5 Ways To Maximize Your Yoga Potential

If you’re not smiling while you’re doing yoga, you’re probably doing something wrong.

Yoga has the potential to be one of the most rewarding exercises one can do. Unlike many exercises, it benefits the mind, body and soul. If you’re not doing it right, though, you’re going to be in some pain. Even worse, you could do some serious damage to your joints or muscles.

Like any exercise, pushing the limits can either be good or bad, depending on how you do it. You can either reach your potential or overdo it and force an injury.

Here are five ways to maximize your yoga potential:

Respect your body

Your body knows its own limits. Sometimes it knows better than you. Though yoga is all about pushing the limits, if you ignore the clear signs that you are doing too much, you will inevitably find yourself in some serious pain. Some people can stretch more than others, so rather than comparing yourself to others, bend to your own capacity.

Smile

You should have a constant smile on your face when you do yoga. If you don’t it probably means that you are in a varying degree of pain. The second you overdo a stretch you will lose that smile and either grimace or frown. If you realistically practice you should have no problem improving, but it will take time. Don’t force anything.

Breathe

Yoga not only enables you to contort your body in positions you thought impossible, but it also helps your lung capacity and breathing patterns. When practicing yoga, make sure to focus on your breathing patterns. Take long, deep breaths as often as possible. This will help your posture as well as your flexibility.

Get the yoga attitude

While doing yoga postures, using specific rhythms of breaths links the breath and the body. Pay attention to exactly what you are doing, where you are and how far you have come. This will put you into a yoga trans, linking the body and the mind. Your entire being will be in harmony. This will deepen your yoga practice.

Observe

You should already benefit from a heightened sense of awareness, but when practicing yoga, make sure to pay attention to both your external surroundings and internal being. When standing in a position, for example, make sure you notice which hand you use more often, which foot you tend to lean on more when you stand and where your head is positioned. These small things will improve your form dramatically.

Anthony Sens is a consultant for Pure Water Technology of South Louisiana, a bottled water dispenser that aims to provide every business with an affordable bottled water solution.

5 Ways To Maximize Your Yoga Potential