Class for Shoulder Injury

During life we may get injured but it doesn’t mean that we have to skip our yoga practice. Let’s find out how it is possible to maintain a steady and well-balanced yoga asana practice for people with a shoulder injury.

Most importantly: DON’T PUT ANY WEIGHT ON YOUR SHOULDERS.

Keep your shoulders and neck area relaxed throughout the whole practice. Be gentle with the stretches, support your body with active bandhas.
When practicing with an injury stay even more present in your own body and keep awareness how you feel in different poses. In the video Doron will show several modifications for poses without straining. Remember that there are different types of injuries. Only you know what is good and if there is space for more movement.

When you have an injury it is an opportunity to deepen your practice on other levels. Try and really lengthen your spine and root your feet to the mat. Relax your shoulders. Lengthening your exhales help you to activate the parasympathetic nervous system which helps you in your healing process.

Keep these things in mind while practicing

• • For warming up, start from tadasana. Modify your upward dog and downward dog by standing. Keep your hands on the hips. On inhale lengthen your spine up and lean back slightly for a backbend. Exhale and fold forward, bending from the knees if necessary. Repeat 3-5 times.
  • Do the standing poses keeping the hands on the hips or on your heart centre.
  • For seated poses you can concentrate on opening the hips in malasana, baddha konasana and upavista konasana.
  • Keep your awareness on relaxing your shoulders while doing forward folds.
  • For some core work, do navasana variation; lift your legs up, either bending fro knees or straightening. Keep your spine straight and hands on the heart centre or reaching forward if that is okay for your shoulders. Rest down for couple of breaths and lift the legs up again. Repeat 3-5 times.
  • Take a deep stretch in a pigeon pose and backbend in camel pose.
  • Instead of shoulder stand take viparita karani, putting a block under your lower back and lifting your legs up. You can also put your legs against a wall.
  • Take a supine twist and lay down for healing and relaxing savasana

In the video Doron demonstrates a sequence for people with shoulder injuries. Thank you Kent for participating for the practice. If you need gentle movement on your neck and head area, check out Doron’s yoga practice for head and neck release.

Modified Vinyasa Class for Students with a Shoulder Injury

Share the Shoulder Love

Share this video with your friends who have shoulder injuries! Leave us a comment below to let us know which modifications worked for you, Doron personally replies to all comments!

For more modified classes and injury tips, check out Doron’s YouTube Channel! Join us at the beautiful Doron Yoga & Zen Center in Guatemala for retreats and workshops, including Yoga Alliance-certified yoga teacher trainings.

For more reading on modifications and poses, read the Doron Yoga Manual.