316 • PART iii: YogA foR EduCATing foR SElf-REgulATion And EngAgEMEnT
CAuTionS And ConTRAindiCATionS
School administrators, teachers, and parents want to be sure that anything that students do
in school is safe. Is yoga safe? The short answer is, “Yes.” Overall, researchers say that yoga
is safe. In research, we refer to “safe” as being “no more than minimal risk.” What does that
mean? It means that the probability of physical or psychological harm is no greater than
the ordinary encounters a student experiences in daily life. Concerns about yoga and safety
peaked in 2012 in response to a New York Times piece by William Board, “How yoga can
wreck your body.” Researchers decided to look into this.
To explore the question, “Is yoga safe?,” Cramer et al. (2015) systematically assessed and
meta-analyzed the frequency of adverse events in randomized controlled trials of yoga. The
researchers identified 301 randomized controlled trials of yoga (1975–2014; a total of 8,430 par-
ticipants). Of those, 94 reported adverse events (Cramer et al., 2015). Adverse events were coded
as serious if they were life-threatening, disabling, or requiring intensive treatment (Cramer
et al., 2015). All other adverse events were coded as non-serious. The researchers determined
that no differences in the frequency of intervention-related non-serious or serious adverse
events and of dropouts due to adverse events were found when comparing yoga with usual
care or exercise (Cramer et al., 2015). That is, yoga is no more dangerous than typical exercise.
However, when compared with psychological or educational interventions (e.g., health educa-
tion), more intervention-related adverse events and more non-serious adverse events occurred
in the yoga group; serious adverse events and dropouts due to adverse events were comparable
between groups. That is, their results indicate that yoga is more risky than deskwork, but not
exercise. Overall, the researchers concluded that the findings from their review indicated that
yoga appears as safe as usual-care and exercise (Cramer et al., 2015). The authors added that the
adequate reporting of safety data in future randomized trials of yoga is crucial to conclusively
judge its safety (Cramer et al., 2015). Here are a few tips to considered in regard to safety.
- Be sure the students are physically ready. Cohen and Schouten (2007) recommend
requiring a full physical exam prior to the practice of any mind-body practice. School
practice should suffice as students are required to have a medical exam on file each year,
which clears them for physical education. - Childress and Harper (2015) note the importance of developmental appropriateness
of instruction including physical status and psycho-social functioning. Be sure to
engage in developmentally appropriate activities. If you are not sure, check with your
school physical therapist, occupational therapist, school nurse, or school mental health
professional. - Teach students about the difference between pain from working hard and pain that indi-
cates injury. - Do not do headstands, shoulder stands, or other poses that pose a risk to the developing body.
For safety, Childress and Harper (2015) ask that you avoid poses that require extensive
strength and body awareness. - Teach poses that help students develop balance and strength without risk of injury
(Childress & Harper, 2015). - Instruct only basic breath work. Advanced breathing exercises may not be safe for younger
nervous systems and should be avoided (Childress & Harper, 2015). This includes exercises
that require holding the breath (Childress & Harper, 2015). Avoid anything that might lead
to lightheadedness, discomfort, or difficulty breathing (Childress & Harper, 2015).