Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Iyengar Yoga: Why injuries?

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Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Iyengar Yoga:
Why injuries?

vsnet
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Aug 10, 2003, 12:32 AM

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Why injuries?	Can't Post

Intresting question.

I have seen many reported injuries, while doing asanas or the teacher is forcing them to do something that causes injury ( particularly in Iyengar Yoga Style )

Does yoga really allow students to get injured?

Why the Iyengar teachers are so commanding, not listening to students' health limitations?

Mr. Iyengar always emphasises on "play within your limit until you master", but several teachers are in different approach.

Bryan Alexander
Enthusiast / Moderator

Aug 12, 2003, 8:36 AM

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Re: Why injuries? [In reply to]	Can't Post

I have heard of people getting injured while practicing asanas. But I have personally known of very few people who have gotten injured during a yoga class. None of these were injuries during a class taught by an Iyengar teacher. I don't mean to say that it's never happened.

I have also heard of Iyengar teachers who are very "commanding" as you say. I have taken classes with several different Iyengar teachers, and none of them would ignore a student's limitations unless some strange circumstance caused them to lose their usually good judgment.

But it is the student's responsibility to inform the teacher of injuries and health limitations. I suppose that the reality is that when you bring together a teacher who is very "commanding" and a student with health limitations who cannot express himself, then the possibility of injury is very real.

I have taken classes in several different styles of asana practice: Kundalini, Kripalu, Tri, Iyengar, Ashtanga. Of these, the Iyengar teachers were the most safe in terms of their knowledge, instructions, and concern and attention to students' individual differences.

I think it would be interesting to see a scientific study of yoga students and their injuries. Practicing yoga can bring up a lot of emotional issues, including emotional reactions to authority figures, namely the teachers. Until we have some objective data, I will be very skeptical about statements like, "I heard that so and so got injured because such and such teacher told him to do this despite his injury."

vsnet
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Aug 12, 2003, 1:08 PM

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Re: Why injuries? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi Bryan,

I apologize for putting a general statement like "why iyengar teachers", it should be "why SOME iyengar teatchers".

Why there are so many types of yogas like Iyengar, Viniyoga, Astanga etc and etc. Its really confusing which one should be taken. If Iyengar Yoga is a classical form and Viniyoga is softer and modified form, is there any compremise in the result?

yogahound
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Oct 4, 2003, 10:56 PM

Post #4 of 4 (1457 views)
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Re: Why injuries? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Every school of yoga - and indeed every specific teacher - has strengths/weaknesses. Iyengar yoga does indeed tend to be rigorous, and I'd imagine that the injuries of Iyengar students would tend to be the result of people pushing past their "edge" from overmuch determination. On the other hand, Iyengar teachers are remarkably well-trained and know problems to watch for, so that mitigates the problem.

I've always thought injury was much more likely in less rigorous yoga schools...the "let your body find its way" traditions, where the teacher stands in front and does yoga and the class is expected to follow along as best they can, without feedback, guidance, or instruction. There's a lot of that out there, and it's deadly. Like any other practice, yoga requires solid fundamentals, and those fundamentals aren't attained by magic, juju, vibes, or The Spirit of God. As with beginners in any other pursuit, specific and repeated instruction is essential. Yoga traditions that don't instruct beginners are injury traps, pure and simple. Your body's natural inclinations are NOT to do asana in proper alignment!

But, finally, anything difficult one does with one's body has potential for injury. You can certainly be injured in yoga, and now that it's hugely popular, doctors and chiropracters have lots of stories of yoga injuries. To minimize risk, get a really good teacher and learn to push yourself to improve without doing violence to yourself. That's the whole point. This critical distinction isn't about approach to yoga, it IS yoga. Yoga is about examining how you view and overcome challenges and how you treat yourself. If you do yourself violence or act carelessly, you've not hurt yourself by doing yoga, you've hurt yourself by not doing yoga!

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