1、Rushing for Quick Results, Over-exercising for Weight Loss

Many people choose to practice yoga with the primary goal of losing weight, often with an impatient mindset. They believe that the more they practice, the better the results, hoping for instant success. However, they don't realize that this can be dangerous. In the early stages of practice, the body is not yet strong enough, and daily practice can accumulate fatigue, leading to injuries.

These individuals only focus on one aspect of yoga, neglecting its essence—cultivating a peaceful mindset.

Yoga practitioners should seek to improve themselves holistically in body, mind, and spirit. Once you fully engage in yoga, you’ll experience profound changes in your body. Shifting your focus away from mere physical training not only reduces the risk of injury but also brings about real changes in your life.

2、Overemphasizing Backbends in Yoga Poses

Backbends can be very risky. Over time, they can damage the soft tissues between the vertebrae, and if the spine is only stretched in one direction, its movement in other directions can become restricted.

The spine consists of many vertebrae, and before learning how to properly control your body, repeated backbend practice often targets the most flexible vertebra, while the others remain underworked. The fate of that overworked vertebra can easily be imagined.

3、Relaxed Abdomen

During yoga practice, proper breathing requires not only drawing air into the chest area but also feeling the expansion and contraction of the ribs.

With each breath, you can engage your abdominal muscles by pulling your navel towards your spine. As you inhale, fill your chest with air while keeping your abdominal muscles flat.

Engaging your abdominal muscles during breathing not only helps you breathe correctly but also protects your lower back, preventing pain or injury.

4、Unnecessary Tension

Tense toes, raised shoulders, and pale knuckles—these signs show no indication of relaxation, right?

Some intense poses require full body strength and focus, holding for five breaths. However, it's important to remember to avoid unnecessary tension in the body during this time.

Consciously relax your muscles without over-tensing. Trust yourself—you are fully capable of doing it!

5、Reckless Muscle Stretching

Yoga requires us to focus on our breath and experience inner happiness.

However, if you have a competitive streak, you may feel an uncontrollable urge to outperform others or match their poses.

This can easily lead to muscle strains. During practice, stay within your own limits.

You can mimic others' poses, but don’t injure your muscles in the process.

6、Wanting to Perfect Poses but Trying to Conserve Energy

Many yoga poses can be challenging, leaving your arms and legs shaking, with your body not fully cooperating. Yoga enthusiasts may worry about their posture looking awkward while also hoping to conserve energy and get some rest later. As a result, the body naturally shifts toward an energy-saving approach, making the pose appear correct on the outside, but in reality, many aspects are not solidly performed due to the effort-saving adjustments.

Over time, the joints may endure unnecessary pressure, making it difficult to enjoy the benefits of yoga and even causing additional problems.

Since yoga is for health, one should commit to practicing fully and embrace the effort. Sweating is part of the sense of accomplishment. Instead of thinking about conserving energy, focus

7、Overemphasizing Stretching

Stretching is a great physical activity. Moderate stretching keeps the body's tissues youthful and vibrant while promoting blood circulation.

However, many people mistakenly believe that yoga is purely about intense stretching, which is incorrect. Yoga does indeed include many stretching exercises, but stretching is only one of its many elements. Those who think yoga is just about stretching often overextend their bodies, unknowingly loosening their ligaments. This can lead to constant aches and pains without understanding the cause.

Therefore, avoid focusing solely on stretching. It’s important to find a good teacher and practice progressively, allowing the body to develop in a balanced way.

8、Excessive Sweating During Yoga

An important ancient warning about yoga is that you should avoid drafts before and after practice. When you sweat and your pores are open, exposure to a breeze can lead to cold-related ailments. In a healthy body, pores quickly close to protect the body. If sweat remains trapped beneath the skin and is not expelled, it can disperse through other channels. This sweat, being a form of waste rather than clean water, can seep into cells and potentially become a source of hidden health issues.

9、Exercise on an Empty Stomach and Eat Immediately After Practice

It is correct to practice yoga on an empty stomach. If you are vegetarian, it’s best to wait 2.5 to 3 hours after eating before practicing; if you eat meat, wait 3.5 to 4 hours.

However, consuming a small amount of fruit or a glass of milk is generally fine, especially for those with low blood sugar who may need a bit of sugar before practice.

Eating immediately after finishing yoga is incorrect; it’s better to wait 30 minutes before eating.

10、Believing that Yoga's Core is Only About Asanas

Yoga poses are just a small part of yoga; meditation and breathing are the most important aspects.

Moreover, yoga’s benefits are not achieved in just one hour of practice but are sustained throughout the other 23 hours of the day. The deeper impact of yoga lies in helping individuals develop healthy and good lifestyle habits.

Focusing on poses is not wrong, but it’s equally important to pay attention to breathing and meditation. Ignoring these aspects reduces yoga poses to mere physical exercises or tricks.

Have you encountered these ten pitfalls in your yoga practice? By recognizing and avoiding these common mistakes, you can enhance the effectiveness of your yoga practice and achieve better results.