Most yoga sessions use downward facing dog pose as a workout standard. While down dog has many benefits to your body, overstretching your hamstrings, the back of your upper leg, may not be the results you are seeking. Many yoga poses from forward bend, to seated forward fold, even triangle pose, all stretch your hamstring muscles and too much stretching may result in pain. Not all yoga poses result in discomfort. One of yoga's benefits is the ability to alleviate leg pain from over-worked muscles or a long day of standing.
Stretching
Yoga poses are designed to lengthen your muscles as well as increase your strength. If you are experiencing pain from a tight hamstring, you may want to practice yoga poses such as downward dog, or a forward fold to stretch your tight muscles. You can stand tall with your legs straight and fold your body forward to place your palms or finger tips on the floor to stretch your hamstrings. You can also perform downward dog by beginning on your hands and knees and then straightening your legs to lift your hips toward the ceiling.
Modifications
If you have practiced too many flexibility postures, you may have pulled your hamstring and will need to take a break from intense stretching until your injury has healed. If you are experiencing pain from an over stretched hamstring, avoid forward folding postures until your pain is eliminated. You may modify poses such as downward dog by slightly bending your knees. You can modify triangle pose, in which your straight legs are separated and you bend sideways to place your right hand on your right ankle, by placing your hand on a block or a chair instead of reaching to the ankle.
Strengthening
An overstretched hamstring may respond to strengthening yoga poses. Warrior 1 pose helps to strengthen the muscles in your legs. Perform warrior 1 by standing in a lunge position with your right foot approximately 3 feet in front of your left. Turn your left heel onto the floor and align the arch of your left foot with the heel of your right. Turn your chest to face your right leg and extend both arms overhead as you bend your right knee. Hold warrior 1 for five to 10 breaths and repeat on the left leg.
Relief
If your legs are experiencing pain from exercise, or from standing for an extended period of time, a legs-up yoga pose may provide relief. A comfortable way to perform this pose is to use a wall. Sit near a wall and then lie on your back. Extend your straight legs up the wall and flex your feet to pull your toes away from the wall. Allow your arms to rest at your sides. Close your eyes and breathe deeply as you feel the decrease of swelling in your legs. Hold for three to five minutes, or longer, until you feel relief from discomfort. You may also perform a legs-up pose without a wall by placing your hands on your lower back for support.
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