Yoga is a type of exercise suitable for various individuals across the board. However, just because one possesses a mat as well as does all the twists and turns does not mean that he or she is doing it correctly. At the same time, they might not be doing it in the most efficient way. This just means that they may not be attaining the most out of the exercise during the entire duration.
“When you practice yoga on autopilot, not looking at your mistakes and working to correct them, your form and awareness suffer, reducing your practice’s benefit and increasing your risk of injury. Yoga is a practice. You never achieve perfection. The goal is to constantly improve,” explained yoga expert Kimberly Fowler, author of Flat Belly Yoga! and founder of YAS Fitness Centers. Regardless of whether one is a beginner or an experienced yogi, he/she will still be able to benefit from certain fine-tuning. Here are some of the more common mistakes in yoga.
The first and probably most common mistake is holding your breath. Breathing revolves around our daily lives, but sometimes when one is faced with a challenging posture, he/she forgets the very basic. This can hinder one’s performance because if the muscle fibers do not receive the required oxygen needed to fire, support one’s body weight and bend at will, it can result in the lost of balance.
The second mistake is pushing yourself too hard. “No pain no gain doesn’t apply to yoga,” stated Kimberly. She believes that most honest individuals are also aware that they tend to push themselves too hard. Yoga revolves around relaxation, so in no way should one be feeling pain. The concept is about awareness, listening to your body and responding accordingly.
The third mistake is comparing yourself to others in group classes. There will always be at least one student in the class that is flexible and able to perform each pose without much difficulty. Although it can be challenging to some, try your best not to pay attention to others. Instead, focus on yourself. By measuring yourself against others, it could very well spoil the fun and make you think that yoga isn’t the right exercise for you. “Every body is different, and yoga is about treating your individual body,” mentioned Kimberly.
The last mistake that some individuals make is going for a yoga class on a full stomach. This can be quite an uncomfortable experience as the blood supply is focusing on digestion. This means that your muscles are shortchanged on the energy they need for a successful practice. Although food is fuel, always give yourself at least an hour for digestion before class. For more of the common mistakes, you can read it here.
If you are looking for yoga classes in Singapore, be sure to take a look at what we offer. OMG Yoga has a variety of classes available to cater to different individuals’ needs.