Ideally, practice on an empty stomach: try not to eat 2-3 hours before practice.

Practice in a well-ventilated room that is neither too hot nor too cold.• Always do a few warm-up movements, combined with deep breathing, before doing the hatha yoga poses.

If time is short, remember that it is better to do a few postures slowly--and deeply-- than to do many of them hastily.

Never strain or struggle to get into a pose. Move into and out of the postures gently, smoothly, and with awareness. Do not push through tightness; it's much more effective--and much safer--to relax it away with awareness and with the breath, thus facilitating a deeper opening.

Use common sense: Honor contraindications suggested for the poses and breathing exercises, even if you "feel up to it." ("Contraindication" comes from "contra," which means against, and "indication." It refers to a condition, usually physical, that indicates one should not do a particular asana or pranayama).

Never compete: Don't expose yourself to injury by competing with others--or with yourself. Pride of body or of superior flexibility have no place in yoga. Progress in yoga is not absolute, but directional--it's a matter of taking your own next steps.

To the best of your ability, breathe diaphragmatically while holding an asana, unless the asana calls for a different, specific type of breathing.

In all poses, avoid swayback (over-arching the lower back) by tucking the tailbone when necessary to lengthen the lower spine. In some cases, contracting the lower abdomen seems a more natural movement and will accomplish much the same thing.

Remember that your neck is part of your spine. Keep it in line with the rest of the spine to avoid compressing the cervical vertebrae or discs.

Avoid twisting your knees; they're hinge joints, made to fold with little or no rotation.

Avoid tensing the shoulders; keep the back of the neck extended and the shoulder blades released down the back.