Ep 88: Feel Unprepared for Multiple Injuries in One Yoga Class?

Teaching yoga in a group setting can feel overwhelming when students show up with injuries or persistent pain. How do you balance the flow of the class while making sure every student feels safe, supported, and included? In this episode, we’ll chat about strategies you can use to build trust and create safety in your classes, no matter who walks through the door.

I'll remind you of the importance of setting the tone early in class and how your presence can create an atmosphere of reassurance and belonging.

This episode will help give you the confidence to handle the inevitable challenge of multiple injuries in a group yoga class. 

So let's get to it!

Transcript

Monica: 0:00

What do you do when you plan to teach a group class and you have multiple students with different injuries? Walk into the room. You might have prepared a sequence and you might feel good about your theme or the tone you plan to set for the class, and then right before class starts, a student tells you, by the way, I have a shoulder injury, or I've got back pain. What's your first thought, do you think Uhoh. Well pause and breathe because we're going to have a little chat about this common occurrence and I'll help you feel more at ease. Welcome to the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers Podcast with me. I'm Monica Bright and I've been teaching yoga and running my yoga business for over a decade. This is the podcast for you. If you are a yoga teacher, you're looking for support. You love to be in conversation, and you're a lifelong student. In this podcast, I'll share with you. My life as a yoga teacher, the lessons I've learned, my process for building my business and helpful ideas, tools, strategies and systems I use and you can use so that your business thrives. We'll cover a diverse range of topics that will help you, whether you're just starting out or you've got years under your belt and you wanna dive deep and set yourself up for success. I am so glad you're here. Listen, I don't take myself too seriously, so expect to hear some laughs along the way. Now let's do this together. Welcome back to the podcast. I'm Monica, and I'm so glad you're here. Here we talk about the anatomy, the injuries, the nervous system insights, and all the real life knowledge you wish had been included in your yoga teacher training. Today we're gonna discuss a topic that so many yoga teachers wrestle with. But often don't talk about openly, and that's what to do when you're teaching a group class and you have multiple students with different injuries, walk into your room. You may have prepared a sequence, you may feel good about your theme, and then right before class starts, a student tells you, oh yeah, by the way, I have a shoulder injury, or I've got back pain, so I can't do forward folds. Or even my knee is really unstable, so lunges don't feel good for me. And suddenly your confidence waivers, your mind starts racing and you wonder, how am I going to balance the needs of these injured students with the flow of the class for everyone else? It's a great question, and if you've ever felt this way, I want you to know first and foremost, you're not alone. Almost every teacher who works with real human bodies Has been in this exact position. It's one of the greatest challenges of teaching group classes, and to be honest, teacher trainings don't often prepare us for this reality. Let's talk about some of the biggest concerns you might have in these situations. A common one I hear is the fear of doing harm. What if I make their injury worse? what if I give the wrong option or I don't recognize when they should stop? Another huge concern is losing the flow of the class. You might worry that if you pause to explain modifications, the rest of the students will get bored or disconnected. And then there's that internal pressure of wanting every student to feel seen and supported while also delivering a cohesive experience. On top of all of this, there's a misconception that you need to have a perfect answer for every single injury that might show up in your class. Teachers sometimes feel like they should be a physical therapist diagnosing and tailoring every movement, but here's the reality. You're a yoga teacher, not a clinician. Your role isn't to fix or treat the injury. But to create a safe, adaptable environment where students can explore movement with awareness and agency. So what do you do? Let's talk about some solutions first. One of the most powerful tools you can cultivate is your language Learning to shift away from prescriptive instructions, like this is the only way to do this pose. And instead of offering frameworks that allow for choice, for example, if you know a student has knee pain, instead of saying Don't do lunges, you might say to the whole class, if being on one knee. Doesn't feel supportive today. Choose a variation on your hands and your feet. Instead, notice how this doesn't single out the injured student. It opens up choice for everyone. Second, sequencing with principles rather than rigid poses can make. All the difference if you've prepared a sequence that centers on spinal mobility instead of being attached to specific asana, think about the movement patterns you are exploring. That way. If one student can't do deep twists because of a back injury, You have the flexibility to swap the exact shapes while still staying aligned with the overall theme of the class. Another strategy is embracing the power of props and alternative setups. Chairs bolsters the wall. These are not lesser versions of yoga. They are tools that open up access, and if you demonstrate these options as equally valid, instead of modifications, you create a culture in your class where variety is normal. This helps injured students, feel supported and helps the rest of the group see that yoga isn't about performing, But about finding what works for their bodies today. Let's talk about your mindset around teaching students with injuries. Shifting your view can be revolutionary. Instead of viewing multiple injuries in your class as a disruption, see them as an opportunity to expand and. Elevate your own teaching vocabulary. Every time a student with a unique need comes into the room, you are building a library of strategies that will serve you and students into the future. Of course, there are limits, sometimes the safest and most supportive thing you can do is to acknowledge that you can't provide in the moment. You might say, I'll offer some options today, but can you share with me what your physical therapist or medical professional has advised you to do or not to do? This not only protects your students, it protects you as a teacher, and you learn so much from these conversations as well. Another important point is preparation. While you can't predict every injury that will show up, you can prepare yourself by building sequences that already include options. For example, if your flow includes downward facing dog, you can already have a forearm variation or a tabletop version in your back pocket. When you normalize these choices from the beginning, students with injuries feel less like an. Afterthought and more like part of the cold class design. One of the most powerful things you can do for students with pain or injuries isn't necessarily about offering the perfect modification. Instead, it's about cultivating a space where those students feel safe, respected, and included. Safety begins with language. When you use invitational, nonjudgmental cues, like if it feels supportive today, try such and such. Or another option might be you send a message that all variations are valid. This prevents students with injuries from feeling less than. Or singled out. Try to avoid labeling something as the easy version or the full expression of the pose because those words create a hierarchy that can leave someone with pain feeling like they don't measure up. Another way to help students feel safe is to normalize variety in movement. If you consistently offer two or three different ways to approach opposed to everyone in the class, it removes the spotlight from the student with an injury. Instead of thinking, I'm the only one doing this different, they see that options are simply part of the culture of your teaching and your environment. Equally important is teaching self agency. Encourage students to notice their own sensations and give them permission to step out of a pose or take rest without apology. A phrase like You're always welcome to skip a shape, for whatever reason, will empower students to make decisions without waiting for your approval. For someone living with pain, that permission can be profoundly liberating. In a group class, you can create safety by setting expectations at the start of class. A simple statement like, we'll explore many ways to practice yoga today, and I'll offer a few options as we progress through class. I only ask that you please listen to your body and know that choosing breast or variation is always a part of the practice. This sets the tone that. Everyone belongs no matter what their physical capacity is. Remember, student safety is also about your presence. When students see that you remain calm, grounded, and open, when they share their injuries with you, they're more likely to trust that they can participate without judgment or fear, and that they're in good hands with you. Now, let's address your nervous system, because when students with multiple injuries show up in your classes, it's not just your sequencing that's challenged, it's your own ability to stay calm, grounded, and confident. Students sense when a teacher is flustered, develop your own ability to pause, breathe, and remember that you don't have to fix anyone, and this can be just as important as the physical options you provide. Here's what I want you to take away from today's conversation. Teaching yoga to a group with multiple injuries isn't about having the perfect answer for every scenario. It is about creating an environment of adaptability, offering choices, rooted in movement principles, and holding space where students feel empowered rather than limited by their injuries. You don't need to know every injury inside and out. You just need to create a container where students feel safe exploring what's right for them. The next time you walk into your class and three different students tell you about their knee, their shoulder, or their back, Instead of panicking, remember, you are not alone. You don't need to fix them, and you already have tools you can use. This is part of the art of teaching yoga, and it's also where you'll grow the most as a teacher. You got this understanding anatomy, biomechanics, and the effects yoga Asana have on the body helps you help your students. If you've been enjoying these episodes, I know that you're a yoga teacher who's ready to teach with more intention and less fear around injuries. Let's continue to raise the bar for how yoga supports real bodies in real life. It's so important for us to have this conversation so that you remember that students of all shapes, sizes, alignment, and abilities come to your classes and you can serve all of them. You know that my goal is for you to love the yoga teaching life. And it's important to understand movement and the issues students come to your classes with. Subscribe to the podcast so you're always in the know when a new episode drops, and share it with another yoga teacher who you think would love to be in on these conversations. And finally, thank you for helping to spread the word about this podcast. Alright, thank you for listening. That's it for now. Bye.