Abhyasa and Vairagya Prevent Injury in Yoga Practice

Jul 14, 2017

One of the great gifts of Yoga is expanded awareness. In our practice we are asked to pay attention to present moment sensations in the body and to the quality of the breath. Our bodies are exquisitely intelligent. We need only have the discernment to listen to its wisdom. When moving with awareness, the chance of injury is small.

Yoga is a balance of effort and surrender. Abhyasa - effort or practice, and Vairagya - dispassion or detachment. Each Yoga student carries the responsibility of balancing these two. Without the right amount of effort, no progress is made. Pushing too hard may result in an injury.

As described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali this effort, Abhyasa, is towards steadiness of mind, rather than some impressive physical position. An experienced, well-trained teacher will understand the philosophy behind the practice and be able to guide each student through an effective, safe experience in class.