Care to Be Taken When Practicing Yoga & Upayoga

1 Listen to Your Body (Most Important Rule)

• Yoga should never cause sharp pain.
• Stop immediately if you feel dizziness, numbness, or strain.
• Discomfort is okay; pain is not.
• Never force your body into a posture because others can.

2 Warm Up Before Deep Movements

• Always prepare the joints and spine before forward bends, backbends, inversions, or balances.
• Upayoga practices (simple joint rotations, spinal movements, breath awareness) are excellent warm-ups.

3 Sync Breath With Movement

• Breath should remain smooth, silent, and natural.
• If breath becomes jerky or fast, you're pushing too much.
• Never hold breath unless explicitly instructed (and even then, do so gently).

4 Avoid Overstretching & Overflexing

• Do not push beyond 70–80% of your range.
• Stretching must be gradual; "no pain, only awareness."
• Upayoga especially focuses on gentle mobility, not deep stretches.

5 Protect Your Spine

• Keep the spine long; avoid collapsing in forward bends.
• For backbends, lift the chest before bending.
• Engage the core in all standing and balancing postures.

6 Avoid Yoga After Meals

• Maintain at least 2–3 hours gap after food.
• Upayoga can be done sooner than yoga but still avoid full stomach sessions.

7 Contraindications for Certain Conditions

8 Never Force Inversions or Backbends

• Head stand, shoulder stand, deep backbends need supervision.
• Avoid if you have neck issues, glaucoma, or high BP.

9 Respect Individual Pace

• Progression is personal — no comparison.
• Beginners should focus on alignment and breathing, not achieving final pose shapes.

10 Do Not Mix Multiple Methods Too Quickly

• Combining too many styles (e.g., Ashtanga + Power + Hatha + gym) can overstress the body.
• Ensure the instructor understands your background.

11 End with Rest (Savasana or Upayoga Recovery)

• Helps integrate the practice.
• Prevents fatigue and overstimulation of the nervous system.

12 Practice Under Guidance

• Yoga therapy, pranayama, bandhas, and mudras need trained instructors.
• Upayoga can be self-practiced, but initial correction is useful.

13 Hydrate Before, Not During

• Sips are fine, but avoid drinking large quantities mid-session.

14 Avoid Yoga During Illness or Fever

• Gentle Upayoga may be fine, but deep postures should wait.
• The body needs rest, not effort.

15 Mental & Emotional Safety

• Some practices can surface emotions — this is normal.
• Stop if you feel overwhelmed; return when settled.
• Meditation, breathwork, or deep relaxation can be grounding.