3 Reasons You Should Go to Yoga Class Even if You Have an Injury

Should I come to class with an injury?  I have been asked this question so many times, and most students stay home when they have an injury, but I believe the mat is exactly where you need to be when you have an injury.  Here are three reasons.

We learn the greatest lessons from injuries.  So many of us try to power through our practice.  We push ourselves beyond our limits.  We compete either with the person next to us, or with ourselves.  What if you gave yourself permission to modify?  Take plank to downdog, instead of chaturanga, updog to downdog.  What if you dropped a knee in crescent lunge?  We have to let go of pride to see our practice really blossom!  I know, I know, it is such a hard lesson!  We learn that if we back off, and protect the part of the body that is injured (give yourself some love,) the body will thank you for that by showing up better than ever after it heals.

Your mat is your space.  It’s your space to clear your mind, and nourish your spirit.  When you have an injury, you need this more than ever.  The most important part of your physical yoga practice is your breath.  If you can come to the mat and just breathe, that is so beneficial, not only for your mind, but it allows the oxygen to help the healing process of your body as well.  “What if people laugh at me for sitting/laying on my mat and just breathing?”  It’s YOUR practice!  It does not matter what other people think.  If they are truly doing their own practice, they won’t even notice, because their attention will be on their own mat! 

You must continue the habit.  If you take time off when you have an injury, it is much harder to get back on the mat.  If you have ever been away from class for an extended period of time, that first day back, you think “Why have I been away so long?”  If you just go to class, do what you can, then you will keep your habit strong, and not be tempted to skip!  Your body, mind, and heart will thank you for it!