Are you Committing These 5 Yoga Mistakes?

The outreach of yoga is expanding and is consuming both city weeds and the country side folks. Many are on the yoga boat and others waiting in the line to get onto one. The crazy frenzy of yoga has led to a lot of fads and fakes in the process. Just like when a thing goes in fashion, it attracts criticism, competition, fanaticism, same goes for yoga too. It is trending! When something trends, everybody wants to try on a pair, without weighing the pros, cons, requirements, dos and don’ts. Here is your don’ts list, if you are in the yoga loop or planning on one, because sometimes the results can be more harming than good.

Don’t Rush In

First things first, Yoga is an art and an art is something that is gradually learned and accepted. In the desire to get in, you might be getting out. Take it slow. Yoga is like a love affair. It grows on you slowly and consumes you thoroughly with no escape, let it take over. The art of yoga comes to those who deserve it or more precisely works for it. We can benefit and progress with gradual refinement and fine tuning our practice and attitude. Just let it flow.

Inconsistency

With the above point being made, it is important to put across how a consistent approach is a mandate for yoga. Yes, if a quick result is what you are looking at, you might be in for a disappointment. While a good reward is a great motivation but the ‘result’ oriented approach is not how it works here. Inconsistency is a biggest malady faced by this revered art form in the new age spirituality phase. Each and every step in the journey is significant and every day you get closer to performing the perfect art. So keep at it.

Try, Try Try again until you succeed

Well the saying might be true in most cases, but not for just a single yoga class. The approach when in a yoga class is not to press too hard. Yoga believes in Less is More philosophy. When in a posture, the idea is to perform with most ease and comfortably. Mild push might be OK but to keep doing the same act again and again, in lieu of getting it right, well not yoga’s cup of tea. Therefore, it is best if we take one step at a time and hold the pace and gradually increase it. Patience is a virtue.

Am I better?

When God made you, it was the perfect time, idea and design. That is to say, we all have our limitations and strengthens, work with it. Use your strengths to convert your limitations into accomplishments. Just because your best buddy can go down in a wheel pose or perform headstand, does not mean you are no good. Beat the peer pressure with diligence not by force or frustration. The crash landing attitude of comparison in yoga is a biggest mistake one can even think of. It is about you not them.

Eat and Beat

Yoga can be rigorous, challenging or simple & easy, depending on the class you opt for. But even then maintain a gap of at least 3 hour gap between the practice and food is a must. If you have less time in hand, try some digestion aid asana after you eat, which are very few in number. Food is fuel but only when it is eaten in correct combination and at the right time. A full stomach makes it uncomfortable to practice different poses while funneling blood supply to the stomach, leaving muscles with little energy to perform successful yoga asanas.

These five tips and anything else that your body tells you is the way to do it with yoga. Listen to the body instincts, it is more intelligent that we think it is.