First and foremost you must find yourself an accredited, qualified instructor. Yoga instructors used to be trained over the course of years, with intense studying and training with a true yoga guru. Unfortunately, this is no longer a very realistic way to qualify yoga instructors.

Because yoga instructors are so in demand, the Yoga Alliance now grants 200 and 500 hour instructor certifications. Be absolutely sure that your instructor has at least obtained one of these very basic credentials. If you are working with a trained professional, your chance of being injured due to an inept instructor is greatly diminished.

Secondly, you must have realistic expectations. Unless you’ve had previous special training (usually as a gymnast or professional dancer), you cannot realistically expect to be putting your leg behind your head after only two or three classes. This applies to even the fittest athletes. The truth is, chances are you will never be putting your leg behind your head. That ‘trick’ requires years of dedicated practice, balance, strength, and flexibility, and it simply cannot be obtained through occasional yoga.

Use your head. Yoga isn’t a competitive sport. Yoga focuses heavily on getting to know how your body works, and making decisions based on your own unique body. Too many injuries occur when someone tries to copy an advanced pose before their body is ready, after seeing someone else do it. Even when you want to push yourself, have the good sense to stop when it hurts. You must first have the very basic poses down to a‘t’ before going on to more advanced ones, otherwise you WILL risk injury unnecessarily.

This doesn’t just apply to others. You cannot compete with yourself, either. Grant yourself the gift of patience. Every day you have the opportunity to slowly expand your body, mind, and spirit. Do not rush this process. Listen closely to your body, and do not continue when something feels wrong or hurts. This will often result in injury, and cause you to take even longer to obtain the ‘cool’ advanced poses.

Alignment practices are pretty important. One of the absolutely best ways to keep safe from injury is to choose a type of yoga that specifically emphasizes on alignment. (This is especially important for those of you who are still recovering from an old injury or have a problematic spot). Some of the more advanced branches of yoga don’t really focus on alignment, as those practicing it already have the basics down. Start with something like Ivengar yoga or Anusara yoga. You can always add more fast-pace and difficult styles later.

High risk zones include areas such as the neck, lower back, hamstrings, and knees. These are areas of your body that are already at risk for injury, so try out poses that focus on these areas with extreme caution!

Yeah, but! Injuries can still occur, even when you take as many precautions as you can stand. If you suffer an injury while practicing yoga, you should take it very seriously (as you should with any injury). Visit your doctor and do NOT return to practicing your yoga until you are completely healed. You should also inform your instructor about any recent injuries so that they can take extra care, and even offer some alternatives to your regular routine that will not further or annoy your condition.