While there are many ways to treat the symptoms of hypermobility, the illness itself can be challenging to control. Being mobile is essential for managing hypermobility. Greater adaptability frequently draws people to do activities where they can excel. One that we see quite a bit is yoga. It is common to say, “But I can not do yoga; I am not flexible enough.” Yoga is only for flexible individuals who do not require much effort. It is untrue. Yoga requires more effort from hypermobile individuals than from others.
Why is hypermobility a problem, and how does yoga suffer?
A dysfunctional collagen tissue brings on hypermobility. In real terms, this means that your muscles and ligaments will not be able to support you during movement adequately and your awareness of where your body is about other objects will be diminished.
Yoga practice suggestions for those who are hypermobile:
Co-contraction around joints:
It would be best not to hang in your joints even though your arms and legs can be extended fully. Keep your knees and elbows slightly bent, especially if using your limbs to support weight. This slight bend provides muscular support on all sides, hugging and supporting a joint. To “unlock” the joint, try leaning on a straight arm while varying your elbow flexion by moving from an entirely straight to a passive position (for example, in the plank or down face dog). Most likely, the micro bend is both more laborious and more comfortable.
Imagery
Since proprioception is frequently reduced in hypermobile bodies, imagery can be a great addition to or replacement for internal awareness. Attractive cues include:
- Pushing your arms into honey (as in Warrior I and II).
- Hugging your midline (trikonasana or tuladandasana).
- Letting your weight drop off your tailbone.
Finish your movements
It is easy to lose focus and jump from one pose to another while worrying about what will happen next. Keep an eye out for how the movement ends and how well you performed the pose (however that may have appeared for you). For example, it might be easier to fall to your belly and then push up while hanging from your shoulders to transition from a down-face dog to an up-face dog. Divide the poses into more manageable portions or straightforward variations, and concentrate on fully absorbing each movement.
Adjustments
Hands-on adjustments are frequently used in yoga classes. You should speak with your teacher if you have a hypermobile body to avoid being pushed further into range. Manual adjustments that encourage awareness and activation are still helpful. Just let your teacher know if you feel uncomfortable receiving direct correction in class.
Use props
You can increase your support and better understand your body by using accessories like yoga blocks or straps. When performing extended hand-to-toe poses with a strap around the lifted leg, pay special attention to the mini-bend of the knees for increased stability.
Gold Medal Physiotherapy Can Help:
If you practice (or would like to practice) yoga and are hypermobile, contact the Gold Medal Physiotherapy team for specialized guidance. Our team will help you perform postural yoga & Therapeutic yoga with hypermobility in a healthy way for your body. By clicking here, you can contact us and make a reservation online.
