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When you observe your yoga instructor (or that incredibly skilled person at the front), you might notice that your pose doesn’t quite match theirs. However, you shouldn’t aim to copy others exactly. In fact, this could actually harm your practice.
Yoga teacher Nicole Katz points out in Greatist that it's more effective to focus on your body's strengths rather than trying to achieve a specific appearance based on someone else’s form. This principle applies whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned expert: our bodies are simply structured differently. Katz writes:
From an anatomical perspective, there are generally two main reasons your poses might not look “perfect”: muscular restrictions and skeletal differences. Having either (or both) doesn’t indicate that anything is “wrong” with you. Yoga is about accepting where your body is—without judgment—and evolving from that point.
The adjustments required will vary from one pose to another. For instance, in downward dog, many people need to bend their knees to align their spine properly. This adjustment allows you to engage the correct muscles and gain the most benefits from the pose. Visit Greatist for the full article, including before-and-after images showing how to correct some common mistakes.
Image courtesy of Army Medicine.
