Photo: ‘prone savasana with canine companion’

Yoga teachers also get back pain sometimes! Students can be shocked when I say something about my own injuries or illness. But yoga is not a guarantee for a life without pain or disease. Yes, ‘even’ your yoga teacher is a human being that also deals with pain, sadness, disease and all the suffering that comes with the human experience.

The practice of yoga may help prevent pain, instil healthier habits, or help you find ways to deal with various conditions. It is very helpful to understand a little bit about your body and know various techniques to find relief from pain. It is also helpful to understand a little bit about your own mind and the psychological effects of pain or other obstacles.

But yoga is not a magic pill that safeguards you from pain in whatever form it might show up. Not a shield to protect the practitioner from harm. Nobody has said it better than the master:

“Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.”
– BKS Iyengar⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

And in case of occasional pain it is lovely to have colleagues who help set you up in a pose to rest and recover, and a dog by your your side.