| In the past year, I have heard a lot of people complain | | | | yoga instructor who has the necessary expertise and |
| to me that they have taken yoga with bad | | | | background to guide them appropriately. Yoga is |
| experiences. They got injured during the class or | | | | beneficial to people with back ailments, as long as you |
| received no benefit because they could not follow the | | | | know the correct method of practising it. It is important |
| instructor. This experience left them with not only an | | | | to look for a yoga instructor who has a physiologically |
| injury, but a bad impression of the benefit of | | | | based yoga degree. If the instructor has a degree |
| yoga.Yoga was invented to help everyone, no matter | | | | from the prestigious Yoga Institute in India, for example, |
| what their physical ailments are. The word yoga is a | | | | you can be sure their understanding and instructing of |
| Sanskrit word meaning joining. It was developed to join | | | | yoga will be beneficial and safe for the student to |
| the body, mind and spirit of an individual into an | | | | practice.I recently had a client with a facet joint injury. |
| integrated human being. When we are integrated, we | | | | She could not attend any traditional fitness class for |
| are more able to interface with the outside world. We | | | | fear that the instructor may not have sufficient |
| become more harmonious and more effective in all of | | | | physiological knowledge to guide her to health. She |
| our interactions. Our productivity improves.So, why do | | | | hired a qualified yoga instructor to do one-on-one |
| we get hurt at yoga class? A community yoga class | | | | sessions with her. Those sessions consisted of |
| instructor may not have knowledge about special | | | | asanas that were not detrimental to those with lower |
| populations. They may not be able to look carefully at | | | | back injuries. After these sessions, her ability to stand |
| each and every student. In addition, the instructor may | | | | and walk improved. Her tension from pain was |
| not be aware that some asanas or poses should not | | | | decreased enabling her to work more effectively |
| be carried out by some people with physical | | | | during the day.A variety of personal interests and |
| limitations.For example, if you have had back surgery, | | | | professional paths have led Siva to her current role as |
| then there are many asanas that are detrimental for | | | | a personal trainer and yoga instructor with over 20 |
| you. Such a person would need to seek an educated | | | | years experience. |