Yoga Instructor Training - Yoga and Arthritis

When a student, with arthritis, joins your class, makebending, will help those with arthritis in the hands and
sure you ask them if their doctor has put any specificarms. Ankle bending and rotation increase circulation
limitations on their movement. You want to make sureand flexibility in the lower legs. These very basic
that you can provide the proper modifications tomovements, along with full body poses, such as the
poses, if necessary. Yoga should be a safe andcorpse pose, are a good place to begin.
healthy exercise for your arthritic students. It is theCare should be taken in the number of repetitions and
responsibility of students to communicate with theirthe length of time a position is held for students with
instructors, but make sure you stay observant to theirarthritis. Poses recommended for osteoarthritis include
difficulties.Trikoasana (triangle pose), Urdvha Mukha Svanasana
Make sure that you encourage students with arthritis(upward facing dog), and Adho Mukha Svanasana
to begin with what is comfortable. Some students may(downward facing dog). Also recommended are one
have limited flexibility or may not be able to kneel.and two-legged forward bends, Navasana (the boat),
Remind them that overcoming difficulties, whiletwists, and resting in Savasana (corpse pose).
accepting your capabilities, is an essential part of yoga.Rheumatoid arthritis differs from osteoarthritis in its
Yoga is not about competition; this should be a coremanifestation and can require different poses.
value already present in your instruction.Encourage students with Rheumatoid arthritis to focus
Single leg raises, shoulder stretches, and neckon breathing pranayama and smoother, wavelike,
exercises, are a good start to get the student readymovement.
for more challenging poses. Hand clenching, and wrist