34. How to Handle Medical Emergencies in Yoga Class: Life-Saving Preparation Every Teacher Needs

The longer you teach, the more likely you’ll face a medical emergency in class. In this episode, we explore how to recognize and respond to serious situations like diabetic shock, cardiac events, and seizures—those rare but real class-stopping issues.

You’ll hear real-life stories from teachers who stayed calm, trusted their instincts, and took the right action at the right time. I’ll walk you through a practical checklist to prepare for emergencies, from updating your CPR certification to knowing your studio’s address and AED location. And most importantly, I’ll help you approach emergency preparedness with confidence instead of fear.

This episode is essential listening for every yoga teacher—especially if you’ve ever wondered what to do when something truly serious happens in class.

Read my article on this topic for Yoga Journal.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Medical Emergencies in Yoga
• 0:47 Types of Medical Emergencies in Class
• 3:19 Importance of Preparedness
• 6:14 Practical Steps for Emergency Preparedness
• 7:58 Responding to Emergencies as a Teacher

Transcript

0:00

Can I tell you something? While it might feel like a bad yoga teaching dream, the longer you teach yoga, the more there's a chance that one of your students might have a medical issue in your class. The very first article I ever wrote for Yoga Journal back in 2007 was about handling medical emergencies in yoga classes. While we all hope we'll never need to use this knowledge, being prepared for emergencies is one of the most important responsibilities we have as yoga teachers. This is Yoga Teacher Confidential. I'm Sage Rountree, and today we're talking about medical emergencies in class. Specifically the serious issues that require you to stop class and potentially call for emergency medical assistance. When we talk about medical emergencies in a yoga class, we are addressing two main categories, acute injuries that happen during class and underlying health conditions that manifest during your teaching time. Acute injuries might include falls, strains, or other injuries that happen as a direct result of the practice. These are relatively rare in yoga compared to many other physical activities, but they do happen. Now before we continue, I want to emphasize an important perspective. Our awareness of potential emergencies should come from a place of preparation, not of fear. We could call this movement optimism versus fearmongering. Bodies are remarkably resilient, and yoga when practiced mindfully is generally quite safe. The emergencies we'll discuss are rare exceptions, not everyday occurrences. Even when discussing safety, we need to maintain our commitment to student agency. Our role as yoga teachers is not to restrict or to diagnose, but to offer information that empowers students to make their own informed choices. This means using language that presents options rather than limitations. For example, instead of saying Don't do this, pose, if you have high blood pressure, try. If you have high blood pressure, you might explore these alternatives and see what feels supportive for your body today. This subtle shift honors each student's wisdom about their own body. More common than acute injuries are situations where an underlying health condition presents itself during your class. This could be a cardiac event, a diabetic episode, a seizure, or even a stroke. These aren't caused by yoga, but they can certainly happen during your class. In my Yoga journal article, I shared the story of a student who went into insulin shock. During a class, the teacher activated her support network immediately. Another student alerted the front desk who called 9 1 1. The studio director helped the student eat the sugar tablets that he kept beside his mat. And soon the ambulance crew arrived to administer more sugar. The student recovered and returned to classes later. What's important to recognize here is that these emergencies can happen to anyone at any time in any yoga class, regardless of the style you teach or your experience level as a teacher. While we hope they never occur on our watch, we need to be prepared if they do. Weird. The most common serious issues that might require stopping class include a loss of consciousness, passing out or fainting seizures, difficulty breathing that doesn't resolve quickly. Signs of stroke like facial drooping or arm weakness or speech difficulties, signs of heart attack like chest pain or shortness of breath, or sweating or nausea, severe allergic reactions, diabetic emergencies like insulin shock. Or falls resulting in potential head injuries or broken bones. As yoga teachers, we are not expected to diagnose these conditions, but we do need to recognize when something is seriously wrong and then take the appropriate action. Why am I dedicating an entire episode to this topic? Because how you respond in an emergency can literally be a matter of life and death. In the case I described of the diabetic shock a student's life was potentially saved because the teacher knew what to do, stayed calm, and the studio had systems in place. The teacher didn't panic 'cause she activated a response network That included the front desk staff and other students. When Leslie Bogart, a former nurse who conducts teacher trainings with her husband, the yoga teacher, Eric Schiffman, encountered what she calls the red man in class. It was an older male student who appeared very red and was sweating profusely. Just minutes into class. She trusted her instincts. When she approached him, he reported feeling dizzy. They agreed he should discontinue class and talk to his doctor. The next day he saw his doctor. The day after that, he went in for heart valve replacement and coronary bypass surgery. As Bogart told me, she said I was flabbergasted. You can imagine what would've happened had I been in a "just try it again" mood. This story illustrates why it's so important to err on the side of caution when you notice something concerning your observation and appropriate action could save someone's life. Being prepared for emergencies also helps you maintain your composure when something does happen, knowing what to look for helps you respond appropriately. For instance, if someone is sweating profusely during a gentle practice or breathing with more difficulty than the practice would warrant, these could be signs of a heart problem. Finally, your students trust you to create a safe environment. Part of creating that safety is being prepared to respond effectively if an emergency occurs. This preparedness is an extension of the host mentality. We discussed in episode 32, your responsible for creating a container where students can practice safely, and that includes having a plan for when things go wrong. Let's talk about the practical steps you can take both to prepare for potential emergencies and to respond effectively if one occurs. First preparation, get trained in CPR and basic first aid. If you're in the US, the American Red Cross offers these certifications and they need to be renewed every two years. You may even have it as a requirement if you're teaching at a gym, even if you took a course years ago. Consider getting re-certified techniques change and your confidence in your skills will be way fresher with recent training. Number two, know your location details. If there is a landline in your space, post the physical address of your teaching space near the phone, so you or whoever you delegate to call 9 1 1 can tell the operator exactly where to find you. If you teach in multiple locations, keep this information the physical address readily available. Have a phone accessible. Carry a charged cell phone with you and know where the nearest landline is located. It. If you teach at a facility or in a shopping center with an automated external defibrillator or a ED, learn how to use it. These devices can significantly improve survival rates in cases of cardiac arrest. The best thing about these portable a ED machines is they will tell you what to do literally in Big illustrated font and in spoken word when you power on the device. Also consider what you would do in various scenarios. Mental rehearsal can help you respond more calmly in an actual emergency. Now, let's talk about how to respond if an emergency occurs. First, try to stay calm. Use your yoga practice to help you maintain composure. Take deep breaths and focus on what needs to be done in the present moment. Assess the situation quickly. Is the person conscious? Is the person breathing? Is the person an obvious distress? If you see concerning signs, quietly confer with the student, provided they're conscious, ask what they're experiencing and whether it might be related to any known medical conditions, determine whether it's safe for them to continue. If they can safely continue, offer modifications. If not decide whether they can safely go home alone or maybe have with a friend or with a fellow classmate, or whether more immediate medical attention is needed. It for serious emergencies, loss of consciousness, signs of stroke or heart attack. Severe allergic reactions, seizures. Call 9 1 1 or your local emergency number immediately. Don't hesitate or worry about overreacting. As the leader in the room, delegate responsibilities, assign specific tasks to students. Have one person call emergency services. Ask another to wait outside to guide emergency responders into the studio or your location. Have someone else gathered the affected students' belongings? If possible, have someone look for emergency contact information either in the student's belongings or in your studio management software. If needed, and if you're trained, begin CPR or first aid while waiting for emergency services. When you call in for emergency help, they can walk you through this. Keep the rest of the class calm. You might ask them to continue their practice in a different part of the room if the situation isn't too extreme or to quietly leave if appropriate. Y'all, it's just yoga. You can resume class next time. After emergency services arrive, provide them with any relevant information about what happened. Follow up with the student later if possible, and document the incident in writing. While details are fresh in your mind. If you teach at a studio, a YMCA, or a gym, they may even have an incident form for you to fill out. Situations like this are where your own practice becomes invaluable. The ability to stay present, to breathe deeply and to respond rather than react is exactly what's needed in an emergency, and it's precisely what we cultivate on our mats. Here's an affirmation to help you feel prepared and confident. I am prepared. I respond with calm presence. I. I am prepared. I respond with calm presence. No one wants to think about emergencies happening in their yoga class, but being prepared isn't about dwelling on what could go wrong. It's about feeling confident that you can respond effectively if something does happen. Take some time this week to review your emergency preparation. Do you know the physical addresses of the spaces where you teach? Do you know where the nearest a ED is? Located Is your CPR certification? Current? Taking these steps now means one less thing to worry about when you're teaching. Remember, while medical emergencies and yoga classes are rare, they do happen. Your preparedness and your calm response could make all the difference for a student in distress. Thank you for listening to Yoga Teacher Confidential. In an upcoming episode, we'll discuss how to handle the minor medical issues that don't necessarily require stopping class, but that still demand your attention and your care. Meanwhile, I'd love to hear about your experiences with handling medical situations in class. You can reach me at sagerountree.com or on social media at @sagerountree. There's no letter D in my last name. Or Join the Zone, my free space for yoga teachers and share your story with me and with our peers there. It's at Comfort Zone Yoga, and at the link in the show notes. Thank you so much for listening. I'm Sage Rountree, and I'll see you next time.