Just like starting any workout or exercise routine, including yoga practices, it is vital to observe and adhere to safety precautions so you stay injury-free.
The same should be observed when starting a yoga practice or routine at home, incorporating yogic practices, asanas, ashtanga, and iyengar.
This is especially necessary if you have not practiced yoga for a long time.
Doing too much right away is considered one of the most common blunders people often commit.
Not executing the poses properly comes in a close second.
Many people, especially newbies, often underestimate just how much of a workout yogic exercises can be.
Some skimp on their warm-up or forego the cooling session if in a hurry and think they can get away with it.
Others don’t listen to their body and push themselves too hard.
Below are other mistakes many yoga practitioners often commit:
Warm Up
While warming up before your yogic session can seem like something irrelevant and something you can just forego, nothing can be farther from the truth!
Warming up is so important as it prepares your body for the session by increasing blood circulation and body temperature.
When there is enhanced blood circulation, the muscles of the body are better prepared for the hard work ahead once you start your yoga session.
Static stretching (read: touching the toes) or calf stretches are good warm up routines you can start with.
To further increase range of motion and flexibility, you can also start with simple poses like the sun salutations and the cat cow.
Poses
There are countless yoga poses, with some requiring more focus and flexibility compared to the others.
Yoga is ideal for people regardless of age, however, it is still important that you first take on poses you can easily do at first.
If you have knee issues, it would be best to steer clear of poses that require squatting.
If you are pregnant, inverted poses should be considered a no-no in yoga practices.
Cool Down
After each yoga session, consider it vital to cool down and practice breathing because you just did some intense muscle work.
Make no mistake about it, cooling down should still be done even if you did not perspire as much as you expected.
For starters, you need to cover your muscles so you don’t get too chilled as part of your cooling down routine.
Ensure you wear proper yoga attire that can help keep your body warm.
You can proceed by doing some static stretching from there.
When you want to enhance your deep relaxation by going into the corpse pose, consider covering yourself with a light shawl or towel.
If you are considering getting into yoga, it would be ideal to attend a class first so you will be given guidance on how to execute the poses properly and safely.
Once you know the essentials, you can continue doing your sessions at home, or you can invest in yoga videos to help you start your practice.
