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About Contraindications & Alternatives

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Adaptation

Overview

In this lesson, we introduce the concept of contraindications and cautions for yoga practice in the presence of specific conditions.

Objective

Understand the difference between contraindications and cautions, and how to use this information to promote student safety.

What You'll Get

You'll learn when a pose should be avoided entirely versus when it can be practiced with modifications or heightened awareness. We clarify the scope of a yoga teacher's role — supporting students in making informed choices without crossing into medical advice. You'll gain access to a contraindications index and learn how to apply it thoughtfully, using your training, experience, and common sense. This resource helps you prepare for real-world teaching scenarios, respond to student questions with clarity, and know when to refer out to medical professionals.

Introduction

We’re excited to bring you a concise contraindications index — a tool to aid you in promoting student safety. It can support your study and your communication with students in order to help them choose practices that best meet their individual needs.

Get a current Contraindications Index* here.

Please Use with Care

Please take care to avoid implying that yoga teachers are qualified to give medical advice.
We’ve done our best to scour dozens of expert sources to bring you reliable information but, of course, we can’t guarantee that every possible consideration is provided here. Please use your own training, experience and common sense when working with students.

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