Whether you are a beginner or an experienced yogi, mistakes are are bound to happen. Some of the mistakes that occur while performing yoga may not cause any serious effects, causing only uneasiness or difficulty in your yoga progression, but others might actually cause you serious safety concerns. While it is advisable to perform yoga under some experienced and trained, authorized yoga instructor, but still there are chances of mistakes due to lack of clarification. Don’t worry, most of the yoga mistakes are easily avoidable. Here is the list of common mistakes you must avoid while performing yoga, for the betterment of your yoga practice!
Starving or being full while practicing
It is often difficult and quite tricky to perfectly schedule your meals around your yoga sessions but believe it—if you are trying to practice yoga with a full stomach, you’ll instantly regret it. Having your stomach full of meal or water during yoga practice is going to be uncomfortable, slow you down, and even prevent you from achieving certain poses…but even the feeling of starving isn’t good. Avoid the distractions of fullness and hunger by having a light-weight snack an hour or two before your yoga session begins.
Not maintaining the hygiene
Your yoga mat and yoga room needs regular cleaning to keep it functioning proper and not get stinky. A yoga mat including the floor used specially for hot yoga or power yoga becomes dirty and eventually starts to smell bad, distracting you during practice. It also has harmful bacteria and can cause fungal infections. It can furthermore compromises the grip of the mat employing to loosing the balance and making your hands and legs to slide or slip, causing any serious injury.
Not having the correct stuff with you
Cheap yoga mats over a time becomes slippery, they bunch up and don’t stay flat or in shape. This distracts you and can prevent you from performing the asanas to its fullest, and can even lead to the injuries. While buying a yoga mat always pay attention to the fact that it provides cushioning for your joints, knees, and palms and has a good grip to avoid unbalancing and any type of slips.Similarly yoga props are of great help to perfect your pose with practice. STraps, blankets, blocks gives you extra edge to attain the perfect pose from beginning which you with regular practice can achieve finally without the props also.
Not following the dress code
It is advisable to wear the clothes that allow you to move around easily, made with a fabric or material that feels comfortable to your skin, highly stretchable and sweat absorbing, having a cooling effect. For hot yoga, you will need minimal clothes with moisture-absorbing properties. For vinyasa and ashtanga classes you will want Comfortable and stretchable clothing is recommended for vinyasa and ashtanga classes. For mild exercising and basic classes, loose-fitting and comfy clothes are the best option. If you are not sure about how to dress for class, you can always take the help of the yoga studio’s instructors and staff for recommendations.
It is not only about the ‘breath in & breath out’
Establishing and maintaining a slow deep yogic breath throughout a yoga practice is often difficult if you’ve spent a lifetime not listening to your breathing patterns. While many yoga movements are timed with the breath, don’t hold your breath to stay pace with the teacher. Add in extra breaths when needed, allowing yourself to breathe fully and simply in the least times. If you find yourself breathing through your mouth, consider starting your practice with a slower-paced class.
Relaxation is equally important
Shavasana, the ultimate relaxation pose, is the cherry on the top. If you are not allowing yourself to sink in the relaxing Shavasana pose, you will not be able to fully absorb the benefits of all the work you’ve got while performing all the asanas. After completeing every seession of your yoga regime,spend the last 5-8 minutes in Shavasana no matter how long and complex or simple your session may be. A brief seated meditation is also a way to conclude your yoga practice on good note.