A Step by Step Process to Support Yoga Students with Pain

Trish Corley Author

A Teacher's Guide to Empowering Ease When Pain is Present.

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How do you support yoga students with pain?

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If you teach yoga, students will inevitably share their experiences of pain with you. The question is: Are you prepared?

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Do you stress out when a student tells you about pain? Do you say “listen to your body,” but wish you actually had more to say? If so, you are like so many other yoga teachers and this article if for you!

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Keep reading for a step by step process to navigate the challenge of talking to yoga students about pain.

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Let's face it: when a student confides in you about their pain, it can feel overwhelming. You want to help, but where do you start? That's where this guide comes in. These are the exact steps I have been using for the last ten years as a yoga teacher. With this process I am not only able to fully support students and give them the answers they seek, I am also at ease and comfortable when students approach me about pain.

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Are you ready to feel confident and truly be able to support yoga students with pain? Let’s get started!
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Picture this: A student walks up to you before after class and tells you they have pain in their knees. Where do you begin? Begin by listening to what they have to say about their experience with pain. Truly listen. I can’t emphasize the power of listening enough.

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After listening, there is one key question to ask and this question will set you up to follow this step by step method to support the student.

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STEP 1: Ask the Right Question

Ask this key question:  "Do you feel the pain during a specific posture?”

If they have not already told you what posture(s) they experience the pain in, you want to find out. So just ask. They may give you a specific posture. If they don’t, ask them “When do you notice the pain?” Then it will be up to you to choose a posture that is similar to the positions they tell you they experience the pain in.

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Once you have identified a posture that they experience pain, it’s time for the next step! 

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Step 2: Observe Their Posture

Ask the student to come into the posture identified in step 1 and observe.

Don’t skip the observation.

This can seem like the challenging part for a lot of yoga teachers, but it doesn’t have to be. The key is to have a systematic approach for observing the alignment of the posture. 

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Hear me out on this. If you are overwhelmed by the idea of observing a student in a yoga posture and truly understanding what is happening with their alignment, you don’t have a simple and systematic approach.

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When you have a systematic approach to observing alignment, the overwhelm will disappear and be replaced with calm and confidence.

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*Balanced Postural Alignment is the Yoga Anatomy School’s Simple System to Observe Alignment. It is the foundation of our simple framework to understand you anatomy and is based on 16 Anatomy Informed Cues.

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You can download the 16 Cues for Free right HERE.

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Step 3: Determine one cue to guide the student to more balanced alignment.

This is why your observation is so important. Look at their alignment and look for what is missing. This is not about critiquing or judging or fixing their posture. It’s about giving them a gift. You are looking for what they don’t already have in the posture that could create balance, and therefore ease in the posture. And consider ease is the opposite of pain.

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Lets say for example someone says they have right knee pain and they feel is most in in Warrior two with the right leg forward. When they come into warrior 1, you notice that their right foot toes are turned in.

A great cue would be “Bring your right foot to face forward.”

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Then move on to the next step:

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Step 4: Check in. Did the alignment cue make the difference?

Observe the student to see if they made an adjustment to their alignment as you suggested. Help them as needed to make the adjustment. Once you have seen the alignment change, ask the next important question:

“Does that decrease the experience of pain?”

If the answer is yes, celebrate their progress and encourage them to integrate the alignment principles into their practice.

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In so many cases, it is the alignment of the posture, not the posture itself or an injury that is causing the pain. This is exciting for yoga teachers! This means we can really serve students to decrease pain with powerful alignment cues.

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I used to doubt that a system like this could work. But it almost always does. It often seems like magic! And sometimes, the process is not as quick. If they still feel the pain or discomfort even after the shift in alignment, don’t fret.

Move on to the next step:

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Step 5: Refine and Support

Offer additional cues. Is there something else about the alignment of their feet? What about the legs and pelvis?

I suggest offering just 2 or 3 cues reassessing after each one. If the pain persists, it may be time to shift gears. Encourage mindfulness and adaptations in their practice. It’s possible there is an underlying injury or issue that needs further care. This is a good time to consider recommending a consultation with a healthcare provider for further guidance.

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It’s okay to not have all the answers yoga teacher. I guarantee the most confident yoga teachers are confident that they don’t have all the answers. Students will respect you if you have some advice for them and are honest about what you know and don’t know.

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Take a look at this decision map to summarize all the steps:

This decision map was taken directly from the Teach Yoga to Students with Injuries Course offered online at the Yoga Anatomy School. 

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Ready to Dive Deeper?

Do you appreciate step by step processes that you can use to help students with pain and injuries? Do you want more decision maps like the one above?

If you're passionate about helping students find pain relief, then it's time to take the next step. Our "Teach Yoga to Students with Injuries Course" offers a comprehensive framework, just like the one outlined above, to equip you with the knowledge and tools to confidently support students dealing with pain or injury. For a limited time only, we're offering an exclusive 30% discount on the course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your teaching skills and make a positive impact on students' lives.

Hurry! 30% Off end March 23, 2024

In the Teach Yoga to Students with Injuries Course, there is a whole workshop that focuses on the yoga teachers mindset. There are four modules in total that will set you up to confidently work with students with pain and injuries.
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#1 Mindset and Your Role:

Have the tools to truly believe in your own ability to listen to others and guide them on their path to health and wellbeing.

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#2 Science of Healing and Pain:

Learn the physiological phases of healing and be able to use this knowledge to best guide your students who are recovering from injuries. Explore pain science and identify various factors that contribute to pain.

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#3 Modifications & Systems:

Know various ways to modify yoga postures to meet the needs of students with injuries and pain. Trust yourself to know when and how to adapt what you teach for students.

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#4 Mastery & Mentorship:

Mastery comes from putting knowledge and skill into practice!
The final module focuses on a case study. That's right, you will see exactly how to apply all of the information from the first three modules! You will meet Lucy who sustains and injury but wants to keep practicing yoga; and you will know how to confidently support her in the healing process.

Categories: : Back Pain, Effective Teaching Techniques, Injuries & Yoga