Learn how to navigate injuries in your yoga practice with mindfulness, patience, and safe modifications. Discover tips for injury prevention, healing, and using yoga as a tool for recovery.

Yoga for Injuries

Injuries are a huge topic, and no two are exactly alike. Some are minor—just a little discomfort—while others can totally shake up your world. The way an injury happens, how it manifests, and how it heals is unique to each person. Whether you’re a yoga practitioner, a teacher, or both, it’s important to understand why injuries happen and how yoga can be a tool for healing (instead of making things worse!).

Ego and Injuries

You’ve probably heard yoga teachers talk about “playing your edge” or finding that sweet spot right at the edge of your comfort zone. Well, I don’t know about you, but that line has felt very blurry to me at times. I’ve had phases where my ego took over, I pushed too hard, and I paid the price—limping out of class and wondering why my body was mad at me. In the beginning, I didn’t realize how much strain I was putting on underprepared tissues or how much pressure I was putting on myself to “keep up.” I wanted my poses to look like the person next to me. (Spoiler: that mindset didn’t serve me.)

Yoga and Injuries

One of the greatest gifts of yoga is the way it teaches patience. It reminds us to pay attention to preparatory poses, to breathe, and to actually listen to our bodies. Because guess what? Yoga isn’t a performance. It’s a practice that’s just as much mental as it is physical. It’s a dialogue between body and soul. Your journey is yours, and your boundaries are unique to you. There’s no prize for forcing yourself deeper into a pose or twisting yourself into some complicated shape. The physical practice of yoga exists to help you feel at home in your body—not like you’re battling against it.

Some Reminders

Healing takes time, and everyone moves at their own pace. Ease back into your yoga practice with patience, and always check in with your healthcare provider before jumping back into movement. Know your injuries, do your research, and don’t be afraid to ask questions—whether it’s to your doctor, your yoga teacher, or both. Keeping a log of how you’re feeling day to day can also be super helpful in tracking your recovery and knowing when (or if) adjustments need to be made.

Modifications For: Adho Mukha Svanasana - Downward Facing Dog

Wrist injuries or general discomfort in the wrists are a common reason why people may choose to completely skip their yoga practice. So many of the physical asanas are practiced on the hands and putting weight on the hands can aggravate a wrist that’s already causing some trouble. The good news is that a lot of the asanas can be done on the forearms.

If you’re taking modifications because of a wrist injury, it’s important to remember to move slowly and mindfully. If you’re in a class that’s moving faster than you can move, it’s okay to slow down so you can come to your forearms and adjust the practice for your body. If taking a group yoga class is causing more stress than serenity, then opt into a home practice.

Props Needed: Block

How To:

Begin seated and slowly start to bring your palms to the mat. Without putting pressure on your hands, slide onto your forearms and make an “L” shape with your pointer fingers and thumbs. Place your block between the “L” shapes while keeping your elbows on the mat at shoulder’s width distance.
Send one leg out long behind you and then the other to come into a plank pose on your forearms with your elbows rooting down and encouraging some activation into the block with your hands.
Send your hips up and back to a Downward Dog modification, keeping your forearms on the mat.
If you need to, step your feet a little close to your forearms. Look between your knees or ankles to elongate your neck.
As you breathe in, engage your thighs. As you breathe out, reach your heels down (it’s okay if they don’t touch the mat!)

Reminders: You can omit the block and either keep your palms pressing into the mat or interlace your fingers together. Always come out of the asana as carefully as you entered into it.

Modifications For: Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, Forward Fold Variation - Pigeon Pose

Hips and knees are two areas of the body that are often either overworked, underworked, or somehow just causing discomfort in some way. Everyone’s body is so beautifully unique, and so are the reasons for pain in these areas. It’s often said that yoga is about relationships and that includes your relationship with your body.

If you’re taking modifications in a yoga class because of a knee or hip injury, you can experiment with different prop set-ups and other ways to figure out how to distribute your body weight so it isn’t aggravating an injury. However, a really simple way to practice Pigeon Pose can be to just take it to your back so you’re not putting any weight on any area of your body that’s currently bothering you.

Props Needed: None

How To:

Begin seated and slowly start to make your way onto your back. Be mindful of putting weight on any area that is currently needing your attention at the moment. Use the strength of your arms and abdominals to brace you as you make your way down.
Step both of your feet to your mat and begin with them about hip’s width apart. Keep your knees bent, but you can step your feet as far forward as needed if bending your knees is currently causing you any discomfort or pain.
Take your right ankle over your left thigh. Bring it just below your knee, closer to your quadricep.
Check in with how your knees and/or hips are feeling right here. This may be enough for some. You may also experiment with flexing your right foot, moving your left foot closer to your hip, or gently encouraging your right hip a bit forward.
If it feels okay for you, you also have the option to interlace your fingers around your left thigh, taking your left foot off the mat. Be sure to have your right arm between your things as opposed to having it wrapped around your right one.
As you breathe in, relax your jaw. As you breathe out, be mindful of your current injury and imagine any stagnation drifting away.
Repeat on the left side.

Reminders: Everyone’s body is put together in a different way. One person’s thigh bone sits in their hip socket differently than another’s. Focus on what sensations come up for you and how you can work with your own inhale and exhale.

Modifications For: Balasana - Child’s Pose

Have you ever been in a yoga class and thought “How is this supposed to be a resting pose?” when the teacher instructs the class to come into Child’s Pose? For some people, this is always the case, but for others, it’s a realization that comes while working with an injury.

Child’s Pose can be difficult if you’re working with knee, hip, or neck injuries of any kind. The bending of the knees, flexibility of the hips, and general discomfort in the neck can make this pose anything but a resting pose. Remember, you can always take a comfortable seat of your choice instead of practicing this one! However, if you have access to some props, you can still receive the benefits it offers.

Props Needed: Bolster, Blanket, Block

How To:

Begin seated and fold your blanket up so it can slide beneath your shins. Come onto the blanket with your shins on it and your knees a bit forward of it.
Take your bolster and slide it between your calves and your hamstrings so it creates a cushion between this area and fills the gap that would normally be there.
Find your block and place it towards the front of your mat where you anticipate your forehead to be.
As carefully and mindfully as can be, release your seat towards your heels and your forehead to your block.
You may bring more cushion beneath your seat or more padding beneath your head if needed. You can use unconventional props like towels and blankets if you don’t have the more traditional props.
You can either extend your arms forward or reach them back towards your feet
As you breathe in, imagine your whole back body filling with new space and breath. As you breathe out, relax your jaw and picture any tension releasing out with the exhale.

Reminders: As much as this asana wants to be in the “resting poses” category, it doesn’t always have a seat at that table! It’s okay to remind yourself that you may need to adjust it to work for you.

Yoga For Injuries