Promoting Student Safety Overview

1. Undertake specialized study before teaching children, prenatal and postpartum students, and students with medical or chronic conditions.
2. Be cautious not to give advice that is beyond your scope.
3. Grow your skills in therapeutic principles and accommodating injuries and conditions in class.
4. Foster a safe, noncompetitive environment.
5. Teach students to take responsibility for themselves.
6. Provide variations, alternatives and personalized options.
7. If a class is too large to provide individual attention, avoid risky and/or complex postures.
8. Utilize safe sequencing.
9. Be cautious with risky asana and movement flows.

* Many of these strategies are drawn from Shirley Archer’s excellent article in IDEA Fitness: Is Yoga Safe?