Pulled hamstring – new to Bikram yoga

Hello,

I just started Bikram yoga a couple of weeks ago, and absolutely love it. After 8 sessions, I am already feeling a noticable difference in my body. I am trying to attend 5-6 times a week. Unfortunately, I have already hit a bump in the road. A couple of days ago, I pulled my right hamstring during (I think) the sitting head to knee. I wasn’t trying to be aggressive or “push through the pain” or even straighten my leg completely – but I do have naturally tight hamstrings, and I guess my attempt to push just a little deeper was too much 🙁

The pull is pretty much in the middle of the back of the thigh (not up near the sitting bone). It does not seem to be severe pull – I don’t feel it too much throughout the day, walking, etc., just some occasional mild discomfort. However, I have noticed after the last 2 sessions that it feels worse after yoga. I have been trying to do all the poses, but taking it easy on the ones that really stretch the hamstrings (standing sep. leg stretching, standing separate leg head to knee, and sitting head to knee in particular).

So, my quandry is, I don’t want to exacerbate this pull or keep it from healing properly. However, I really, REALLY don’t want to get derailed from Bikram yoga in only the third week. There are so many benefits, I just can’t imagine not going at all! Can I safely continue to go, and just sit out the poses that put strain on the right hamstring? Is there some alternative/modification that can safely be done during these poses? Or should one (as my husband, a runner, suggests) simply stop the activity altogether until the pull is better?

(I should add, I have ordered the MasterClass book, specifically in hopes of avoiding future occurences of this kind – but it hasn’t arrived yet, and I don’t knoe if it specifically addresses what to do when you have already done some damage :))

Thanks for any advice,

Alyssa