoga | | | | alignment of your chin or shoulders that's causing the |
| class will automatically make it better. | | | | pain in your neck, and you need poses that will help |
| The most important thing is choosing the right style of | | | | strengthen those areas. |
| yoga that will alleviate your pain and the right instructor | | | | Don't tune out: You can't expect yoga to help you if |
| to meet your needs. Here are some tips for finding the | | | | you tune out and don't connect properly with your |
| right practice for you: | | | | body while you're practicing. Become aware of your |
| Don't go with the flow: There are certain poses to | | | | body and educate yourself as to how your mind and |
| choose from in yoga, but the pace at which you go | | | | body are connected. |
| through each pose can be drastically different. Stay | | | | |