Part 2 of Common Mistakes Yoga Teachers Make. Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 speaks about mistakes Yoga Teachers commonly make and how to correct them. Yoga exercises or poses when performed incorrectly can lead to serious injuries – sometimes irreversible. Yoga students must adhere to yoga guidelines and follow the instructions of yoga teachers. Yoga teachers, too, must ensure that students practise yoga safely, and they must carefully and diligently observe the students while they perform the asanas.
In this video, Dr. Paul Jerard continues to elaborate on some of the common mistakes that yoga teachers make. Dr. Jerard explains that in Hatha yoga or any other form of physical yoga, some teachers, and as a result, the students follow some faulty practices, such as locking the joints. Locking joints creates compression in the joints, which results in premature wearing out of the joints. Therefore, locking joints must be avoided.
Dr. Jerard explains the problem of locking joints with the help of an example. While performing the Triangle pose, some teachers advise students to pull up their knee caps, which is good for getting a reasonable alignment. However, teachers must be careful to what extent they ask the students to pull up their knee caps. So, essentially, be it the Triangle pose or the Upward Dog pose or any other pose where joints are involved, teachers must exercise enough caution to see that the students do not lock their joints.
Next, in the video, Dr. Jerard talks about squat thrusts, which is similar to transitioning from a forward bend to form a plank, jump back sequences in Vinyasa yoga, and sun salutations. If these exercises are performed in a rough manner, then the body absorbs the shock in the lumber area and the sacrum area of the spine. This causes the lower spine to wear out prematurely. Here, Dr. Jerard points out that students, especially with back problems, must be careful while practising such exercises. They should ideally lunge and then transition to form a plank. Dr. Jerard also stresses that in case of active back extensions and similar poses, as a better practice, teachers can ask students to lunge so that they practise these exercises safely.
While concluding the video, Dr. Jerard points out that teachers must at least warn students when introducing them to jump backs, or they could eliminate the exercise from the schedule so as to minimise or remove the risk of injuries. Dr. Jerard also suggests that yoga teachers could discuss with physical therapists to gain a better understanding of the risks involved. Yoga teachers can also follow sports medicine or take up anatomy courses to better understand the body mechanics and the risks involved with performing specific exercises.