If you’ve been to a yoga class, the chances are good that you have heard the words “yoga pose modification” when the instructor is guiding you into a new pose – especially a challenging pose. And, the chances are good that you completely ignored the instructor’s option, choosing instead to muscle through into a pose that doesn’t feel great for your body. If you haven’t done this, kudos, you are likely in the minority group on this!
Speaking of muscles, here’s how yoga can help you to gain them and what the best poses for that are.
I am guilty of getting into my head with these recommendations. “Is she talking to me?”, “Does she think I cannot do it?”, “Do I look like I’m struggling?”, “I’m tougher than this pose,” “I’m flexible enough”…the truth is, with yoga (and with life, I might add), what was easy yesterday, may not feel great today, and what was challenging today may feel fantastic tomorrow. I’d like to invite you in, behind the curtain, to understand yoga pose modifications and why you might want to rethink skipping them. Options and alternatives aren’t just for beginners.
Yoga Pose Modifications Are For For Experienced and Advanced Yogis’s, Too!
From one day to the next, our body’s flexibility, pain, and strength can wax and wane.
Here are 5 Safe and Effective Yoga Poses For Back Pain!
It is all dependent on our activity level the days before, how well we slept the night before, what position we slept in the night before, our diet, and how warm and loose our muscles are on a given day. Yoga pose modifications, alternatives, or options are just that – they are a choice offered to us and can be a gift to explore. Modifications of poses allow us to experiment with what feels suitable for the body during our practice. Additionally, we may have different mental needs on a given day, and just changing the position of our hands in a pose has the potential to spark new energy in our mind and body.
Yoga Pose Modifications to Reduce Pressure, Stress, and Risk of Injury
Yoga pose modifications are available when there is a lot of pressure on a joint. Shoulders, knees, and hips are familiar places for prior injuries and require care when practicing yoga.
Here is a post about Common Yoga Injuries and How To Avoid Them.
As humans, we often forget that we tend to hold stress in our bodies due to tensing our muscles. Often felt as neck tension, lower back, hip tightness, and even in the jaw and eyebrow area. It is essential to check in with the body at the start of your practice to determine what areas may be helpful to opt for yoga pose modification recommendations. Alternatively, it may be beneficial to plan always to try the pose modification to feel the difference between the two options.
Another reason for a yoga pose modification is when the pose offers a deep stretch or prolonged muscle activation. Most often, these pose alternatives will provide the exact shape of the original pose, activating or stretching the same muscles, but in a varied way. Again, trying them out to see what feels right or toggling between the original pose and the modification is another way to practice, play, test, and do what feels good for your body that day.
Let’s take a break in your day and try out some yoga pose modifications so you can incorporate what feels good in your next yoga session.
Child’s Pose
Child’s pose is usually a resting post, especially in yoga flow or power yoga class, or as a pose that is held longer in a restorative class. I’ve found that many yoga instructors don’t regularly offer modifications for child’s pose, which is a shame because this pose naturally puts a lot of stress on our hips and knees, especially if in the pose for any length of time.
In child’s pose, we are folding half of our body weight over our lower body. Not only can this feel burdensome on our knees, but the shape of the pose can also feel restrictive. This pose intends to release tension from the lower back and hips while finding space and expansion across the back; however, closing the body in on itself doesn’t feel great for everyone. There is a yoga pose modification that can achieve those benefits while making space for the lungs.
Suppose you are someone who finds breathing a little tricky when in child’s pose; bring the knees wider. By making this pose modification, you may find that the forehead can come a little closer to the ground, releasing tension in the back body. Feel free to bring the knees as wide as feels comfortable for your body. Experiment with keeping the feet together or allowing them to widen slightly as well. As always, pay attention to what feels great for your body.
Modify Child’s Pose By Adding a Yoga Block
Another yoga pose modification for child’s pose is to use a yoga block. By taking a yoga block and placing it under our bottom, we release some of the stress naturally placed on the knees in this pose. Again, feel free to experiment with this option. Play with having the knees close together or further apart with the block underneath your body. Does one block do the trick? What does it feel like if you add two blocks or turn the block on its side? Don’t have a yoga block at home? Try stacking a few books underneath your hips.
Finally, if you find yourself feeling claustrophobic in this pose, as the result of your nose and mouth is close to the floor, experiment with moving your head to one side and another. You may find a release of tension in the shoulder and neck area from this pose modification alone. Remember, yoga is about feeling good in the pose, preparing the body for stillness, and meditation.
Tree Pose
While many instructors typically offer yoga pose modifications in tree pose centered on flexibility and balance, arm placement and prop usage aren’t often options during practice.
As with most balancing poses, many things happen in the body in the full expression of tree pose. The supporting foot connects with the earth for grounding, and the supporting leg provides stability while building strength. The opposite leg offers a break or an opportunity to stretch and release. Modify your arms to channel energy, activate the torso to achieve stillness and balance, and focus the mind. That is a LOT happening in one pose!
Perhaps, on any given day, you are looking to focus on one or two of those actions. In that case, a yoga pose modification can help!
Focus on Grounding
There are many reasons one may want to focus their attention on grounding. Grounding is critical if you are feeling unfocused or distracted. Bringing awareness to the way our feet connect to the ground below us can remind us that the earth and gravity are always here for support. To maximize this benefit, opt for the yoga pose modification below.
By taking the opposite foot to the supported ankle, we limit the balance work to be done. Of course, we are not receiving any stretching benefits with this option, and that is OK. Notice how the mat, floor, or earth feels on the bottom of the foot. Pay attention to what yoga instructors refer to as the “four corners of the foot” touching the ground – the ball of the foot, the fleshy area underneath the pinky toe, and the left and right edges of the heel. Appreciate the connection, stability, and support. Perhaps, you can imagine a magnet increasing the contact points between your foot and the ground, or maybe you can imagine roots sprouting from your foot and grounding you into the earth.
Stretch and Release
On another day, perhaps you are looking for a fantastic stretch and release of the inner thigh and outer hip that this pose can offer. Bring yourself next to a wall, use one hand to balance and the other to guide your foot up and onto the supporting leg, settling the foot where the stretch and release feels most productive (any place is fine EXCEPT the knee – putting your foot on the knee can cause injury). Use the wall as balance and support as much as necessary while you enjoy the stretch!
Hand Placement
Experiment with hand placement modifications in this yoga pose and see if you feel any different. Prayer pose may conjure and support feelings of introspection. Try out “goal post arms” or outstretched arms to help keep your balance. Bring the arms up and wide to mimic a tree growing towards the sunlight, or place your hands on your hips while summoning your inner superhero. Finally, bring the arms up by the ears with fingertips towards the sky. This arm placement may be most beneficial if you are looking to challenge your balance while achieving a nice lengthening through the spine. Five yoga pose modifications within one pose – there is so much to explore with tree pose options.
Props And Yoga Pose Modifications
Props can offer many additional options to explore in this pose. We’ve already mentioned the wall and feel free to play with this. The wall can provide support down the entire side of your body, with your hand, or even just a finger or two. Play around with a lot of support and transition to less. Notice the difference in support necessary when your eyes are open vs. closed or when open with a Drishti point.
A yoga block can help support the opposite foot while you focus on grounding. A yoga strap can deepen the stretch on the inner thigh and outer hip. Finally, notice how your environment serves as a prop—practicing alone? Is it easier or more challenging to find focus? What happens when an animal is in the room with you? What about when the animal moves? How does this compare to other people in the room – does someone losing their balance impact your own? Isn’t that interesting?
Here are the 7 main benefits of yoga props for all levels and not just beginners.
Goddess Pose
The final pose to explore today is Goddess. Goddess pose can build heat in the quads pretty quickly. This pose offers many opportunities for a challenge. One of my favorite yoga pose modifications for Goddess is to settle into the pose – now, drop one inch lower into the pose. Notice how that challenges the legs and mind.
Already deep in the pose? Allow yourself to raise one inch higher. How does this challenge your beliefs about what you are “supposed” to be doing with this pose? Do you feel like you are cheating yourself? Why or why not? Where does that come from, and is it true? Is that belief absolute?
Perhaps you are looking for a different challenge today; experiment with raising one toe off the ground while in this pose. Switch to the opposite toe. Now try both toes. Which muscles do you feel turn on? Is your balance impacted at all? Does your core need to support you more or less than before?
Finally, use the hand placement suggestions offered in tree pose as options for modifications in Goddess. Notice if there is a difference or not in each alternative provided. The number of combinations and experimentations is many. By bringing awareness to these subtle changes, we begin to notice the benefits offered.
Yoga Pose Modification Checklist:
- Check in with your body, especially joints, at the beginning of your practice
- Notice your mood and decide if you’d like to change it in any way
- If a pose doesn’t feel right for you, try something different
- If a modification is offered, test it out
- Take what serves and leave the rest
The importance of all of these yoga pose modifications is to explore the differences and remember what you are hoping to achieve on any given day. When you understand the reasons behind the options, it’s easier to check in with your body and decide what may serve you well for that day’s practice. As previously mentioned, what feels good today may not be what you need next time, and something else may be better for your body on another day. Having these modifications in your practice will enable you to honor your body based on its needs for that day, regardless if your instructor suggests the variation or not. Always remember, yoga is an individualized practice and one that you and only you get to decide what is best for you on any given day and time!
Sources
Grounding 101: Why, How, And When To Do It
Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life
Shanti Arunkumar, Senior Contributor At L’Aquila Active
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