The Balanced Life

Yoga 101: Staying Safe and Using Yoga to Heal

In response to a recent New York Times article, Erin Wheeler has some tips to get the most out of your yoga session.

Have you ever been in class, in the middle of a sequence and all of the sudden, something starts hurt? I don’t mean a, “Ugh, this is so hard and I am so tired” kind of hurt, but that your actual movements are causing pain or even injury? I have. At first I felt angry and wanted to place blame on the teacher. I'd say things like, “that teacher, made me hurt my back” or “my hip hurt for weeks after that class.” In reality, I chose to place full trust in the teacher and I didn’t practice my yoga within myself. I didn’t apply my knowledge as a teacher or as a student. Nor did I apply it to my physical limitations and abilities. Wanting to do doing certain postures, I have let my ego distract me from reality and what I need to do to keep my …