2024 - Hypermobility & Yoga

Friday: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Come learn about the fascinating world of hypermobility, what it means to have a hypermobility syndrome, and how yoga can best support people who have them. Too often, bendy people struggle with injury and pain related to their yoga practice, but when practiced wisely, yoga can help them thrive in all areas of life!

This workshop is designed for all yoga teachers, as well as bendy practitioners interested in learning how yoga can play a positive role in their lives. We will begin Friday evening with an overview of hypermobility and the most common hypermobility syndromes including Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder.

Saturday morning, we’ll discuss the bendy body’s structural challenges related to its connective tissue makeup, to understand why it’s more prone to injury. Then we will dive into key asana principles to cultivate joint stability and limit injury risk. We’ll also explore active vs. passive stretching, verbal cues and sequencing to maximize the benefits of asana for this population.

In Saturday afternoon’s session, we’ll delve into the bendy body’s sensory challenges and explore how slow, mindful movement can help improve proprioception, motor control, and interoceptive accuracy. We will investigate how wise use of hands on assists can support bendy practitioners’ body awareness and sense of empowerment.

In our final session on Sunday morning, we’ll get into the unique nervous system physiology of people with hypermobility syndromes to understand why they are more prone to conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety, digestive disorders, and more. We’ll explore pranayama and self-massage to address some of these challenges, and reflect on the yamas and niyamas to optimize self care. Throughout the weekend, we’ll unpack how common misconceptions about yoga often lead to suffering for bendy practitioners (and others) and reflect on important questions: What is yoga about? How can we use its tools for greater understanding, acceptance, and transformation? Each session will include lecture and practice, and there’ll be plenty of time for discussion.

1. Participants will understand and be able to describe key features of hypermobility syndromes.

2. Participants will be able to apply asana techniques supportive for hypermobile practitioners, including slower movement, active vs. passive stretching, and focus on stability.

3. Participants will be able to apply pranayama and self massage as tools for nervous system regulation to sup

4. Participants will be able to modify their use of verbal cues, hands on assists, and asana sequencing to better support hypermobile practitioners.

This course is open to all levels, and is not exclusive to those who are seeking Yoga Alliance credit. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our Programs Coordinator via email at programs@youryoga.com.

Eligible for 12 Yoga Alliance Contact Hours