For those who may not have seen it, check out these links to YJ articles on Therapeutic Yoga:
http://www.yogajournal.com/health/2545?comments=1
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/finder/therapeutic_focus?utm_source=MyYogaJournal&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=myj_369

How can i strengthen my hips? They dont just strain, they hurt and bruise and lock up and pop during my vinyasa flow class. im 15 years old and im not ready to start falling apart at the beginning of my practice in yoga. It makes it hard to concentrate on pranayama and meditation during the asanas, so if anyone has any advice on what to do, please let me know.
Namaste,
Danielle.

She did touch me. But alot has happened in the past week. You see, I run too. And last year August before I did my first teacher training, I moved too far into half pigeon and caused damage to my left SI joint. I healed it through yoga (loads of Uddiyana Bandha!). Started running again within 3 weeks. I stopped running again in December, yet continued to stretch my hamstrings as much as I do when I run. I realised this was more my focus than stretching the hips. I started running again about a month ago, and overstretched my hamstrings because enjoyed this feeling of having loose hamstrings, even though they were not strong. That's where I inured myself- and that's why I began feeling it in the backs of my thighs and at the attachment by my knees. The lower back pain was just a lack of Uddiayana Bandha- as always is my case. I discovered this all for myself- no physio. So it's really taught me alot about how I should teach. A well balanced class that strengthens and stretches each muscle is what won't cause injury, right? I teach Vinyasa so this is why my sequencing is so so important. So all my injuries have taight me that not running is definitely not the answer to healing. Runners can do yoga, infact it can help them in many ways, like it helped me. But I'm still dyng to hear everyone's opinions on this: when you look at Ashtanga, the entire primary series lengthens hamstrings. Any set series aims for this. Do you think it's safe to stretch the hamstrings to such an extent whilst not strengthening them? How could I tell my students to strengthen their hamstrings to prevent injury without having to run, do leg curls at the gym etc? Backbends would strengthen them won't they? Such as salabhasana? But in a vinyasa class- there are so many forward bends (uttanasana is so frequent), so is it possible to completeley balance a classes backbends and forward bends, to strengthen and stretch the hamstrings?

Hey Alexia,
If I may offer a possibility....the pain that you are experiencing sounds like it is involving the sciatic nerve. The piriformis (one of the six external rotators of the thigh, which reside at the head of the femur) is a muscle, that when inflamed or spasmed can cause the pain that you are describing. However, when you indicate that there is also "lower back" pain, this would possibly be other muscles involved. Did the "physio" (I am assuming this is a PT, but am not sure) touch you when determining what the cause was, or did she tell you based on what you reported to her?

Hi
i have been experiencing pain in my lower back and backs of thighs to my knees. Physio says it's piriformis muscle that's really tight (I have had this for about 6 months now). She told me to lay off externally rotated poses on the side of the injury. Do you agree that these will only aggravate the muscle rater than helping it? They are really sore but maybe that's healing? Would love to hear anyones opinion on this, as I teach yoga and many students have this same problem. Thanks