The teachings of Santulya Yog are designed to cultivate mindful presence, bodily strength, nervous system balance, and inner stillness. Because yoga is an active physical and physiological discipline, honoring your physical well-being is the very first step of practice.
This Health, Safety & Medical Disclaimer establishes vital understandings regarding the non-medical nature of our instruction, voluntary health disclosures, physician consultations, and your personal responsibility on the yoga mat.
1. Non-Medical Nature of Yoga Instruction
The classes, workshops, private sessions, breathwork sequences, and guided meditations provided by Santulya Yog and teacher Shreya are educational, somatic, and spiritual in nature.
Important Medical Clarification: Yoga instruction is NOT a substitute for professional medical advice, medical diagnosis, physical therapy, orthopedic treatment, or psychiatric healthcare.
Teacher Shreya is an experienced, certified yoga teacher, not a medical doctor, physical therapist, or licensed healthcare practitioner. Nothing communicated during our classes or on our website should ever be construed as medical diagnosis, prescription, or clinical treatment.
2. Adult Participation & Age Requirement (18+)
Santulya Yog classes are designed exclusively for mature practitioners aged 18 years and older. By participating in any class or enrolling in a membership, you legally confirm that you are at least 18 years of age and possess full legal capacity to assume physical exercise responsibilities.
3. Physician Consultation Requirement
Before undertaking any new physical movement discipline, cardiovascular exercise, or intensive breathwork regimen, we strongly advise consulting your personal physician or qualified healthcare provider.
Consultation with a qualified medical doctor is mandatory if you:
- Have a history of cardiovascular disease, chest pain, palpitations, hypertension (high blood pressure), or low blood pressure.
- Suffer from spinal disk herniation, chronic sciatica, cervical spondylosis, or severe joint degeneration.
- Have undergone surgery within the past 12 months.
- Experience chronic dizziness, vertigo, unprovoked fainting, or inner-ear disorders.
- Are pregnant, planning pregnancy, or in postpartum recovery.
- Manage respiratory conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, or respiratory compromise.
4. Assumption of Physical Risk & Self-Responsibility
Physical yoga practice involves dynamic postures (asanas), deep muscular stretching, joint articulation, balance transitions, and controlled breath retention (pranayama).
Voluntary Participation: You acknowledge that participation in physical exercise inherently carries minor and major physical risks, including but not limited to muscle strains, ligament sprains, tendon irritation, joint hyperextension, dizziness, falls, and, in rare instances, cardiovascular stress.
You voluntarily choose to participate in our sessions, knowingly assuming full responsibility for all inherent risks of physical movement.
5. Injuries, Surgery & Chronic Musculoskeletal Conditions
If you are managing any current injury, physical limitation, or recovery from surgery:
- Mandatory Advance Notice: You must inform teacher Shreya before class begins via WhatsApp or email regarding your specific condition.
- Medical Clearance: For serious or recent surgical conditions, Santulya Yog reserves the right to request written medical clearance from your treating physician prior to permitting participation.
- Immediate Modification: You must actively adopt alternative postures, use supporting props, or rest in Balasana (Child's Pose) whenever an instruction challenges an injured or vulnerable area.
6. Pregnancy & Postpartum Considerations
The pregnant and postpartum body undergoes profound anatomical, hormonal, and vascular transformations.
Essential Pregnancy Guidelines:
• Notify the Teacher Immediately: If you are pregnant or suspect you may be pregnant, you must inform teacher Shreya prior to attending any class.
• Physician Approval Required: You must receive formal clearance from your obstetrician or midwife before practicing.
• Contraindicated Practices: Certain traditional practices, including intense abdominal contraction (Uddiyana Bandha), rapid forceful breathwork (Kapalabhati, Bhastrika), deep prone lying poses, vigorous inversions, and closed abdominal twists, are strictly contraindicated during pregnancy.
• Postpartum Recovery: Practitioners returning to the mat following childbirth must have completed their mandatory postpartum clinical check-up and received physician clearance before resuming regular asana classes.
7. Voluntary Health Disclosures & Confidentiality
Any health details you share with Santulya Yog are treated with absolute confidentiality:
- Disclosures are made directly and confidentially to Shreya via private messaging (WhatsApp) or email.
- We do not operate public health questionnaires, and your health details are never stored in a website database or shared with third parties.
- Information shared is used solely to offer personalized alignment adjustments, prop suggestions, and safer posture modifications during live sessions.
8. Listening to Your Body: The Principle of Ahimsa
In classical yogic philosophy, the very first ethical precept is Ahimsa: non-violence, starting with non-violence toward one's own body.
Your Sacred Obligation on the Mat:
• Differentiate Sensation from Pain: A mild, warm muscular stretch is healthy somatic engagement. Sharp pain, joint pinching, numbness, tingling, or electrical sensations are clear signals to stop immediately.
• Never Push Beyond Limits: Release any desire to force your body into an aesthetically ideal shape. Honor your skeleton, your proportions, and your daily energy level.
• Rest Without Hesitation: You have full permission to pause, sit in stillness, or take Child's Pose at any moment during any class, regardless of what the group is doing.
9. Home Practice Space & Equipment Safety
Because our classes are conducted live online, you practice in your own home or remote environment. You are exclusively responsible for your physical surroundings:
- Clear Practice Area: Ensure your practice area is level, dry, and clear of sharp furniture, rugs that may slip, toys, pets, and tripping hazards.
- Proper Yoga Mat: Use a clean, non-slip yoga mat that provides adequate grip and joint cushioning.
- Stable Props: When using blocks, straps, bolsters, or chairs, verify their stability before placing weight upon them.
- Hydration & Temperature: Maintain a well-ventilated room with comfortable ambient temperature. Practice on an empty or light stomach (allow 2 to 3 hours after a full meal).
10. Pranayama & Breath Retention Considerations
Traditional breathwork practices (Pranayama) exert profound influence on blood pressure, carbon dioxide tolerance, and the autonomic nervous system.
If you experience lightheadedness, shortness of breath, dizziness, or anxiety during pranayama exercises, immediately discontinue the practice and return to your natural, unforced breathing rhythm. Prolonged breath retention (Kumbhaka) is contraindicated for individuals with hypertension, heart conditions, or pregnancy.
11. Teacher Role & Scope of Guidance
Teacher Shreya provides verbal alignment cues, philosophical reflections, and posture suggestions based on traditional lineage teachings.
Because virtual classes are conducted over video, the teacher's ability to monitor every angle of your alignment is dependent on camera positioning and screen visibility. Teacher cues are offered as suggestions for exploration, not clinical mandates. You remain the ultimate authority on your own body.
12. Questions, Guidance & Direct Support
If you are unsure whether a particular class or style is suitable for your current physical condition, please contact teacher Shreya before booking:
Direct Guidance Email: contact@thesantulya.com
Direct Student WhatsApp: +91 88088 22777
Operating Entity: Santulya Yog by Shreya
Dispute Jurisdiction: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India