Yoga Contraindications & Cautions

ANKLE PAIN OR INJURY

Adept’s Pose; Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose; Hero Pose; Lotus Pose; Pigeon Pose; Reclining Bound Angle Pose (blanket under the outer thighs); Reclining Hero Pose; Thunderbolt Pose

ASTHMA

Boat Pose; Head-to-Knee Forward Bend; Plow Pose; Seated Forward Bend

BACK PAIN OR INJURY

Cobra Pose; Corpse Pose (knees bent); Half Lord of the Fishes Pose; Intense Side Stretch Pose (perform half forward bend); Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose; Locust Pose; Lord of the Dance Pose; Marichi’s Pose; Reclining Hero Pose; Revolved Belly Pose; Revolved Triangle Pose; Seated Forward Bend; Savasana (knees bent); Sphinx Pose; Standing Forward Bend (knees bent); Supported Headstand; Upward Bow (Wheel) Pose; Upward Facing Dog

BALANCE ISSUES

Lord of the Dance Pose

CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

Cobra Pose; Crane (Crow) Pose; Downward-Facing Dog; Four-Limbed Staff Pose; Plank Pose; Upward Bow (Wheel) Pose; Upward Facing Dog; Wild Thing

DIARRHOEA

Boat pose; Chair Pose; Downward-Facing Dog; Extended Triangle Pose; Head-to-Knee Forward Bend; Marichi’s Pose; Plow Pose; Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose; Revolved Triangle Pose; Seated Forward Bend; Supported shoulder stand; Upward Bow (Wheel) Pose; Warrior II Pose

ELBOW INJURY

Side Plank Pose

EYE PROBLEMS

Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose (avoid if you have glaucoma)

GROIN PAIN OR INJURY

Bound Angle Pose (blanket under the outer thighs); Lord of the Dance Pose

HEADACHE

Boat Pose; Chair Pose; Cobra Pose; Downward-Facing Dog (support your head on a bolster or block); Extended Side Angle Pose; Hero Pose (lie back on a bolster); Locust Pose; Marichi’s Pose; Mountain Pose; Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose; Revolved Triangle Pose; Sphinx Pose; Supported Headstand; Supported Shoulderstand; Tree Pose; Upward Bow (Wheel) Pose; Upward Facing Dog

HEART PROBLEMS

Boat Pose; Extended Triangle Pose; Hero Pose; Low Lunge; Supported Headstand; Thunderbolt Pose; Upward Bow (Wheel) Pose; Warrior I Pose

HERNIA

Lord of the Dance Pose

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Bow Pose; Camel Pose; Downward-Facing Dog (support your head on a bolster or block); Extended Side Angle Pose (gaze down); Fish Pose; High Lunge, Crescent Variation; Intense Side Stretch Pose (perform half forward bend); Marichi’s Pose; Pigeon Pose; Plow Pose; Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose (head and neck on a folded blanket); Supported Headstand; Supported shoulder stand; Tree Pose (arms down); Upward Bow (Wheel) Pose; Warrior I Pose; Warrior II Pose; Warrior III Pose

HIP PAIN OR INJURY

Adept’s Pose; Crane (Crow) Pose; Eagle Pose; Half Lord of the Fishes Pose; Lord of the Dance Pose; Pigeon Pose

INSOMNIA

Boat Pose; Bow Pose; Camel Pose; Chair Pose; Extended Side Angle Pose; Fish Pose; Marichi’s Pose; Mountain Pose; Pigeon Pose; Revolved Triangle Pose; Tree Pose

KNEE PAIN OR INJURY

Adept’s pose; Bound Angle Pose (blanket under the outer thighs); Pregnancy; Eagle Pose; Extended Puppy Pose; Fire Log Pose; Four-Limbed Staff Pose; Gate Pose (use chair instead); Half Lord of the Fishes Pose; Happy Baby Pose; Head-to-Knee Forward Bend (support on a blanket); Hero Pose; High Lunge; Lord of the Dance Pose; Lotus Pose; Pigeon Pose; Reclining Bound Angle Pose (blanket under the outer thighs); Reclining Hero Pose; Thunderbolt Pose

LOW BLOOD PRESSURE

Boat pose; Bow Pose; Camel Pose; Chair Pose; Extended Side Angle Pose; Fish Pose; Lord of the Dance Pose; Marichi’s Pose; Mountain Pose; Pigeon Pose; Revolved Triangle Pose; Supported Headstand; Tree Pose; Upward Bow (Wheel) Pose

LOWER BACK PAIN OR INJURY

Bow Pose; Camel Pose; Crocodile Pose (active version); Easy Pose (support under hips); Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose; Fire Log Pose; Fish Pose; Four-Limbed Staff Pose; Pigeon Pose; Staff Pose; Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend (sit up on the folded blanket); Wide-Legged Forward Bend

MENSTRUATION

Boat Pose; Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose; Plow Pose; Supported Headstand; Supported shoulder stand; Upward Bow (Wheel) Pose

MIGRAINE

Bow Pose; Camel Pose; Fish Pose; Marichi’s Pose; Pigeon Pose; Revolved Triangle Pose

NECK PAIN OR INJURY

Boat Pose; Bow Pose; Bridge Pose; Camel Pose (avoid dropping your head back); Cat Pose (keep your head in line with the torso); Cow Face Pose; Cow Pose (keep your head in line with the torso); Dolphin Pose (keep knees bent); Extended Side Angle Pose (look straight ahead); Extended Triangle Pose (look straight ahead); Fish Pose; Half Moon Pose (look straight ahead); Happy Baby Pose (support head on a block); High Lunge (look down); Knee to chest pose (small blanket under the head); Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose; Locust Pose (look down); Pigeon Pose; Plow Pose; Revolved Belly Pose; Standing Half Forward Bend (look down); Supported Headstand; Supported shoulder stand; Two Foot Pose; Upward Plank Pose; Upward Salute (avoid the raised arms); Warrior I Pose (head in a neutral position); Warrior II Pose (look straight ahead)

PREGNANCY

Boat Pose; Cobra Pose; Corpse Pose (raise your head and chest on a bolster); Crane (Crow) Pose (avoid in the 2nd and 3rd trimester); Happy Baby Pose; Downward-Facing Dog (avoid late-term); Four-Limbed Staff Pose; Plow Pose; Supported Headstand; Supported shoulder stand; Upward Facing Dog

ROTATOR CUFF INJURY

Wild Thing

SHOULDER PAIN OR INJURY

Camel Pose; Cow Face Pose; Crane (Crow) Pose; Dolphin Pose (keep knees bent); Lord of the Dance Pose; Side Plank Pose; Upward Bow (Wheel) Pose; Upward Facing Dog; Upward Salute (avoid the raised arms); Warrior I Pose (raised arms parallel to each other)

WRIST PROBLEMS

Crane (Crow) Pose; Side Plank Pose; Staff Pose; Upward Plank Pose

VARICOSE VEINS

Eagle Pose, Cow Face Pose