Even though it’s been around for centuries, yoga is still one of the biggest workout trends and has thousands of Lululemon-clad devotees hitting the mat every day. Once you start going to class a few times a week, you get into a rhythm, enjoying the consistent class structure and the workout you’re supposedly getting out of it without going anywhere near a treadmill or free weights. Just breathe, and you’ll be toned, lean, and zen, right?
Not so fast. There are a lot of little ways that you may be making your yoga classes less effective. Every yogi can make some tweaks to improve her practice, whether you’re a downward dog newbie or doing headstands on the regular. We asked Sara Ivanhoe, a yoga instructor and trainer to many celebrities and yoga spokesperson for Weight Watchers, to share the top five yoga mistakes she sees, along with quick fixes so your next mat session is better than ever.