10 Mistakes You’re Making in Yoga Class Unknowingly

Raise your hand if your heart skipped a beat seeing a yoga practitioner doing a one hand stand or a perfect headstand? Some of you might wonder, how on earth people can do it! Forget about standing on one hand, we can’t even do a simple posture correct without the instructor correcting it. Well, not all of you out there are as hopeless as some of us are, but you bet, seeing someone doing any yoga pose perfectly makes us look like a fly on the wall, isn’t it? The basic reason is we make some mistakes that hinder our progress and make us feel like all hell breaks loose in front of us.

Here are 10 mistakes you’re making in Yoga class!

1. Holding breath

Yoga is a combination of perfect forms and breathing pattern. Everything fall on the right track when these two components are executed correctly. This not only helps create the right balance, sense of fluidity, but right breathing technique also keeps you aware of every movement, stay focused on the posture, help you connect with your body, prevent injuries and yield optimum benefits.

2. Looking at others in the room

It’s hard not to notice and be amazed at the dexterity of the person when you see the perfect posture performed by the one next to your mat. But, let me tell you something, looking at someone while you are trying to master the art of yoga will not make you excel in it, but focusing on your posture will. Moreover, lacking attention might cause injury apart from leaving you frustrated about your performance on the mat.

3. Pushing Yourself Too Hard

Pushing your limits might not cause you pain and challenging should not turn out to be catastrophic. Yoga should not be painful and if it is, then you are on the wrong side of the game. Sometimes, even simplest poses can be challenging and thus, you should not exert yourself too much. Rather mastering basic poses can be helpful in getting a hang of advanced poses.

4. Wearing socks and gloves

Yoga is meant to be a process towards making the body feel more grounded and relaxing every part of the body, mind and soul. While you are on the mat, the only thing matters is your correct postures and your safety towards achieving the right technique. Socks and gloves might be helpful accessories when you are sweating out at the weight section or doing some MMA, kickboxing or TRX, but wearing these during yoga class might make you slip off the ground and lose balance.

5. Eating too much before the Class

You might have heard eating before a workout is important and so you stuff yourself just before stepping into the yoga class. Well, you have been doing it wrong all the while! By stuffing yourself before a class you are making yourself feel uncomfortable while performing any pose and leaving your muscles bunkoed on the energy as the blood is still in the process of transferring the nutrients of the foods to your muscles. We are not saying starving before a class is healthy but keeping the benefits of fuelling your body in mind, limit your portion size and eat about an hour before turning up at the session.

6. Not sucking your tummy in

In yoga, proper breathing technique is as important as performing the right posture. The right breathing technique requires you to inhale your breath while expanding your chest and exhale by squeezing your stomach and navel in, this way you keep your core engaged and prevent any injury that improper breathing patterns might cause.

7. Not stopping when it hurts

Of course, when you are in the class, you would like to perform well, just the way others are doing. But, remember, when it pains, your body is trying to tell you that something is wrong—maybe it’s the way you are doing the pose or the breathing technique. Stop when it hurts. Relax for a while and get back to the right posture and follow the right way of breathing to avoid any injury. You can reach out to the instructor for help.

8. Not hydrating enough

Any form of exercise require hydrating your body as some of them are calorie-torching and physically exerting. Similarly, some of the forms of yoga require your body to be properly hydrated and fuelled. Having said that, too much water intake can also cause uncomfortable bloating that can ruin your entire session.

9. Not keeping your spine straight

Some yoga poses require keeping the spine straight while drawing the shoulders down the back. Most of the times, instead of keeping the back and spine straight, people tend to lift the middle of the spine, which results in hunching the back. It’s a common mistake that leads to lower back injury.

10. Skipping Savasana

Savasana after a yoga session is as important as stretching after any workout. It helps your body absorb the goodness of yoga and relaxes your muscles that worked hard during the yoga session. If you are one of those who jumps from one class to another and skips stretching thinking that it might slacken your body, then think again!

We just tried to compile a handful of common mistakes people knowingly or unknowingly do. But, now that you are aware of them, don’t botch up your yoga session by doing any of these! We’ll see you on the other side. Till then, trust yoga to lead you towards a happier, healthier and peaceful body!