WHAT IS YOGA BUTT?
Yoga butt is a casual name for what in most cases is medically referred to as a high-hamstring tendinopathy.
“The tendon at the proximal portion of hamstring muscles is irritated," explains Dr. Foster. That's the area near the smile line of your bum where the top of your leg meets your glutes.
Tendinopathy is a general term that encompasses anything from tendinitis (or inflammation/irritation of the tendon) to a pull or a tear of the tendon, and it typically occurs when your body isn't warmed up properly or more often, from over-stretching, Dr. Foster says.
Common Causes of Yoga Butt Hamstring Injuries
Overuse
Another source of yoga butt is a stress injury created by relying too heavily on your hamstrings to hold poses rather than other muscles. This can happen even in very simple postures like going from standing to forward fold without rounding your back. "In yoga, there’s been a lot of emphasis on forward folds happening from the hips rather than flexion of the spine," Dr. Foster says. That could cause a stress injury if you do it enough times.
One easy modification is bending the knees slightly in asanas that require you to rely heavily on your hamstrings like forward folds, downward-facing dog, Dr. Foster says. This will put slightly less pressure on them, particularly early on in class before they've had a chance to fully loosen up.
Repetitive Movements
Only working your hamstring muscles one way, over and over again (in this case stretching them), can lead to injury, similarly to how only learning to tighten your pelvic floor muscles makes them weaker than if you also learned to relax them properly.
Compression or Tension
Fewer yoga butt injuries are caused by this but it's still worth noting that too much tension placed on the tendons that attach to the sit bones (the bones at the bottom part of your pelvis that you feel when you're seated) can result in high-hamstring tendinopathy. It's the result of overloading a tendon that isn't strong enough, Dr. Foster explains. If you meditate often in a cross-legged position or sit in an externally rotated pose like fire log, or lotus for a long time without enough strength in your glutes, it could cause hamstring pulls and even tears—all the more reason to strengthen your butt muscles.
Overdoing It After an Injury
If you're recovering from a surgery or another hamstring injury, your body might not be fully prepared, and pushing yourself too much, too quickly could result in a yoga butt injury. In that case, it's best to take your practice slow.
How to Heal A Yoga Butt Injury, According To A Physical Therapist:
*Disclaimer: We offer guidance and support through yoga practice. We are not medical doctors and we always ask you seek approval from your doctors if you have any doubts with your conditions.
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