Messed-Up Dog: Align your elbows properly!

What’s wrong with these Up Dog postures? All three yoginis above are doing one of yoga’s most recognizable postures in ways that will not only negate the benefits of the pose, but may in fact harm the practitioners.
    “Up Dog”, or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, is a backbend that can be modified for difficulty and incorporated into standing posture practice as well as flowing yoga styles. As such, Up Dog stretches and tones the spine and the front of the body. The chest muscles and upper torso are given the opportunity to open and elongate in ways we aren’t normally able to move in everyday life.
    The heart chakra is unblocked as it is liberated from the tightness of rounded shoulders. As the chest expands and lifts, even the thymus gland gets attention, being stimulated to work harder for the immune system as fresh, unrestricted breath moves through the upper torso.
    All of these movements become possible as the shoulder blades move backward and down. This isn’t a safe transition if the elbows aren’t properly aligned. Look at the models above. Their inner elbows are facing forward, most noticeably in the case of the middle model. You have to watch the rotation of your elbows when you come into a posture that is weight-bearing on the arms.
    Always remember to build every pose from the ground; your foundation is whatever is touching the mat. In the case of Up Dog, start with hands and wrists. Stack your bones up appropriately, always trying to find Mountain Pose. Your shoulders should be aligned evenly over your wrists, and weight should be evenly distributed in the heels and palms of your hands.
    If you have a lot of natural flexibility, you may notice your elbows hyperextending this way. When you turn the insides of your elbows toward your body rather than frontward, you’ll really feel different in postures such as Up Dog. You’ll begin to use your upper arms much differently as you take the stress off your elbows and allow your triceps to do the work!

Terrible Tree Pose: Don't Harsh Your Knees!

The woman pictured here is in one of the most recognizable yoga postures, Vrkasana or “Tree Pose.” While she has the right idea showing up for yoga in the first place, and she is still enhancing her balance and confidence, her foot placement is all off. 

    Tree pose is great for building balance, coordination, muscle strength, and bone density, but resting the raised foot on the stable leg’s knee is a very bad habit. Over a long period of time, doing tree this way will strain both of your knees, pretty much negating the benefits of the posture.

    Proper alignment calls for the lifted foot to be anywhere above or below the knee, and some practitioners prefer to actually cross the lifted foot across the stable leg. Although it would appear most of Vrkasana’s action is happening when the leg is lifted, the actual power of the pose is found in the stable hip. Tuck the tailbone and feel the lower abdominals engage. 

    As for the shoes, well, I’m not a fan. There are certain environments and times when wearing shoes for yoga is appropriate, but as a rule, I think it’s best to practice barefoot. Socks cause slipping, and possibly injury. Bare feet have the opportunity to pronate and flex naturally, stretching ligaments and tendons and allowing the foundation of the body to support and correct itself. Never hesitate to put one finger, a whole hand or your entire body against a wall if you want or need to. Yoga isn't about doing circus tricks or performance art.