Finding the appropriate practice that is right for you is key in starting an injury-free yoga practice. One-to-one yoga lessons cater to the unique individual’s body type and provides a safe environment especially for the beginner male student. In yoga some postures are going to work for some students while other postures will not and a private setting addresses which practice is appropriate for each student.
Traditionally yoga was always passed on from teacher to student in a private and confidential setting. For example, the guru assigns a set of asanas (yoga postures) and pranayamas (breathing techniques) geared towards an individual’s needs. The student goes home, practices, and returns for adjustments and more homework. Just like a doctor prescribes a drug for an illness, the same is true with your yoga instructor prescribing postures specifically for you.
The contrary is true in today’s yoga classes where you’ll find crammed classes with sometimes up to 50 people of all different abilities and demographics. Generally these group yoga classes have more women attending then men, and the teacher must sequence her class to fit a general population. There is no such thing as a cookie-cutter yoga practice that fits everyone. And therefore the newer yoga student is at risk for injury and may be practicing postures that are not appropriate.
This is where it gets tricky for a beginner to navigate and determine which postures are appropriate and which postures are not. In a group setting it is easy to go beyond one’s limitations resulting in pain and injury. If you don’t know what you’re doing, and you’re pushed by the group mentality to follow along, you can cause serious damage beyond repair. Women and men have very different bodies and not all postures are appropriate for men, just as not all postures are appropriate for women. For most men the deep hip openers that put pressure on the knees are usually the cause for injury.
The anatomical structure of a woman’s pelvis is much more wider and pliable then that of a man’s. Deep hip openers are extremely beneficial for women but can cause serious injury for men. The impact of these deeper stretches on the tighter and slimmer male pelvis results in pressurization through the knees. When the hip joints are not able to comfortably and safely enter the pose the next joint down (the knee) takes the brunt of the pose. Once the knees are traumatized it’s difficult to fully recover.
Private yoga lessons provide the opportunity to address each student as an individual. By honouring the uniqueness of different bodies one can develop their own personal practice that is suitable for their needs. In a private yoga setting the instructor can tailor your practice to suit your body safely.
See the difference a private yoga lesson can make and book your introductory session with Annette.
