6 Common Yoga Mistakes You're Making—And How To Fix Them

6 Common Yoga Mistakes You're Making—And How To Fix Them

Let's face it, yoga is hard for everyone—even yoga teachers like me. That's because even seemingly simple yoga poses can be more nuanced than they appear, and when you're all folded up it's tough to know if your alignment is off. And if you're in practicing in a packed class, with a new teacher, or at lightning speed, you might be making mistakes that fly under the radar. The real problem? These errors can seriously wear on the body over time.

Fine-tuning your poses isn't about having the perfect yoga practice, but it is about clarifying your alignment so that you can prevent injury and gain body awareness. There are three key areas of the body that can be put at risk when your alignment is out of whack: your knees, lower back, and neck.

It seems like all hell breaks loose in the same handful of poses. Here are the most common ones you're doing incorrectly and how to fix them. (Looking for more ways to live a happy, healthy life? Order Prevention—and get a FREE yoga DVD when you subscribe today.)

Original article and pictures take www.prevention.com site