Bringing your body into proper alignment helps you realize the benefits of yoga and avoid injury. Postures that move toward body alignment are often vitalizing, therapeutic and relaxing, while failing to master good posture could lead to an injured back, shoulders or soft tissue.

Unfortunately, there are certain misconceptions about yogic alignment that could end up doing you more harm than good. Here is a look at how you can reframe some of those misconceptions to suit you so you can make your yoga practice more effective, sensual and satisfying.

There is a perfect posture waiting to be mastered

This is a common myth that misleads yogis into thinking that they should strive to achieve set universal alignments so as to fully benefit from yoga. The truth is that architecture of your shoulder joint and the elbows will often determine the level of alignment you can achieve in various positions.

Perfect, mechanical alignment is an illusion, as the body is constructed in curves as opposed to straight lines. Despite deep chanting, visualization or breathing, your body will eventually have a limit to how aligned it can be. Everyone is different, and the best thing for yogis to realize is that everybody's body alignment is unique, so they should try to create an individual interpretation of each pose that works for them. Instead of seeing yoga poses as idealized linear shapes that you try to achieve, you should use them as tools to moving towards a deeper level of self-understanding and acceptance.

Most injuries that occur during yoga classes are not actually caused by poor alignment, but are as a result of yogis ignoring the signals their bodies are sending them about having reached stretching limits and what is safe or not safe for them.

Practicing yoga in proper alignment helps energy to flow freely throughout the body

There is a common misconception about how yoga actually helps you achieve balance and tranquility. Most believe that aligning your body through yoga positions removes all obstacles to let energy flow in your body, allowing for energy to flow through your torso to extremities.

However, the opposite is true. Yoga poses are actually a set of challenges that improve your capacity to remain balanced even when obstacles are present. Each pose obstructs your energy flow in an attempt to teach you to extend your awareness and activate your hands, feet, fingers and toes, even when you start to tire or your muscles are shaking a little. With continued practice, you will eventually be able to negotiate with more and more ease and mastery so as to achieve higher levels of relaxation and vitality.

To learn more about yoga, contact a company like Olson's Martial Arts Academy.