Hypermobility can occur in both joints and muscles. You might be a hypermobile yogi if you are hyperextended in any of your joints and if you’re just really flexible! We hear all the time to take micro bends in our knees and elbows to protect our joints, but that will only get you so far. Read on for five essential yoga modifications and adjustments to counteract hypermobility.
Your shoulder blades should be pulled down towards your back pockets
Many hypermobile yogis who have flexible hamstrings and backs find themselves arching their backs, tilting the pelvis downwards (front points sloping downwards), and sticking out the guts. This could put the risk of injuries. To prevent this from happening, consider that you have wings that are attached to your shoulder blades. You then move your attachments to your sides. This will allow you to strengthen your shoulder as well as engage your core.
This adjustment is crucial for any pose in which you hold your hands or forearms. Try it the next time you are in a downward-facing dog or another posture that you can do with your hands.
Engage the quad and pull it up to the kneecap
When you are in any posture that has your forward leg in a straight position (like a half moon), Before you move into it, you should engage your thigh muscles, then raise the knee cap. This move will help keep your knee joint safe as well as help stabilize your body to make you less likely to stretch your hamstring.
Claw the mat
Check if your knuckles are rising when your hands are placed on the mat. If they are, consider scratching your carpet and then grounding the entire palm. This type of engagement (also called the mula Bandha or a hand lock) assists in supporting the wrists and also prevents wrist discomfort. A solid foundation at your fingertips will transform your whole routine. Do mula bandha exercises in plank, down dog, and all-hand balances.
Make sure you squeeze your cheeks! (in backbends)
What is the right way to squeeze? In the yoga classes that I’ve been in, I’ve been instructed to pack, but I’ve press midweeks when doing backbends such as bridge and wheel. For hypermobile yogis, squeezing the cheeks (engaging the glutes) when you do backbends is very vital. This can help strengthen the pelvic region and safeguard you from lower back injuries. Additionally, it can result in a slight tilt of the pelvis, which can create space in the middle and upper back that allows you to bend but not fracture.
Make use of blocks!
Get two blocks even if you don’t think you’ll require these. You’re probably aware that you can reach the don’t, but you’ll able to activate you’re posture. Particularly for hypermobile yoga practitioners, It can be more convenient to get into a deep stretch rather than actually hold the pose. Blocks can be used to stop your body from stretching and getting too deeply into the carriage and take yourself out of your most intense stretch to engage your muscles while in the full pose.
Some good exercises to test this technique are half-splits, lizard lunges, or triangle posture.
Yoga is a way of life, and it can be a lifetime practice if you’re mindful to look after your body. Keep in mind these five essential adjustments to ensure your body is protected and that you stretch instead of breaking!