Do you have ‘locked’ knees and elbow joints? Hands that easily touch the floor in standing forward bends? Some difficulty with spatial awareness and/or co-ordination? A feeling of stiffness or aches and pains, despite your flexibility? Shallow breathing, headaches or digestive issues?
Many yoga teachers and students have a degree of hypermobility, often without being aware of it. At some point however, there can be a sense that something is not quite right.
The experience and impact of joints that move beyond the average range of motion sits on a broad spectrum and can vary greatly from individual to individual. Hypermobility can be asymptomatic and even seem advantageous, at least initially, in the case of yoga or physical practice. It can also be debilitating.
There are currently several subtypes of Generalised Joint Hypermobility, Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder and Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.
Hypermobility is most commonly understood to be caused by an inherited difference in connective tissue (principally collagen). As connective tissue is ubiquitous and important throughout the body, we can see how hypermobility can be a multi-systemic condition. You can read more in Carol’s article for BWY here.
An understanding of hypermobility is helpful if not essential for all yoga teachers. An informed approach supports confidence, injury prevention, enjoyment and longevity – on and off the mat – as well as a harmonious teacher-student relationship.
Carol’s approach is based on her work with individuals with various presentations of hypermobility, research and personal experience. Some of the areas we may explore include:
* Developing proprioception (awareness of where we are/move in space, agility, balance and co-ordination)
* Trusting interoception (sensing the internal experience of the body) as a guide for our practice
* Knowing how to feel a healthy end range of movement, thereby avoiding over-stretching and overdoing
* Creating stability and containment, rather than strain
* Gradual, functional strengthening
* Appropriate adaptations and approaches for asana families, pranayama and contemplative practices
* Protecting vulnerable areas such as the SI (sacroiliac) joints
* Somatic release for tension
* Easing of stress and anxiety
* Yogic wisdom for a fulfilling and supportive yoga practice for hypermobility
* Practices that are helpful for associated conditions, such as forms of neurodiversity and sensory processing differences
For an example of how to practise asana with hypermobility, please see the second pose in this blog post here.
If you’re a teacher, Carol offers a CPD day both in-person and online on Hypermobility and Yoga – Risks, Skills Development and Longevity through the British Wheel of Yoga, yoga studios and privately. Please contact her if this is of interest and check the workshop section for CPD days in 2024.
Feedback from previous participants on Carol’s Hypermobility and Yoga CPD Day
An amazing session. So informative and will help not only me as a sufferer of JHS and EDS, but all of my students too.
So helpful to learn about the vast implications of hypermobility and how to care for ourselves and others. I had many ‘aha’ moments during the day and feel so much better equipped to understand and work with students with hypermobility.
I felt the practical demonstrations of how to adapt poses for students with hypermobility were useful practices to consider for all students, and to enhance my teaching generally. It was also really helpful to have people there with hypermobility to show what their experience is like.
A great day, so informative and lots of new exciting ideas.
I particularly enjoyed exploring interoception with a teacher who understands some of the sensations experienced. The day provided a context for related conditions that affect some of my students, who I suspect are hypermobile.
You have given me great confidence in teaching my hypermobile students, thank you.
This made sense of so much for me. So useful.
Very enlightening.
Very informative for my personal practice and teaching.
A really well-structured day. I loved both the theory and the experiential practices.
Very useful session, helpful for me and for those I teach and treat.
Thank you for a very well prepared and detailed course.
Thought-provoking and great ideas to play with.
Thank you Carol – very useful and taught with kindness.