Think about it, practically every yoga injury that happens has been the result of one or more of these three factors…
1. Being in a hurry and moving too fast.
2. Not paying proper attention.
3. Paying attention and knowing you shouldn’t do something, but doing it anyway.
One of the best ways to tweek your asana practice is to consider it your body’s way of getting your attention and maintaining that frame of mind throughout the whole session.
Some Tips to Prevent Yoga Injury…
• Use common sense during practice. Move slowly, paying attention and asking for help when you feel you need it. A good instructor can modify poses.
• Know your body, don’t just listen to it. Remain aware of any troubled spots and avoid irritating or overly stressing them.
• The instructor is not tyrant. If you feel pain or serious discomfort stop; you don’t have to do everything exactly as the teacher says.
• Practice at your own pace and resist the temptation to try to keep up with the person on the mat next to you. Some postures that you are unfamiliar with may require more time and patience, so know your limits.
• Yoga is all about technique. Just like it’s necessary to learn proper technique before starting a weight-training program, you need to observe proper alignment to avoid injury during asana practice.
• Pay attention to the breath, and if your instructor doesn’t integrate breath work into the class, find another instructor.
• Pain and extreme discomfort are never good, if it arises, stop, don’t push into it or just get out of the pose.
Asana practice can be a mirror for the rest of your life. By paying proper attention you can easily see that most of the life events where you might have the feeling of wanting to back up and try it again are also a result of the above three situations.
Lastly, remember that yoga shouldn’t hurt. With proper attention and awareness you’ll be able to recognize those times when you may be overzealous or inclined to disregard cautions you ordinarily would take. Watch for and listen to both the subtle and not so subtle cues your body gives you about how deeply, how forcefully or how long you should hold a yoga pose. This teaches you to easily direct your attention inward which is one of the main goals of yoga.