How can I practice Yoga safely?

Yoga has gotten bad press lately, allegedly causing physical injury

Here are some key tips for working within your yoga practice and how to avoid injury

1. SELF REALISATION. Listen to what is going on in your body! Is your breath flowing evenly, steady? Does this asana feel right? What are you thinking about? Are you able to stay with the sensations in your body? Where is your energy? The answers to these questions determine how you practice yoga.

2. There should be NO PAIN when you practice asana. Sharp or localised sensations are to be avoided, and more general and less intense sensation are desirable. Distribute your weight over the broadest possible area and distribute your weight evenly over the length of the body.

3. INTEGRITY in each pose, meaning there is balance between flexibility and strength.

4. Clear LINES OF ENERGY - structure each asana so that the joints are stacked and the energy can flow in the body. This stops any direct force to one particular area.

5. AVOID COLLAPSING between poses. Move from pose to pose as if the transition is a pose, move with awareness and intent and control from one pose to the next

6. Find your EDGE. Only move the body as far as the rest of the body can integrate. For example; only raise the arms as high as the shoulders will allow, without taking the top of the shoulders up towards the ears, or allowing the lower back to arch.

7. CONTERBALANCE. It is important to do an inverse/counter pose for each asana. This is to remove or lessen any negative effect of the previous asana.