Whether you are new to yoga or an experiences yogi, modification is key to being safe on the mat and getting the most out of your practice.
Our human nature tends to be competitive. We want to do what we did on the mat today what we did yesterday; we want to be able to do what the person next to us is doing; we want to achieve a certain level; or we want to do what we think we are being told to do so we “succeed”. If we can’t or don’t meet that specific criteria we have in our head, we feel less or like we did not succeed. THIS MINDSET HAS NO PLACE ON THE MAT.
Instead, consider replacing COMPETITION with COMPASSION AND CONTENTMENT. Compassion for your body in state it arrives on the mat on that day. Contentment with doing what is best for yourself with no expectations other that taking care of yourself (you will hear me talk a lot about this!). One way to do this is through modifications. A modification is NOT making the pose easier or less beneficial. It is exactly the opposite! Modifications are essentially taking a variation of a pose that works best for you! Modifications help you customize a yoga practice to how you feel and how your body works! All of our bodies are created differently and have been through different life experiences, so why should we all look the same in a pose?
There are many ways to modify a pose to meet your needs. As an instructor, I use and cue 3 basic options for modifications:
- KNEES: drop the knee, bend the knee, straighten the knee. Adjusting your knee position is huge in yoga! It can intensify a pose, and it can make a pose more approachable.
- ARMS: drop the arms, open the arms. Your arms don’t have to stay up. Prayer position at the chest, hands to hips, dropping the arms down, or opening the arms instead of lifting are all good options!
- TAKE A BREAK: skip a pose, come into child’s or easy pose, hold a comfortable pose longer, come out of a pose early. Taking a break doesn’t mean you can’t handle it, it means you know exactly what you need to do for the class to meet your needs. Listen to your body. Some poses feel so good, you may want to hang out a little longer before transitioning; do it! Some poses are too much; exit early! Sometimes we lose our breath rhythm or become out of breath, take a break to check back into breathing. Some days, we just aren’t mentally connected; that’s ok! Just take a break. You can always jump back in when you are ready or enjoy the rest of the class closing your eyes and breathing.
***And remember that props are your friend! Blocks, blankets, and straps are helpful tools for finding the best shape of a pose for you!
Remember, the goal of yoga is to connect to your body, release tension, and breathe. If choosing another variation of a pose through a modification helps you achieve these goals, then modifications are a win!
If you would like to learn how to modify a specific pose or would like one-on-one yoga sessions with me (in-person locally or virtually), please contact me through my website, DM me on Instagram, or message me through Facebook at Hope OT and Wellness.
