dos and dont's of Yoga

Wrong breathing technique while doing yoga can cause blackouts and hernias Walking and yoga are probably the safest exercises for a beginner. The practice of yoga is thousands of years old, with innumerable techniques, breathing manoeurves and asanas. Walking comes with few safety caveats, but yoga, long considered a method of relaxation requires caution. A major determinant of injury in the beginner is the skill and experience of the instructor. Experienced practitioners achieve high levels of flexibility and breathe control. Many universities and organizations in India train yoga instructors, but many unqualified find work as instructors anyway. Unqualified find work as instructors anyway. Unqualified instructors tend to offer misleading advice to beginners with special needs and health problems. The result is often injury sometimes worse. Do warm-up exercises before doing yoga especially in winter. Cold tissues are prone to injury. Wear the right kind of clothes – loose fitting cottons are best.  Learn to breathe correctly. Get this right before you worry about asanas and movements. Maintaining a position with the wrong breathing technique can cause blackouts and hernias. On the other hand, if you are breathing correctly you will find exercises easier to do, you can maintain a position for longer and you can stretch further. Yoga is not a competitive sport. Do not try to match your instructor or out – do your fellow students. Doing a full movement with bad form or incorrect breathing is dangerous because repetition will increase your risk of injury. If you suffer from back or spine problems, have a detailed conversation with your doctor about what exercise and postures you should avoid. Let your doctor and not your instructor is the final judge of what is safe or unsafe exercise for you. Stop exercise when you develop pain. Avoid that particular posture or movement in future sessions. Discuss the matter with your doctor yoga may simply have unmasked an underlying health problem. Drink lots of water during and after a session. Remember that yoga may make you sweat but it is not a substitute for walking and other aerobic exercise. It is not a good aerobic exercise and is poor at burning calories. The good news is practicing yoga will make you feel better than any form of exercise.