Listen to your body in Yoga

If you are a beginner attending your first Yoga class, you will most likely see other Yogis doing all kinds of crazy poses; hand and head stands, people upside down on the mat, etc. This might feel kind of intimidating at the beginning and maybe even make you want to try all those poses during your first class. However, it is very important that you listen to your body.I struggle with that every day. I´m used to pushing myself to the limit, however lately I´ve been trying try to get rid of the ego when I´m on the mat. Don´t get me wrong, I love those crazy asanas too :), and the challenge intrigues me a lot. But remember that each body is unique. Also, it is good to know that even if you´ve had injuries in the past, that does not mean that you can´t necessarily do Yoga. Always remember to tell your teacher about any possible limitations before the class.There are many good books that explain more about each posture and how you can strengthen and stretch different muscles. If you for example have any knee injuries, try to find out what asanas help to strengthen the muscles around your knee. Another exampleto strengthen the spine, pelvic girdle, shoulders and legs, are the forward bends. If you have very tight hamstrings, in forward bends you should remember to bend your knees, otherwise bending forward might result in intervertebral disc compression of the spine. If you have any disc compression, back bends are a good way to relieve the pain.As you can see, there are ways to adjust your practice, even with injuries. Find your modifications in each asana, talk to your teacher, and study more from different books!      LIGHTRAIL YOGA TEACHER TRAININGhttp://www.lightrailyoga.com/