{"id":52046,"date":"2016-08-30T07:15:40","date_gmt":"2016-08-30T11:15:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=52046"},"modified":"2016-08-30T09:13:33","modified_gmt":"2016-08-30T13:13:33","slug":"yoga-poses-form-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/yoga-poses-form-mistakes\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Doing These Yoga Poses All Wrong?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Are
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ideally, you\u2019d have a personal yoga teacher to tell you every time your feet or hands aren\u2019t in the proper places\u00a0for key yoga poses. That way, you\u2019d feel the \u201coohs\u201d and \u201caahs\u201d in all the right spots. But unfortunately, instructors can\u2019t be everywhere at once, so a few form mistakes may slip by them. That doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t get aligned like the pros, though. We asked experts to ID the most common missteps, whether they\u2019re committed by beginners<\/a> or experienced yogis. Keep reading to ensure your yoga game is as on point as possible.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>8 Things Experts Wish You Knew About Yoga<\/a><\/p>\n

6 Popular Yoga Poses People Get Wrong<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Mistake #1: Putting your feet too close to your hands in <\/strong>downward-facing dog<\/strong><\/a>
\n<\/strong>This happens all the time, says Rhode Island-based yoga instructor Jessie Dwiggins<\/a>. But its easy to position\u00a0your hands and feet properly. \u201cStart in a high plank<\/a> with the hands directly underneath the shoulders,\u201d Dwiggins says. \u201cThen lift the hips up and back<\/a>.\u201d If your heels don\u2019t touch the floor, that\u2019s OK \u2014 it\u2019s just a sign that your hamstrings are tight. You can always slide a blanket under your heels to have something to press into. What\u2019s more important is that your weight is evenly distributed between both of your hands and feet, and that you activate your upper-arm muscles and core. You should notice a stretch down the backs of your legs.<\/p>\n

Mistake #2: Letting your shoulders tense up in chaturanga
\n<\/strong>If you sit at a desk<\/a> most days, you probably roll your shoulders forward without even realizing it. Well, think of the chaturanga<\/a> as the opposite of that hunched-over-your-computer posture. \u201cChaturanga requires the shoulder blades to slide down the back, as the head of the shoulders lift away from the floor,\u201d says Dwiggins. (You should feel an opening in your chest.) With your shoulders by your ears, you could\u00a0put unnecessary strain on your upper body, which can lead to rotator cuff issues, Dwiggins says.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>How to Maximize Your Yoga Calorie Burn<\/a><\/p>\n

Mistake #3: Leaning into the balls of your feet in mountain pose
\n<\/strong>The idea here (and in any pose): No matter what part of your body is touching the floor, you should have a firm, grounded connection. So\u00a0putting too much pressure on your pinky or thumb in poses like plank<\/a> or downward-facing dog is also problematic. \u201cIn down dog, people get a lot of wrist pain, often because they\u2019re leaning on the pinkies,\u201d says Gwen Lawrence, yoga coach and owner of Power Yoga for Sports<\/a>. Think about plugging your whole hand or foot into the floor and distributing the weight as evenly as possible.<\/p>\n

Mistake #4: Rounding the lower back too much in forward <\/strong>bends
\n<\/strong>People tend to push their hips back when bending forward in poses like standing forward fold, dolphin and pyramid, because it seems easier. But that can compromise your lower back<\/a>, says Dwiggins. Instead, keep your hips directly over your heels, maintain a flat back and reach your tailbone up toward the ceiling. Using blocks under your hands can also help you avoid back aches. \u201cThis adjustment brings a much better stretch into the hamstrings, and it\u2019s a little safer,\u201d says Dwiggins.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Can Yoga Help Relieve Your Asthma?<\/a><\/p>\n

Mistake #5: Looking straight down in crow
\n<\/strong>If you want to master any arm balance, where you look is crucial. \u201cYou need to focus away and out,\u201d says Lawrence. \u201cThis gives you three\u00a0points of balance, with two being your hands and the third being your gaze.\u201d You\u2019re also less likely to fall forward if you\u2019re looking ahead, not down. During your next attempt at crow (or if you get crazy with a one-leg arm balance), try switching your stare from the floor, forward and you might find you\u2019re suddenly able to stick it. (Need more tips on pulling off crow pose? Follow these three steps<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Mistake #6: Doing headstand against a wall to prep for a real headstand
\n<\/strong>If you don\u2019t have the strength needed to do a headstand, it\u2019s best to keep a foot or two on the floor, rather than using a wall for assistance. \u201cIt gives a false sense of security, and people can get hurt when they attempt it without the barrier,\u201d Lawrence says. Instead, try this modification that’ll help you work your way up: Start on your hands and knees. Put the top of your head on the floor and bend your elbows 90 degrees\u00a0(upper arms parallel to the floor). Experiment with straightening one or both legs. Eventually, try resting your knees on your upper arms to get used to the pressure on your head and neck. Soon enough, you\u2019ll be able to lift your legs toward the ceiling and rock a solid headstand.<\/p>\n

Ready to progress to a handstand? Check out <\/em>this video<\/em><\/a> that shows even beginners how to nail it. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ever hold yoga poses, wondering if you were doing your body good or doing it all wrong? Us too. We set the record straight on six common form mistakes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,6,19],"tags":[289,145,341,355,100,286],"class_list":["post-52046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exercise","category-fitness","category-yoga","tag-exercise","tag-stretching","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2yoga","tag-workout","tag-yoga"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52046"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52046\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}