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The following precautions are designed to help you manage a range of health conditions within a general class. Of course, please consult your teacher if you are uncertain about the necessity or suitability of these adaptations.
Ensure you have plenty of support for the affected joint/area. For example, use a blanket to support your neck if need be. Stand on the edge of a folded blanket for dog pose or tree pose. Be extra careful with poses that involve bending or twisting the knees. Move slowly from one pose to the other. If your back problem has been diagnosed as a bulging or slipped disc, it is imperative that you refrain from full forward-bending movements. Any such positions should be approached with caution and with deeply bent knees. For generalized lower back pain, keep the abdominal muscles firm in all poses. A rolled up blanket behind the knees will help ease the lower back when lying on the floor. Take particular care entering and exiting all poses. Practicing inversions (even dog pose) when suffering from a cold can work either to clear the nasal passages or to compound the infection. If you are prone to sinus infections, we recommend that you avoid ‘head down’ positions. When struggling with the initial symptoms of respiratory infections, do not inhale deeply. Also, twists and strong backbends can spread the infection more quickly. If you have a fever or very early symptoms, rest is the very best thing. Avoid spreading the virus by keeping away from other students, and maybe even missing the class. Gastro-intestinal infections that have symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea are usually highly contagious. There are very few yoga poses that actually ease the symptoms. Frankly, we’d prefer you to keep the bug to yourself and not risk passing it on to other students! Always let the teacher know before the class if you are struggling with a headache. Try to identify where the headache is based and where it might be stemming from. It can help to do a simple cross-legged twist for a few breaths on either side before the class commences, as this will often relieve it. If a headache ‘comes on’ from a yoga class, let your teacher know immediately as there may be a counter-pose that will remedy it. If you suffer from symptoms of high blood pressure try to adapt poses so that you keep your head higher than your heart. The exception to this is dog pose, but use your discretion if pressure in the temples increases. With low blood pressure, move slowly out of inversions. Breathe consistently in standing poses. If practising yoga in the first three days of your menstrual period, it is important to rest as much as needed. Inversions are contra-indicated, as are strong twists. If possible, please let the teacher know before the class as he/she may be able to recommend poses to relieve cramps and fatigue. Your yoga teacher needs to know about your pregnancy as soon as possible. Working Yoga has a specific hand-out to help you continue your general yoga practice. These are general guidelines only. Your Working Yoga teacher may give you different or additional adaptations to help you manage your specific condition. Do what feels comfortable.