Yoga Beginners 10 Bad Yoga Habits and How to Break Them By Ann Pizer, RYT Ann Pizer, RYT LinkedIn Twitter Ann Pizer is a writer and registered yoga instructor who teaches vinyasa/flow and prenatal yoga classes. Learn about our editorial process Updated on September 15, 2020 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Kristin McGee, CPT Reviewed by Kristin McGee, CPT Kristin McGee is a certified personal trainer and currently teaches yoga and meditation for Peloton. She is also certified in Pilates by the National Association of Sports Medicine. Learn about our Review Board Print Yoga's greatest benefits are not really about learning how to twist yourself up like a pretzel, but rather about establishing beneficial behaviors that will carry over into your daily life. If you're hypercritical of yourself in a yoga class, for example, chances are you're that way in other situations as well. Becoming aware of and then breaking those types of patterns on your mat will help you do the same when you step off your mat into the world. 1 Stop Comparing Yourself to Others Granger Wootz/Blend Images/Getty Images It can be hard to stay focused on your own practice without comparing yourself to the people around you, but that's exactly what you should try to do. It really does not matter what anyone else can do, so stop feeling bad about the people who seem to be more advanced than you. Likewise, don't let yourself get too excited if your poses seem "better" than a fellow student's. We are all on our own paths here. Staying true to yours will keep your ego from getting involved and also reduce the likelihood that you'll get hurt trying to keep up with the person next to you. 2 Stop Comparing Yourself to Yourself Tricky, right? Thinking about what you can do right now compared to your expectations or your past performance can be just as troublesome, and possibly injurious, as competing with the person next to you. Each day offers us a different body, so don't worry about that awesome pose you were able to do last week but seems elusive now. It's all just experience, so labeling it as good or bad is a habit worth breaking. 3 Stop Being a Creature of Habit Speaking of breaking habits, do you always put your mat in the exact same spot? Challenge yourself to try different places around the room, or even try a new class or studio if you're feeling like you're in a rut. Changing your physical perspective can help you change your mental perspective too. If you are in the habit of inwardly groaning when your teachers calls for ab work or parivrtta ardha chandrasana (speaking from experience here), see if you can change your ways there too. 4 Stop Listening to the Teacher OK, you should listen to the teacher most of the time, but don't forget who's really in charge here: you. If your teacher instructs a pose with which you don't feel comfortable, if it causes you pain or aggravates an injury, don't do it. No one is inside your body but you, so you're the one calling the shots. And if a teacher gives you a hard time about it, find a new teacher. Adaptations for Yoga With Wrist Pain 5 Stop Being Nervous About Speaking Up If it's your first yoga class, you have an injury, you are pregnant (congrats!), you are scared of handstands, speak up! Some teachers will go around the room asking everyone how they are at the beginning of class, others may not, but part of taking charge of your yoga experience is making sure your teachers have all the information they need to safely lead you. If it's a private matter, tell them one-on-one before class. Many teachers invite students to stay and ask questions after class. Take advantage of this! Most teachers are thrilled to help you delve into your alignment or brush up your Sanskrit. 6 Stop Leaving Early There may occasionally be times when you have to leave class early, but let's not make a habit out of it. Yes, we are all busy people with places to go and people to see, but most of the time all that can wait an extra 10 minutes while you take savasana. Leaving early on a regular basis is not only rude, but robs you of your reward for all that hard work: a few minutes in your day to just do nothing. 7 Stop Getting Ahead of Yourself Here's a situation: The teacher is instructing a pose in which each successive variation builds upon the one before it. Though the teacher clearly states you should not continue to move forward through the variations until you can comfortably hold the previous step, half the class continues to move in forward in some kind of approximation of the pose, bringing themselves into greater risk for injury. I know I said not to listen to the teacher, but this is not one of those times! Listen to the teacher! 8 Stop Giving in to the Monkey Mind What are you thinking about during yoga? Hopefully, you answered, "nothing." One of the most positive things about doing yoga asana or meditation practice is that it gives us the change to take a little vacation from the constant nagging that is our thoughts, something that has nothing to do with your ability to do complicated physical maneuvers. If you find yourself thinking a lot about the poses you can or can't do, give yourself a break from that too. Gentle Yoga Styles for Stretching and Stillness 9 Stop Pushing Through the Pain "No pain, no gain" has no place in a yoga class. Pain comes in different flavors, and part of really getting to know your body is being able to differentiate between muscular soreness and something more serious. That tenderness in your belly during (and for several days after) the aforementioned ab work is the former, and the latter is to be avoided. 10 Stop Forgetting to Have Fun There are so many things to take seriously in life, but your yoga practice doesn't have to be one of them. I'm not suggesting that you goof off or take unnecessary risks, but that we do this thing with a light-hearted approach and a sense of fun. If you fall out of a pose, laugh it off. Take on that tricky pose with a smile on your face. It's only yoga, after all. By Ann Pizer, RYT Ann Pizer is a writer and registered yoga instructor who teaches vinyasa/flow and prenatal yoga classes. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from companies that partner with and compensate Verywell Fit for displaying their offer. These partnerships do not impact our editorial choices or otherwise influence our editorial content.