Yoga for wrists sounds wonderful right? Anyone’s else’s wrists hurt from all that computer and phone life? Or maybe you’re a photographer like me, those small joints just get a beating, don’t they! Are you ready for some quick relief?
Here is a quick 10 minute flow I hope you enjoy!
Yoga for Wrist Pain: 5 Ways How To Protect Wrists During Yoga
For those of you that don’t know, I had my wrists bound in braces for almost 18 months because my doctors thought I had injured them. Well, turns out, I was just getting chronically sick with illnesses that caused joint pain. So friend, word of advice if your joints are hurting, you may be more than just working a lot on the computer. Please seek medical advice if you suspect there could be more going on. This yoga flow will help bring relief, but the best thing I can ever teach you as a yoga teacher is to listen to what your body needs.
1. Learn To Listen To Pain Vs Strengthening
While building strength is hard work, pain and yoga should never coexist. As someone who grew up learning to “push through” a lot of pain emotionally and physically, I really struggled to learn the difference between growing pains and, well, actual pain. My best advice as you journey through your yoga practice to build wrist strength is to learn to listen to what hurts, know when to back off and learn what is growing, strengthening pains.
Pro Tip Yoga should never cause pain.
However, it does take time to build up the strength in your wrists to do a lot of downward dogs and planks that many yoga classes are filled with.
2. Press into All The Pads On Your Hands
As I talk about in the yoga for wrist pain flow video above, you’ll want to really begin to be aware of how you’re placing your weight on your hands. I know it can be easy to get caught up in staying in line with the teacher’s cues, but practicing flows like this one can be a good check in to do regularly, especially if you’re new to the practice of yoga. It takes time and intentionality to not have your wrists aching after a traditional vinyasa flow class.
3. Hand Toe Stretch
For a deep wrist massage, follow the guide in the yoga for wrists video above and massage out the wrists with your toes in forward fold.
4. Use Namaste Mudra Often
You’ll find in many yoga classes that your hands are guided to move to a prayer position or the Namaste mudra. This is a great opportunity to stretch out the wrists, and as I guide you in the yoga for wrists video above, you can take this time to stretch, moving your hands lower to your belly button or roll out the wrists too!
5. Keep Practicing
The wrist pain will alleviate. Trust me, it just takes time, gentleness and awareness.
In the meantime you can always opt to rest on your forearms, turning your downward dogs into dolphin pose, your table tops into puppy posture and your planks into forearm planks.
It works, trust me.
I had to do it for a year of my life while my wrists were bound and strictly told not to use them. 😉
