Although we never imagine ourselves admitting in front of an entire room that we have any kind of limiting physical condition (except maybe pregnancy), it may be the key to your yoga instructor delivering a safe class for you. When I first started teaching, it was in a close-knit YMCA, so I would open the class by asking if anyone had anything that might require them to modify their practice. I have since tweaked the timing of this question to better suit people’s privacy, but nonetheless, I still ask it. If I didn’t, then there’s always a chance that someone could say that they aggravated a condition because I didn’t tell them that it could hurt them. Unfortunately, we’re living in the land of lawsuits.
Let’s say that you don’t mind disclosing a condition that you know you should, but you just don’t want to do so in front of the class. There are a few possibilities. You can ask your doctor if there are any yoga poses that could make your situation worse. If they are unfamiliar with yoga poses, then you can bring them a library book about yoga, or even easier, ask him or her if there is another doctor around that might know.
Another much less time consuming approach is to simply arrive a few minutes before class. Tell your instructor before class starts about your possible limitation. You could also wait until after class to talk to them, and in the meantime, simply not do any poses which you think could possibly be contraindicated for you.
I’ve started asking the class if they have any possible conditions while they’re all on the floor in Child’s Pose. This is convenient because their heads are all down. I simply ask anyone who wants to let me know something to lift their head and make eye contact with me so I can walk over to them and briefly whisper back and forth about modifications of poses. This maintains a little more privacy for the students. Regardless of how or when you tell your instructor, you really only need to tell them once, but do tell them.
Related articles:
Learn about Child’s Pose:
When Your Body Needs a Break – Coming to Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Avoiding Injury with Your Yoga Practice