This is just not so, outside of Asia. Most people spend most of the day sitting in chairs, cars, airplanes, or on sofas. This eventually leads to tightening of the hip joints. Keep in mind that most of your students walk in the door with tight hips. It is important to stress to everyone during the warm-up to open his or her hips slowly and gently.
Yoga is good for the body. Additionally, it’s also good for one’s emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being, too. You can take yoga with you anywhere you go and roll it out like a yoga mat. It will contribute to giving you great energy and wonderful sleep.
Safety, in practicing and teaching Yoga asanas, is very important. The human machine is designed to move, flex, and bend in very specific ways. If you move against that specific design, injury is likely to occur. As the practice of Yoga moves into the mainstream, Yoga classes are taught in a variety of settings to different groups of practitioners.
When you compare yoga to other types of physical activity, for example, surfing or rock climbing, it would seem yoga would be without incident. However, humans come in all shapes, sizes, and fitness levels. Many students who walk in your door may be recovering from illness or injury. Others may walk through in great physical shape, but harboring deep-seated emotional issues.
Yoga has been known to improve flexibility, strengthen muscles, and enhance balance. However, if practiced incorrectly yoga can do more damage to the body than good. Misaligned poses can lead to injuries ranging from aching joints to pulled muscles. “Yoga injuries are often a result of not knowing or realizing your body’s limitations.”