On Sunday I pulled my hamstring playing softball (In the middle, between the butt and the knee). Nothing too crazy but it is causing me to limp just a pinch and I definitely can’t run full speed.
I’m wondering how long I should put off my Yoga practice to let it heal?
Or should I go and just be mindful of it an not exert myself too hard?
My first inclination is to request more information from you. I do not know if you are a 43 year old man or a 19 year old young man. I do not know if you have a healthy diet or if you are over weight, or under weight. Just as a medical professional would require an intake form, so too do we yoga “therapists” want to know about the subject.
That having been said, injuries are lessons from the body to the mind typically about the lifestyle. It is your own personal work to figure out the dialogue YOU are having with your carcass. Is your bod being overworked without the proper lifestyle support (read: nutrition and rest)?
If you were my student, which you are not, I would ask that you rest enough to allow your body to heal the damage in the hamstring. You could formulate a practice in certain ways but this too depends on your practice and skill level. For example if you are a Bikram practioner I absolutely would say rest for a week or more and come back slowly. If, on the other hand, you are a Viniyoga practitioner then you may do your normal practice tomorrow as there isn’t much demand placed on radical, jarring muscle movement.
Thanks for the reply, InnerAthlete. As always very insightful.
Just fyi - I’m a 29 year old male in pretty decent physical shape, but still maybe a few (5-10) lbs overweight. Usually the diet and exercise portion of my life is pretty solid, but the sleep / rest part suffers.
I think I’m just going to take a few days to a week off just to make sure it heals up.
Although, I did read this on WebMD and found it interesting…
[I]As soon as pain permits, it is important to begin a program of stretching and range of motion exercises
[/I]So it seems like Yoga will actually be beneficial (more than normally 
) when it starts to feel “good”.
I agree with Inner, being 29 you may not heal as fast as you once did but if you’re limping, I’d say rest a couple days, apply lots of heat to keep it loose and ease your way back into your routine slowly to prevent any lingering effects. Number one rule of Yoga, “Listen to your body”!