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AVOID 'YOGA BUTT' INJURY

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Uploaded by on Feb 14, 2008

HOW TO STRETCH YOUR LEGS WITHOUT OVER STRETCHING AND CAUSING "YOGA BUTT", THE PAIN AT THE SITTING BONES THAT CAN BECOME CHRONIC. with Master teacher trainer and founder of Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga Sadie Nardini. See more of Sadie at www.SadieNardini.com including her upcoming book and DVD!

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  • The first rule of yoga is, "Pain is natures way of telling you that you are doing something stupid." You should never stretch to the point of pain. Always do the asanas properly, and with the correct breath. Namaste

  • Well said!

    Sadie

  • hi to all, great video for if i get going again, but what to do if you found this too late, and are suffering already?

    I cannot sit, practice or bend forward in any way anymore, and advice is so contadictory, i do not kno who to see or what to do, anybody out there with good advice, please?

    It would be greatly appreciated....

  • Hi there,

    If you're in pain currently, then make sure to stay out of the full hamstring stretch for a while until it gets better by bending your knees slightly in forward bends and straight legs like Triangle Pose...keep out of any stretch sensation up by your injury and it will heal faster.

  • Thank you so much for your incredibly fast reply. I wish I had known about "yoga butt"months ago. Since watching your video, I have taken two classes and have been extremely mindful of the advice given on your video, Not only about not tipping the butt up, but about being mindful about feeling the stretch more in the middle of the hamstring and not at the top by the butt. Obviously, the injury will not heal itself overnight, but I definitely noticed some relief right away.

    Thanks again

  • Ah, that's so good to hear!

    Keep it up and you'll heal...let me know how it's going!

    xoSadie

Top Comments

  • Refined???? Or do you mean pretentious? As she is a TOP fitness professional I'm willing to bet she knows the terms "buttocks" and "glutes". Note the use of the term "sits bones". Yoga is about integration, NOT the elitism you seem to be pushing. "Refinement" would imply one's ability to see the intention, the gift inside, as opposed to the packaging or the terminology! Namaste

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All Comments (42)

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  • This is exactly what I've got. I was doing Lord shiva's pose (I'm unsure of its proper name!) and heard a big crack and since have had pain and stiffness in that butt area. Anything to help it heal?

  • ive tried massaging. sauna. when i went to the doctor at the time of injury. she just asked me to move in certain ways as a diagnostic and told me i was fine...and i just need to rest it. i rested for like 4 months. i dnt know if i pulled my glute during that side kick or if i ripped it partially. and everytime i want to do box splits i have to crack it open before i can open up and stretch with my muscles as opposed to my glute. my left glute wont let me stretch my left hamstrings.

  • hi...im a Wushu athlete (chinese martial arts which involve acrobatics and so forth)...2 years ago i did a face height side kick with my right leg, whilst having my left leg as my supporting leg on the floor. i heard and felt a crunch. for 3 months i couldnt do a hamstring stretch at all on my left leg because my left glute wouldnt let me. Now after 2 years it takes me along time to stretch my left leg out as the glute always remains tight and needs many days of rest before i can do head to toe.

  • Me like like

  • You look so amazing. =)

  • Hi Sadie! Any chance you could do a video for us that already suffer from this injury? It seems it is a common one but there isn't so much info on how to deal with it. It's hard even to get through Sun Salutations when forward bending is restricted. I think a video on a modified practice would be highly appreciated! Thank you for all your help, you are such an inspiration :) Namaste.

  • I feel that another crucial action in avoiding this injury, in addition to actions mentioned in the video, is to engage or flex the quadriceps. This not only supports the knees, hips and hamstrings but also relaxes the hammys. I forget what the term is called, but this is a natural physiological response - flexing the quads relaxes the hammies. Also, mentally focus stretching the meaty part of your hammy. Over time, this mental focus will turn into action.

    Practice heroically!!!

  • I pulled my left hamstring during wide angle forward fold. I actually pulled part of the muscle off the bone! I had to sit out of yoga for quite a while until I could sit in a chair comfortably. Then start yoga again doing seated poses on a folded blanket for months. Please talk to your instructor for yoga advice & a good physical therapist &/or orthopedic doctor for real medical advice. Be patient, it will heal slowly. Best of luck to you.

  • Wish I had this info 7 months ago. I pulled a hamstring during yoga & I've had to adapt my poses for the last 7 months because it hurts so much. Great suggestions. Bet I won't pull the other hammy now!

  • Sadie, I'm a Vinyasa teacher as well and I have been racking my brains looking at medical sites and anatomy books trying to find what this bothersome pain is. All this research outside of yoga, only to find that it is a common pain amongst practitioners.

    Nearly all the things that you mentioned are not only things I do but things I SAY in class! The opposite lifting and grounding of the sit-bones and heals in various poses. The more I learn the more there is to learn. Thanks for adding on!

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