Practice

Causes and Treatment of Muscle Trembling

Virabhadrasa II (Warrior Pose II)
Virabhadrasa II (Warrior Pose II)
First of all, we would like to clarify that we are speaking about ‘trembling’ as a result of physical exertion, which is different from muscle spasms or tremors as possible symptoms of some disease. Most often, body trembling during practice occurs when experiencing prolonged static loads, during which time you must hold the body in one position for a prolonged period. Contrary to popular belief, trembling is something that is well known to not only beginners. It is experienced even by Yogis with many years of experience, although they usually experience this during high-intensity practices, often combined with fasting or cleansing.

Why do muscles tremble?

Our muscles’ main functions are contracting and stretching. Perfected over millennia of human evolution, this work is performed according to the norm during a usual dynamic load. However, the static load is very specific. We experience it rarely in daily life; so, in asanas, our body is doing something that it has not done before. The muscles are trying to cope with this extra work load in their usual way; therefore, they become tired quickly, and the coherence of muscle fibres is broken. All of this leads to trembling. Additional contributing factors include overwork, stress, lack of sleep, dehydration, etc. So to say, these factors pour oil into the fire.

What to do when trembling occurs?

  • Listen to yourself. Continue to perform the asana if you feel that the trembling is only being caused by the load. It is strengthening your body. Stop and move to more gentle postures if such tremors are accompanied by a painful condition or appear as a result of such a condition. Be careful when performing balancing postures.
  • Breathe! Try to ‘breath through’ a trembling part of the body. Count breaths; it helps with concentration.
  • Direct your attention inward, keep tracking unnecessary stress, and relax as needed. Control your body.
  • Do not be shy of others. Remember, you do Yoga not to be better than someone else, but to become better yourself.


You Might Also Like

  • Pain in AsanasPain in Asanas Please note that here we discuss pain that is caused by the load on healthy organs and areas of the body. Pain resulting from injury, disease, etc. is a completely separate big topic, which is the subject of Yoga-therapy.
  • Arthritis WorkoutArthritis Workout Arthritis is a painful condition characterized by swollen and inflamed joints. There are over one hundred types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms of arthritis as we age. It is caused by “wear and tear” of the joints and is a degenerative joint disease. It involves the wearing away of cartilage, the covering on the ends of bones where they come together to form joints. If the cartilage is completely worn away, it can result in painful bone-on-bone contact, […]
  • Yoga for the Core: Why It’s Important & How To PracticeYoga for the Core: Why It’s Important & How To Practice The core can often be seen as this mysterious part of the body that is either toned by six-pack muscles or just weak. Oftentimes in yoga, teachers instruct students to “activate the core” without totally explaining how or what that means leaving students confused or desperately trying to suck in their bellies while holding their breath. The core can be somewhat complex, but it is absolutely imperative to a healthy and safe yoga practice and its strength can contribute to overall […]
  • The Daily Motivation to MeditateThe Daily Motivation to Meditate So you’ve found your technique, bought the cushion and marked out a spot in the living room. In some ways meditation is not the hard bit; yogis tell us it is our natural state of mind to be still, present and content. No, often the hardest part is the motivation to make it part of our daily life. To just sit. We read how good meditation and mindfulness are for us, we even begin to experience it, but still sometimes the will is lacking. Take an inspiration a day as the motivation […]

All Topics