Exclusive Report

The 10 Most Common Yoga Mistakes You

Need to Avoid—At All Costs!

Olivia Summers
Contents
Introduction

Yoga Mistake #1

Yoga Mistake #2

Yoga Mistake #3

Yoga Mistake #4

Yoga Mistake #5

Yoga Mistake #6

Yoga Mistake #7

Yoga Mistake #8

Yoga Mistake #9

Yoga Mistake #10

Conclusion
Disclaimer
Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that
the information in this book was correct at press time, the author and
publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for
any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether
such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other
cause.

This book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of

physicians. The reader should regularly consult a physician in matters
relating to his/her health and particularly with respect to any symptoms
that may require diagnosis or medical attention.

Copyright © 2015 by Olivia Summers

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be
reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written
permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book
review or scholarly journal.
First Printing: 2015
Success Life Publishing
Hillsborough, NC 27278
Welcome,  Friends!  

In this special report I have put together just for my readers, I’m going to discuss the
most common and recurring mistakes that I see over and over again as a yoga
teacher—in and out of the classroom.

I wrote this report because, as a yoga teacher, I want my students (and readers!) to be
safe and practice yoga the right way. It’s important to follow these tips and guidelines
that follow and take care to correct them right away in order to prevent an
unproductive way of practicing—and possibly even injury.

You might think that this information is strictly geared towards beginners and that if
you’re an intermediate or advanced yogi you have no need for this information.

But honestly, these mistakes occur just as equally in beginners and even more
advanced yogis and there should definitely be no shame in your game if you realize
you’re making one (or maybe more!) of these mistakes. Growing and developing our
practice is part of being a yogi.

The most important thing is that you’re honest with yourself about where you are in
your practice. Just because you’ve been practicing for 2 years, doesn’t necessarily make
you advanced.

And that’s perfectly okay! We all go at our own pace and develop in our own time. It’s
important, though, to be humble enough to take advice and realize when you’re doing
something wrong and take action to correct the habit in yourself.

I hope that this free report will help you develop your yoga practice in a healthy
manner and clear up any issues—that you may or may not have known were a big deal.

Keep reading to find out the 10 most common mistakes and what you can do to fix
them—or avoid them altogether!

 
Mistake  #1:  You  Hold  Your  Breath  

Believe it or not, one of the most prevalent mistakes I see time and time again is
students holding their breath in poses.

Obviously this is a problem and is definitely not what yoga is about. One of the main
benefits and assets to a regular yoga practice is strengthened breathing and utilizing
your breaths to become more mindful and focused on the present moment.

When you hold your breath during your yoga poses (and you might not even realize
you’re doing it at first) you are cutting off an integral part of the practice. Learning
proper breath control has a biological effect on our physical, mental and emotional
state—it is key to proper practice.

By consciously focusing on your breathing patterns and breath control you actually
activate a more evolved area of your brain called the cerebral cortex, which in turn
impacts our emotions in a positive way, bringing balance to our emotions. When you
breathe unconsciously, as most of us do throughout our day, it’s a more primitive and
instinctual activity that is actually controlled by the medulla oblongata. Whereas, with
the cerebral cortex you’re activating a more evolved and elevated state of
consciousness—simply by tapping into your breaths during your yoga practice.

When we hold our breath we cut off so many of the benefits of yoga, so it’s important
that the next time you’re practicing you try to be more conscious of your breathing—or
not breathing.

If you check in with yourself and find that you are, in fact, holding your breath then
consciously make an effort to breathe deeply and intently with your movements to
engage your focus and a heightened level of consciousness. This simple technique can
be used in all aspects of your life—not just yoga!

   
Mistake  #2:  Eating  Before  You  Practice    

This is kind of a tricky one. On one hand, no you don’t want to eat a 3 course meal
before going to your yoga class or practicing at home—that’s just a recipe for disaster!

However, at the same time you aren’t going to be able to concentrate if you’re running
on an empty stomach and it keeps growling every few minutes.

There’s a fine line when it comes to eating (and digesting food) and practicing yoga. If
you haven’t eaten since lunch and you’re on your way to an after-work yoga class that
starts at 5:30 pm, then it would be wise to have a small snack beforehand.

Otherwise you’re going to be incredibly distracted by your hunger and simply not have
the energy it takes for more intense poses like handstand. But it’s important to be
choosy with what you decide on for a snack.

A Dr. Pepper and a candy bar is not yogi fuel. Nor is a #5 combo from McDonald’s.
Stick with foods that are simple and easy to digest so that when you’re in Downward
Dog you don’t suddenly feel queasy or uncomfortable.

If it has been several hours since you last ate and you just have to eat something to
hold you over and give you the fuel you need to give it your all, then I suggest
choosing one of the following as your snack:

• Avocado
• A handful of dried fruit—like apricots or cranberries
• Banana
• Handful of almonds
• A few squares of dark chocolate
• Light and refreshing smoothie, no bigger than 18 oz. (at least 30 minutes before
practice)

All that being said, I still recommend that you try to eat your last meal or snack at
least 2 hours before you intend to practice, but if that’s not possible and you find
yourself starving on the way to class then grab one of the above approved snacks as a
backup.
Mistake  #3:  You  Don’t  Set  Intentions  for  Your  Practice    

I know that many of us are guilty of this one! How many times have you attended a
yoga class or practiced at home, but never set goals or intentions for your practice?

I’m pretty sure that for most of us, when we step on the mat we go on autopilot and
don’t think about much—let alone what we want to get out of our practice for the day.

The sad thing is, it’s one of the simplest yet rewarding things you can do for your yoga
practice and you should start doing it right now. Okay, fine, you can wait for the next
time you practice, but seriously, do it!

The next time your yoga teacher prompts you to set an intention for your practice at
the beginning of class, don’t just blow it off. Yoga is a mind-body practice and a form
of moving meditation. When you intentionally declare (silently) what you’re expecting
from your practice for the day it lets your mind and body become aligned in that
thought and unite to make it happen and take your yoga practice to a deeper level.

Intentions are much different than goals. When it comes to intentions, they have no
basis for future outcomes like goals do. Intentions are simply an aspiration for the
path of your practice and something you’ll frequently remind yourself of during your
practice. It’s almost like a mantra in a way.

Examples of an intention for your practice could be simple words like ‘love’—if you’re
feeling judgmental or harsh toward yourself. Maybe ‘strength’ if you don’t feel very
strong or capable and what some extra motivation to get into your more challenging
poses. Another idea would be ‘compassion’ toward your body, your practice and maybe
even those around you—giving you the motivation you need to cast off judgmental and
negative thoughts.

No matter the intention, it should be personal and meaningful to you. Remember it

doesn’t need to be shared with anyone else and it can really help to ground and
personalize your yoga experience to be much more meaningful and rewarding.

   
Mistake  #4:  You  Don’t  Warm  Up  

This is a big one! And incredibly important to prevent injury and ensure that your yoga
practice is as effective as it can be.

I know when I was first starting out on my yoga journey (many years ago!) I would
wake up and be so excited to start practicing for the day that I would jump out of bed
and go straight into handstands, downward dog, wheel pose…you name it!

I cringe now when I think about it, because that was incredibly stupid of me. My
muscles weren’t warmed up and the potential for injury was quite serious.

Warming up is especially important to remember when you’re practicing at home and a

don’t have a teacher to remind you or guide you.

My favorite way to warm up for my yoga practice—and for my day, in general—is to do

10 or so rounds of sun salutations to get my heart rate up and get my muscles limber
and the blood flowing.

From there, if I’m going to go straight into my practice for the day I’ll start with the
simpler poses like child’s pose and bridge then ease into the more advanced stuff.

It’s very important to not “shock” your muscles and do what I used to do because it’s a
recipe for disaster. Just because you have gotten away with it in the past or feel like
you are capable doesn’t mean you should.

   
Mistake  #5:  You  Skip  the  Basics  

This mistake is especially true of beginners, but it also might apply to intermediate
yogis or even advanced.

Oftentimes when we’re just starting out and learning something new there’s this
urgency and almost chaotic sort of feeling that we need to be better, faster and
stronger in a hurry. We tend to feel embarrassed or feel shameful about being labeled
as a “beginner.”

But there’s so much joy and happiness that can be found as a beginner yogi if you just
let yourself enjoy the ride and don’t rush the process. I know that a lot of my beginner
students tend to be in such a hurry to get out of “beginner” classes that they don’t give
themselves enough time to soak up the knowledge that they need in order to safely
advance to the next level of classes.

My recommendation is that you take beginner yoga classes for at least 5-7 weeks
before moving on. This gives you the ability to become comfortable with the basic
poses and also lays out a strong foundation for the more difficult poses.

If you give yourself the time that’s necessary in the beginning, you’ll thank yourself
later when you move up a level because you’ll feel much more confident in your
abilities to perform harder poses and won’t have as much potential for injury.

If you do move on to another level before you’re ready and you try out a more
advanced class and it doesn’t feel right—then I urge you to move back to your previous
level of classes. It’s better to spend a little extra time getting comfortable with poses
than to rush into something you’re not ready for only to get hurt.

   
Mistake  #6:  You  Don’t  Speak  Up  

We yoga teachers are there for a reason. And I promise it’s not just to get paid. We
genuinely and truly want to help you achieve your goals and become the best version
of yourself through your yoga practice.

However, if you come to class and never say a word or offer any feedback to your
instructor, you’re doing both yourself and him or her a huge disservice.

As instructors, we need to know of previous injuries and issues that you have going on
that might prevent you from doing certain poses. We can’t give you modifiers if we
don’t know what’s going on!

Speaking up is especially important in larger classes where instructors don’t have as

much time or ability to help each student individually. So don’t be afraid to voice any
concerns or hang-ups you’ve got going on. Even though it might seem like it, we can’t
read minds and we don’t have magical powers so don’t be embarrassed or shy about
letting us know what’s going on.

This bit of advice also applies to those who are more advanced. I understand that once
you reach a certain level of bendy-ness it can be even more intimidating to ask for help
or admit you need a little guidance, but part of yoga practice is growing and evolving
and that should never stop. No matter how long you’ve been practicing!

   
Mistake  #7:  You  Practice  Every  Single  Day  

This is a tricky one. I understand that most yoga teachers tell you that you should
practice every single day. However, I do not advocate this at all.

Just like with anything physical, your body needs a break—muscles and joints
especially. It’s important to take rest days frequently to avoid injuries.

If you insist on practicing yoga every single day, then at the very least you need to
rotate the poses that you do so that you aren’t doing repetitive movements every day.
Anything that you do repeatedly over prolonged periods of time tends to lead to RSI—
or repetitive stress injuries.

Some of the more intensive poses like inversions, chaturanga, downward dog, planks,
etc. are especially bad for you to do on a daily basis. One chaturanga here and there
isn’t a big deal, but when you’re doing 10 or 15 a day can lead to injury.

It’s important to work all the muscle groups of the body equally so you need to
incorporate all kinds of movements to keep everything balanced.

Your body performs at its best when you change things up and keep it variable, so it’s
important to get out of your comfort zone and practice more than just yoga.

Cardio and strength training along with your yoga routine all make for a well-balanced
and beneficial exercise routine.

Strength training is especially crucial to those who practice yoga because repeatedly
working on flexibility and nothing else leads to instability in the body and joints. When
you incorporate strength training, you’re ensuring that your body is stable and much
less likely to become injured.

Oftentimes, in yoga as with anything in life, what our body doesn’t want to do is
generally what we need the most. So if you have a particular distaste for strength
training and lifting weights, chances are you could benefit from it the most!

   
Mistake  #8:  You  Don’t  Take  the  Time  to  Find  the  Right  Teacher    

As a yoga teacher, I feel it’s especially important for students of yoga to take the time
to find a suitable yoga teacher for their practice.

Now, this doesn’t necessarily have to be an instructor that you meet with physically
(although this is ideal for beginners) every week—maybe you have a favorite yoga
teacher that puts up free content online somewhere or has their own YouTube
channel—whatever works for you!

But just like with most things…if we don’t relate to someone it’s hard to take what
they have to say to heart. This doesn’t mean you don’t like the instructor as a person,
it’s just that their personal style of teaching doesn’t mesh with the way that you learn.
And that’s okay! No one’s feelings will be hurt.

If you’re taking a class with a certain instructor and you don’t feel like you’re getting
the most out of it or enjoying it as much as you think you should—don’t give up on
yoga. Try a new teacher!

Most of the time it’s just a learning miscommunication and not that you don’t like
yoga.

I remember in high school I was so interested in learning about chemistry and I looked
forward to the class all summer before the semester started. However, when class
finally started my hopes were dashed. My teacher’s style of instructing was erratic and
frustrating and I never really quite knew what he expected of me. Instead of switching
to another class, though, I suffered through it and ended up getting a ‘C’ in chemistry
that year feeling lackluster the whole time.

So don’t do what I did: there’s no sense in suffering through a yoga class if you don’t
feel like you’re getting anything out of it. It’s crucial to take the time to find a teacher
whose style of instructing resonates with your heart and your ideals and inspires you
to become better each day. It could be the difference between flourishing in yoga and
giving up entirely.

   
Mistake  #9:  You  Practice  Yoga  to  Heal  Injuries  

While I believe that yoga has immense and powerful healing abilities…I do not think
that most people should approach yoga with the sole purpose of healing injuries.

Does yoga have the power to heal most injuries? In my opinion, yes. However, it’s a
tricky road and should only be gone down with the guidance of a doctor or physical
therapist specifically trained in treating injuries.

I think that both yoga and pilates are incredible healing powerhouses, but they also
have the ability to make injuries worse if not done correctly.

So my advice to you, is that if you are suffering from an injury—whether it be chronic

back pain or something more serious like muscle injuries never go to a generalized
yoga class with healing as your intent. Often the instructors are too busy to be as
hands-on, as is necessary in these situations…or you don’t speak up (Mistake #6)
frequently enough for every move to be safely modified for your personal situation.

If you’re going to use yoga as a healing mechanism for injury, then you need to shell
out the extra cash to pay a certified physical therapist that is trained to use yoga as a
tool for rehabilitation.

It might cost more in the long run, but it will prevent further injury and ensure that
you recover completely and safely. And that, my friend, is priceless!

   
Mistake  #10:  You  Skip  Savasana    

This is probably my biggest pet peeve of the bunch and also one of the more prevalent
mistakes I see occurring over and over!

I understand that at the end of your yoga practice you might be in a hurry and want to
get out of class and take care of all the errands you have to do or meet friends for
dinner.

However, in my opinion, this is one of the worst things that you can do for your yoga
practice. Maybe it’s because Savasana looks so “easy” and “lazy” and maybe that’s why
most of you choose to skip it.

But the truth is, those of you who leave before the crucial Savasana is completed are
the ones who need it the most!

Why is it so important?

Our brains and bodies never truly get a chance to relax. Even while sleeping we’re
dreaming and erratic most of the night and wake up tired, feeling like we never slept at
all.

When we give our mind and body a chance to recover through the practice of Savasana,
we’re giving ourselves a priceless gift that no amount of money could ever afford us.

If you think that Savasana is simply just “lying there” then you aren’t fully engaging
with your mind and body in the moment—allowing yourself to become mentally free
and relieved of the business of life.

If you truly gave in to your body during Savasana then chances are you’d want to stay
there for quite a while—and your body could use the extra deep relaxation and
recharge!

So the next time you’re practicing at home or in class, avoid the urge to pack your stuff
and go when it’s time for Savasana and let your mind and body truly enjoy the
experience of being present within yourself for a brief moment. I promise it’s worth it!

   
Conclusion  

Now that we’ve covered the 10 most common yoga mistakes I see daily in and out of
the classroom, I just want to remind all of you that it’s okay if you find yourself
“guilty” of one or even 5 of these!

What’s not okay, is to continue doing something that you know is bad for your yoga
practice and your mind-body connection.

Now, there’s no need to beat yourself up about the issues at hand or past
mistakes…simply just make a vow to yourself to continue to improve and better your
practice and ideals.

If you’re currently staying quiet during yoga class when you feel the need to speak
up—simply make it your intention for the next class to speak your mind and be honest
if the teacher asks if anyone has any questions.

Small changes add up to big results. As long as you’re moving forward and growing in
your yoga journey, then there’s no such thing as failure.

Take each of these “mistakes” to heart and genuinely look within yourself to see if
there are any areas of your yoga practice that could use improving. Chances are you’ll
find something—it’s called being human!

I hope that this report I put together has inspired you to reflect on your practice and
embrace a new day of change.

Thank you for reading!

With positive intention and light,

Olivia