4 Common Yoga Mistakes to Avoid for Beginners
Yoga can be a reliable tool for relaxing and reducing stress if you know how to do it. Here are common yoga mistakes that beginners should avoid.
While the practice of yoga is thousands of years old, more people are practicing yoga than ever before.
In fact, it’s estimated that there are 37 million yoga practitioners in the US and 300 million yoga practitioners worldwide. With all of the benefits that yoga provides, it’s no wonder that it has become so popular.
But, if you’re new to yoga, there are a few things you need to know before you begin your journey.
Check out this guide to discover the top yoga mistakes you need to avoid as a beginner.
1. Holding Your Breath
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make when practicing yoga is holding their breath.
Oftentimes, when you’re trying to get a pose right or when you’re concentrating on your balance, you hold your breath. This is an issue, as holding your breath prevents energy from flowing freely and instead creates an environment of tension and stress.
This is the exact opposite of what the practice of yoga is all about. So, in addition to paying attention to your poses, make sure you’re also paying attention to your breathing. When practicing yoga, you should be taking slow and controlled breaths. If you find yourself out of breath at any point, take a break until you regain control.
2. Not Using Props
No matter where you are in your yoga journey, props can be a very useful tool. Some props that can help enhance your yoga practice include:
- Blocks
- Straps
- Blankets
Props allow you to modify yoga poses to better suit your body. Using a prop is not a sign of weakness. Rather, it’s a smart move that allows you to deepen your practice. Not only can props help you go deeper into a pose, but they can also help you prevent injuries.
3. Aiming for Perfection
If the aim of your yoga practice is to hit every pose perfectly, then you’re missing the point entirely. Yoga is about growth, not perfection.
Everybody is different, you because of this, you’re going to find yoga poses that fit your body more easily than others. If you can’t hold a pose perfectly, it shouldn’t hold you back from trying.
By allowing yourself to be messy on the yoga mat, you’ll hopefully be less critical of yourself off the mat.
4. Separating Your Yoga Practice from the Rest of Your Life
The famous yogi Aadil Palkhivala once said, “Yoga is not to be performed, yoga is to be lived”.
This means that your yoga practice shouldn’t end the moment you step off the mat. You should bring the lessons you learn and the energy you gain from yoga into your daily life. This way, all areas of your life can become stronger thanks to your yoga practice.
To make it easier to incorporate yoga into your everyday life, we recommend extending your learning off the mat. For example, you may want to pick up some books about yoga so you can learn about its history, its founders, the 7 chakras, and other important things.
Yoga Mistakes: Are You Ready to Practice?
Now that you know about the most common yoga mistakes to avoid, it’s time to begin your practice. Before you know it, you’ll be a seasoned yogi.
Be sure to check back in with our blog for more yoga-related tips and tricks.
