Promoting Student Safety

Injury Prevention

1. A 13-year study of yoga-related injuries in the U.S. published in 2017 found that injuries had increased (from 10 to 17 per 100,000 participants), although the risk of a serious injury remained low (less than 0.02%).
2. The study reported that the majority of injuries occurred in students ages 65 and over.

An international survey of 33,000 yoga teachers, therapists, and other clinicians from 35 countries published in 2009 found that respondents most commonly blamed these five reasons for yoga injuries:

1. Excessive student effort (81%)
2. Inadequate teacher training (68%)
3. More people doing yoga overall (65%)
4. Unknown pre-existing conditions (60%)
5. Larger classes (47%)

Source: Angela Pirisi, Yoga Journal, How to Avoid Yoga Injuries

Injury prevention is accomplished through promoting student safety in practice. This involves:

1. Knowledge of Anatomy & Physiology – To promote student safety requires knowledge of anatomy. For a study guide, see Anatomy to Promote Safety & to Accommodate Individual Needs.
2. Teaching that Generally Promotes Safety– Just as important as knowledge of the body are such teaching tasks as fostering a noncompetitive environment, teaching students to take responsibility for themselves, and referring students with particular conditions to an expert. See more below.
3. Teaching Yoga Techniques in a Safe & Sound Way – The next general area of promoting safety is to properly teach pose alignment and accommodations, and appropriate breath practices. For support, see the Study Library.

See more: About Injuries in Yoga

ESPECIALLY RISKY FOR PEOPLE WHO PUSH OR ARE PUSHED

A growing number of Americans are getting injured doing yoga — an unfortunate trend touted in news stories. Often media reports express surprise that this ancient healing discipline can actually cause harm, especially since many people take up yoga specifically to heal injuries. Yet like any form of physical activity, hatha yoga practice carries risks—especially for people who push themselves or are pushed by teachers to “achieve” a particular pose, explains Leslie Kaminoff, a New York yoga therapist and bodyworker, who regularly treats yogis with both acute and chronic injuries linked to improper practice. – Carol Krucoff

Overview of Strategies

1. Undertake specialized study before teaching children, prenatal and postpartum students, and students with medical or chronic conditions.
2. Be cautious not to give advice that is beyond your scope.
3. Grow your skills in adaptation principles and accommodating injuries and conditions in class.
4. Foster a safe, noncompetitive environment.
5. Teach students to take responsibility for themselves.
6. Provide variations, alternatives and personalized options.
7. If a class is too large to provide individual attention, avoid risky and/or complex postures.
8. Utilize safe sequencing.
9. Be cautious with risky asana and movement flows.

* Many of these strategies are drawn from Shirley Archer’s excellent article in IDEA Fitness: Is Yoga Safe?