Yoga: Negative Side Effects & Their Remedies

Yoga is an intensive exercise which requires total attention of a person who is involved in the activity. There are many people who say that yoga is the best experience that they ever had in their lives while some people say that they have been in better shape and health when they were not doing yoga. This leads us to believe that all yogic experiences cannot be the same and just like any other thing, it has both its good aspects as well as some negative side effects. Everyone has their own opinions towards yoga but there are some very common negative side effects that everyone starting out with yoga has experienced at least once, along with their remedies.

1. Injuries

In 2010, the Consumer Products Safety Commission reported that yoga-related injuries in emergency rooms and doctor’s offices rose to 7,369. These injuries are very common. Ranging from the neck, all the way down to the knees, these injuries include torn muscles, herniated disks and carpal tunnel.

Remedy: Know your limits when it comes to practicing the art of yoga. Not every form of it is meant for your body. The moment you start experiencing discomfort or pain, talk to your teacher. After all he is there for your health and safety and will help you modify the pose to better suit your body.

2. Exhaustion

Many people exiting their yoga classes are seen with coffees in their hands or feeling extremely sleepy and tired. The person might just be exerting too much effort and strain during the yoga class. Heat exhaustion from hot or power yoga classes may be stripping the body of electrolytes and sodium.

Remedy: Move at your own pace and do not be afraid to take breaks between the poses. Recover your breath and energy or even take some days off if you feel soreness or build up of lactic acid.

3. Competition

Everyone comes to the yoga classes for their own personal reasons. While someone may want the body of a Greek God, others might just want some inner peace. If you ever feel pressure from others in the class, you might just be experiencing the competitive spirit.

Remedy: Know that you are not there to please anyone and are there only for your own personal goals. If you feel you are being pushed into pain or strain, it’s important to speak up and communicate what you’re experiencing.

4. Rigidity & Stagnation

Ever feel like you are hanging up on a routine with the same Yoga DVD or performing the same exercises on a daily basis and create rigidity and stagnation in your body.

Remedy: Mix it up and challenge yourself to move out of your comfort zone. Never get stuck up on a single style.

5. Spiritual delusion

Check if your teacher is actually a good one or is just using the pretense to touch the students inappropriately. Yoga teachers and sex scandals are quite infamously common.

Remedy: Trust your intuition and do not put your teacher on a pedestal. Rather just cut out the bullshit and be quite upfront with your teacher about anything that runs through your mind that is related to the class.