Is Yoga Safe? (Part 1) - Hypermobility, Flexibility, and Joint Pain

OMG! I love this! He is addressing the elephant in the yoga community room and says it like it is. We need more teachers sharing those truths to prevent new yoga teachers and new students to injure themselves at some point or another. I am the author of The Wise Way to Yoga in which I share similar ideas in a constructive way. Kudos to Anthony for starting this video series. Will be checking the following ones! :)

Thank you for this wisdom! I wish I would have known this 30 years ago. Hypermobility causes a lot of pain in the long run, I can attest to that. Keep telling it like it is!

Thanks for sharing this! Loved it, subscribed.

Thank you for putting this out there. People need to understand that yoga is not defined as flexibility... I think SO MANY people think that it is! Especially when the #1 reason people don't come to yoga is "I am not flexible- I can't do yoga!"

Thank you for this video this was so amazing I'm hypermobile and I would push myself to my extreme my first few years of yoga and now I have loose joints and a shoulder injury. Im trying to learn how to add more stability back into my body

love this post and that's why I'm following you. Im a super-flexible yoga teacher, I can do crazy negative splits without warming up, but I have known that in my training I need to build more strengh, rather trying to get any more flexibility. and since I started learning and teaching pilates, I don't ever encourage people to do crazy stretch in my classes and not ever show them how maximum I can do a negative split or crazy backbend, just because I don't want them to go too crazy on their bodies and get injured.

i pulled a muscle in my back a few years ago while doing wild thing pose on a hotel room floor (don’t ask). it was unbelievably painful and kept me from all activity for a few weeks. i ended up researching it and came across a kinesiologist who described it as a completely unnatural and unnecessary pose considering the many other available poses to give you the same benefits. i wish more internet yogis would realize this. my greatest challenge stepping on the mat is quieting the ego.

The more you emphasize the dangerous aspect of yoga the more I like to go this adventure😊 I like to be Asthanga!

Such a valuable video. Thanks very much for sharing your knowledge on this subject very clearly.

Holy Moly your channel is going to be a godsend thank you

for a while through meditation I would start doing involuntary (kriyas?) yoga poses and Id feel so relaxed and flexible. I had not practiced yoga prior to this and it was such a serene/relaxed experience but noticed what you mentioned... lack of coordination/focus and strength as I didn't even have a desire to eat. I noticed weak knees though...

Thank you, very sensible and makes complete sense. I have always followed my body and what it is saying to me....

Thanks for making this video. I am an ashtangi and I would like to see the practice evolve to honor stability and strength in the body! I have had to drastically change my practice (a mix of 1 and 2 series, removing many postures). I also have to weight lift regularly to keep my body healthy bc I am always hypermobile.

Loved your video very informative ❤❤❤❤🎉

Thank you! Really interesting. Why do you advice against head and shoulder stands?

Ι was doing yoga for 4 years and became hyperflexible (not in a hyge degree but someone could mistake me for yoga teacher easily) without forcing my body it just happened over time with normal practice, i never used straps or someone to pull me etc. Is this still a problem? At the same time i was strong and i felt i had control of my body. Also all this 4 years i didn't even knew what an injury is ! When i stopped practicing though and i lost my muscles and started doing machines again i realised i was getting small strains all the time which never happened before! So i guess this might be due to my muscles being less flexible from yoga some years before?

Thank you

But can I still do yoga with Adriene?

First of thank you for the video and this is not a yoga specific comment - I agree with a lot of things you say. But parts here remind me of doctors who give you an easy solution for example in case of an injury and just say "If it hurts just stop doing that movement". Freaking cheap solution with no learning effect. Also what if stopping is not an option because this movement you should stop doing is part of your sport or your profession (f.e. aerialists, gymnasts, contortionist). Then you need someone who can find out why you got hurt in the first place and what parts of your body are weak and how you can strengthen them so it won't happen again. Wheel pose is an advanced posture - no doubt, nevertheless if you have the knowledge and the strength through specific training ideally with a specialized coach you can learn to do this pose in a safe way. So I would rather say "stop throwing yourself into things without being strong and flexible enough. First gain the knowledge and the strength (active flexibility) to do it in a safe way" than "don't do it it's dangerous".

I wish someone told me this before I did competitive synchronized swimming and got pushed down in double oversplits every day to the point that I have become hypermobile and have pain in most of my joints. Recently been trying to get into yoga and the flexible me wants to stretch as much as possible, but I am trying to figure out my limits and strengthen my body. Do you have any tips for how to meditate/sit cross-legged? I have IT band syndrome and I have noticed this makes it flare-up! Thanks :)