Are You Doing Too Much Yoga? Here’s How to Tell (and Why It Can Be Risky)

Yoga brings synergy to your body, mind, and soul. Practiced by saints from India in ancient times, many yoga gurus took it to the world and popularised the practices.

Today, yoga has become a household ritual for all ages. However, most do not know the actual process of yoga practices at home. Doing incorrectly or too much can worsen the situation and defeat the purpose.

It is true a single session of yoga rejuvenates, revitalizes, and revives your body and mind. You feel a lot more energized and filled with vitality. Life before and after yoga are two distinct phenomena.

You feel calmer and in total control. Your skin will glow, your hair will shine, blood flow will increase, and your body will get all the nourishment longing for a stress-free life.

But yoga is a lot more physical too. If you do a little, you may not get the results quickly. But to get results quickly, the physical component of yoga can go awry if not done under expert supervision. Doing alone can end up overdoing out of excitement or newfound energy.

The first effect of overdoing you might experience is injury.

What is Overdoing Yoga?

You know where to begin, but many of us do not know where to end, how much Asana would be perfect for your body conditions, how long to do yoga in a day, are the postures correct. There could be many aspects to how to avoid overdoing. But how do you know you are overdoing yoga? Here are a few early warning signals.

Hindrance to Regular & Social Life

Are you not getting enough sleep because of yoga practices? Feeling your yoga time is eating into the time from your social life or other essential aspects of your life that keep you well.

You might have been meditating too long in the morning, which gets you in the office late, or you are stressed and rushed. Do you need to do yoga at the cost of other crucial things in life for your family?

Pushing too Hard one day and Skipping Yoga for the Rest of the Days

Huffing or puffing during a yoga session? People press their bodies beyond the limit. Everyone’s body is unique. What your friend can do in yoga, you may not. 

The definition of yoga is to have control of your breath. It is crucial to pay attention to your breath, or else you are not doing yoga. If you are too strained with the yoga pose and posture, you cannot pay heed to your breathing. It can affect your body adversely.

Yoga Classes too Advanced or Intense

Yoga is not for muscle building or muscular or curvy. Yoga, by definition, is improving your breathing and oxygen flowing into every part of your body. Too intense yoga may make you breathless and does not give any benefit.

If you are out of breath, if you are pushing your body too much, if your body shows signs of pain, soreness, or swelling, it is a red flag for you. You need to consult a doctor for precaution.

Risk of Doing too Much Yoga

Because a large part of yoga involves physical forms, you have the risk of hurting yourself physically.

Physical, Internal & External Injures

The physical form of yoga can cause external and internal injuries, from moderate to severe. People can tear their hamstring tendons and damage nerves, bones, and joints. You are conducting a headstand or a full inverted pose without support, and your neck is hurt.

Physical Illnesses, Dizziness, Nausea, Fatigue, Fogginess

If you practice hot yoga to warm up muscles quicker, at 90 to 105 degrees C, you may feel one or more of these symptoms. You can feel dehydrated or have electrolyte impairment.

At such a temperature, you will not realize that you have pulled something or caused ligament or other bodily injuries. Tendons, ligaments, and nerves are not for stretching. Yoga is all about stretching.

Permanently Stopping Yoga

You cause permanent damage to your body parts, and the doctor might ask you to stop yoga completely to prevent worsening the condition.

Conclusion

Try small sessions in the beginning and listen to what your body says. Avoid pushing too hard and the temptation to get results too fast. You do yoga for peace of mind, but you must not lose it in the process of yoga. Nothing can be worse than this.

Take baby steps and then take a giant leap if your boy permits and your instructor allows. Avoid intense yoga sessions and take a day off when your body says. Read about yoga, understand the profound philosophy, and always start under a therapist.