How to Practice Yoga Safely

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CHIANG RAI – Yoga is one of the best forms of exercise you can do at any time and any place since it doesn’t require any equipment or special facilities.  It’s a gentle exercise that gives your body a total workout and calms the mind at the same time.  All you need is your own body and a bit of space to stretch out.

You don’t even need to leave your house to join a class or practice with a teacher – you can find all sorts of videos and apps to use at home. You don’t even need a yoga mat if the floor is clean. The only real issue with practicing yoga is that if you aren’t careful or get too ambitious, injuries can occur.  Sometimes people don’t realize or notice a misalignment in the body and this is how injuries happen.

Jang Kanlayanee Martthuean, Museflower Retreat & Spa Chiang Rai’s resident yoga teacher shares her knowledge on how to practice yoga safely at your own home or in group classes.

What are some of common injuries people get doing yoga?

People get injuries when they try doing poses that are too difficult for them. Sometimes in group classes people feel competitive with others in the class, when they see other people doing advanced poses and they want to do equal or better than their classmates.  To be safe, go at your own pace, and don’t compare yourself to other people.

How can we prevent these specific injuries?

If you are having trouble with the pose, ask the teacher for help to modify poses that fit your limitations.  Never allow a teacher to push you deeper into a pose during an adjustment if you don’t feel comfortable with it. If you feel like you can’t do the pose, don’t assume that anyone else knows your body better than you do.

What part of the body is the most vulnerable when you are doing yoga?

The most common injuriesthat happen during yoga practice are joints and muscles injuries and they can occur in all areas of the body, especially if there is a lack of concentration while practicing yoga.

Is it possible to do too much yoga?

It depends on the style of yoga you practice, whether it is more relaxed, medium and heavy duty. There are various styles of yoga and each has a different purpose. Some styles are slow and very relaxed while others are faster and more physically demanding.

How much is too much yoga, and what’s a reasonable amount of time to spend doing yoga per day or per week?

Yoga practice is supposed to leave you feeling refreshed, comfortable, and filled with positive energy.  If after yoga practice you feel tired or have an injury, then you are doing too much yoga.  Once a day is enough to practice yoga safely without doing harm.

What are easy poses for beginners to start with?

People have different degrees of flexibility, so it depends on the individual’s abilities because what is easy for one person may be difficult for another who is not as flexible.  In general, it is best to start with the Sun Salutation, or Suryanamaskara, as this is the foundation for learning the next steps of yoga poses.

Jang KanlayaneeMartthuean will be teaching a self-care workshop at Museflower Retreat & Spa Chiang Raion How to Practice Yoga Safely on April 1, 2018. In this workshop she will share how to modify yoga poses suitable to your individual level, and how to do gentle stretching to warm up your muscles to prevent injury. You will also learn how basic breathing techniques and Jala Neti to enhance your yoga practice.

By Minty Green

This workshop is suitable for all levels of yoga practitioners and particularly helpful for beginners.

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The How to Practice Yoga Safely Workshop on April 1, 2018 requires minimum 1 day advance booking.

For inquiries about this workshop, contact:

Museflower Retreat & Spa Chiang Rai, 159/1 Moo 1 Ban Samanmit, Donsila Sub-District, Wiang Chai District, Chiang Rai 57210

Office: +66-(0)52-029-823, +66(0)-93-137-0414

Email: retreat@museflower.com

Website: www.musefloweretreat.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musefloweretreat

 

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