Adapting Yoga For Your Health

A regular yoga practice brings many health benefits, but that doesn't mean you need perfect health to practice yoga. In fact, many people who live with chronic pain or other health conditions find that yoga helps them manage their symptoms.

Whether you have a chronic condition or are recovering from an injury or illness, yoga might help you get more out of life and feel better both physically and mentally. However, you may need a more customized approach to your practice.

Check with your doctor

Before you begin your yoga practice, check with your doctor to find out if you have any physical limitations. This is a good idea for anyone, but it's especially important when you're dealing with any health issues.

Once you've talked to your doctor, there are a few ways you can adapt yoga for your own health:

1. Expand your definition of yoga

Yoga encompasses more than a physical practice. Studying yoga philosophy can expand your outlook and help you examine the way you think about yourself and others. Many beneficial aspects of yoga, like meditation or pranayama (breath control), can be practiced from a comfortable sitting position.

When it comes to a physical (asana) practice, there are a wide range of yoga styles available. Vinyasa yoga builds strength and stability, Yin yoga can stimulate and release connective tissue, and restorative yoga gently releases stress and tension.

Learning more yoga styles makes it easier to choose which is best for a given day.

2. Consider your whole health 

Look beyond your physical body to consider your emotional, mental and social health. How do you describe your health condition to yourself? How do you feel about your limitations or restrictions? Do you feel alone?

Your thoughts and emotions can affect your physical body. Conversely, learning to relax your physical body can help you settle your thoughts and emotions.

Steady breath and mindful movements are great for grounding yourself, releasing anxiety, and quieting negative thoughts. Nurturing your mind-body connection may help manage chronic pain and improve your general mood, while making new friends at a yoga studio can offer social support.

3. Take it slow 

Whether you are having a good day or a bad day, ease into your physical yoga practice. Take some time to slowly warm up with more gentle postures like child's pose, cat and cow stretches, or rag doll.

Modify your practice with soft knees and slow, steady transitions. There will be time to deepen your poses or move into faster transitions after you've warmed up and taken a good inventory of how your body is currently feeling.

If you do decide to take a deeper or more challenging version of a pose, move into the variation mindfully to see where your body wants to move today. If you begin to deepen a pose and find it doesn't feel right, ease off.

4. Advocate for yourself 

Many yoga teachers (including me) will tell you that listening to your body is the first rule of your physical practice. However, it can be hard to modify your practice when you long to go deeper, or when you want to keep up with the yogis around you.

Some days, modifying a pose is the greater challenge (mentally) than moving into a more advanced variation. Rise to that challenge.

The encouragement (or adjustments) of some well-meaning yoga teachers may also push you too far, especially if you have an "invisible" health issue.

Never be afraid to speak up for yourself or to clearly express your needs and limitations in a yoga class. Arrive early and talk to your teacher before practice. If a teacher begins a hands-on adjustment in class, you always have the right to politely refuse.

5. Keep notes or journals 

Track your yoga journey to get the most from your practice. You can make notes of any modifications that have helped you or any questions that you would like to research further.

You can use a notebook, a journal, a calendar, or your favorite habit or health tracking app. Consider adding pictures to see how your practice changes over time.

6. Visit yoga studios 

You can practice yoga on your own with DVDs, magazines or books, but you will get more out of your practice with personalized advice from experienced yoga teachers. Visit some local studios to try different yoga styles and meet a variety of teachers.

Yoga studios often offer workshops designed to teach specific aspects of yoga and answer questions. A couple of private sessions can also help you learn specific ways you can personalize poses for your body.

Whatever your needs, you can find a way to adapt your yoga practice for your health. It may take some trial and error, but the benefits of yoga are well worth journey.