I am a new yoga instructor and teach a lunchtime class in a corporate gym. One of the students has informed she is recovering from breaking her clavicle. She is in her early 60’s and tells me she wants to take the yoga class offered through the gym since it is free to her as an employee. I know she cannot put weight on her hands (such as down dog). Any suggestions for poses for her or modifications? Thank you!
You are correct, she should not do any arm bearing exercises or at least modify them. The rest should be ok.
BB,
Assuming she’s already far enough along in recovery and has the advice of her doctor???..you can modify down dog to be performed against a wall or countertop:
arms length away
palms flat against the wall
step back, brace the arms and legs
This way she has complete control of both the load and balance. She can protect herself from strain and re-injury, and yet progressively load it from 0-100%.
peace,
siva
First I think it’s important to be candid with the student about your level of expertise.
This allows you, the teacher, to come from a place of integrity in your teaching (read: not do things you can’t do or don’t know)
and allows the student to make a well informed choice (the seedling of cultivating discernment).
Second, from a therapeutic standpoint I would want to see her x-ray and/or get thorough feedback on the classification of her fracture (where),
when it was sustained, how it was treated, and what her date of projected date of return to activity was.
I tend to wait longer than the western medical community on such things - perhaps an additional 6 weeks.
So in short, she should wait until she is fully healed from the yoga viewpoint.
There are six muscles that connect to the clavicle; three that originate and three that insert.
Ergo the neck, traps, chest, and shoulder muscles can all deform the integrity of the clavicle.
If the student insists on practicing in spite of being advised otherwise, she should avoid poses
that bear weight on the arms; Adho Mukha Svanasana, Phalakasana (adho mukha dandasana), vasisthasana,
ashtanga namaskar, chaturanga dandasana, pincha mayurasana, adho mukha vrksasana, urdhva muka svanasana,
bhujangasana etcetera. Sirsasana is ill-advised as is sarvangasana, setu bandha and ustrasana.
Until more is revealed about the degree of the injury (and it’s location/treatment) then this list will not shrink and a
full asana practice would be very risky, a modified practice challenging to design (in a class setting).