Precautions to be Taken while Practicing Yoga
- Persons with a history of heart disease, severe back injuries, inner ear problems or other difficulties with balance, or those who have undergone surgery recently should consult a physician before beginning to practice either yoga or Suryanamaskara.
- In case of women, there are specific asanas and pregnant women are usually advised to modify their yoga practice during the first trimester. They should preferably consult a yoga therapist. However, women should not do yogic exercises during menstruation.
- Yogasanas should be practiced in the morning hours preferably in an empty stomach with a glass of water. If this is not possible, t can be practiced in the evenings before 8.00 p.m. in an empty stomach and bladder. While yoga can be practiced outdoors, it should not be done direct under sunlight.
- Normal and regulated breathing has to be done without holding of breath. Relaxation of a few second in between asanas should be done. Breathing has to be done through the nostrils and not through mouth.
- Yogasanas should not be practiced when a person is unwell and sick.
- While practicing yogasanas, you must relax in the final posture of the particular asana and be at ease and comfort. Stability should be achieved as per Patanjali Maharshi ‘Sthiram Sukham Asanam’, that is, posture (asana) is to be treated in a position which is firm and relaxed.
- After a session of yogasana or Suryanamaskara, lie down in Savasana for at least 5–10 minutes to get rid of any fatigue.
- A daily session of 30–45 min of yogasana practice comprising of a combination of asanas, suryanamaskara and pranayama is needed to reap the therapeutic benefits. The time can, however, be extended to 1 h depending on the availability of the practitioner’s time.
- Persons suffering from any disorder should not attempt to practice any form of yogasana or pranayama (yogic breathing) without the supervision of an experienced yoga teacher with knowledge of yoga therapy.
- Yoga therapy is a therapeutic process and it is not a panacea of all ailments. Yoga therapy, in many instances, however, causes the symptoms to subside. The possibilities of relapsing are therefore minimized or totally eliminated.
There are specific asanas and pranayamas to be practiced for many common ailments like common cold, cough, bronchitis, headache, joint pain, high and low BP, obesity, abdominal disorders, asthma, and diabetes etc. It is best to consult a yogasana teacher or yoga therapist and get his guidance.
Next page: Suryanamaskara asanas and benefits
Written by: Healthplus24 team
Date last updated: March 26, 2012