By building a symmetrical form, yoga postures permit the intensity of repetition required by athletic activity and help prevent injuries that often occur with training. Athletes can get into trouble while training by compensating for limitations in their range of motion by using momentum and rotation to complete a movement. In the long run, this strategy is counterproductive because the result is either injury or less than optimal performance. Yoga practice demands that one come face to face with one s present capabilities and learn how to work effectively with those conditions. Suppleness is not flexibility, but rather strong, fluid movement through the full range of the joint.
Yoga develops strength, suppleness, awareness and alignment.
It is not about stretching. Yoga can help you acknowledge your current capacity, accept it and work to improve it. A good introductory yoga class will provide instruction that enables you to practice the basic, classical poses and to observe your movement patterns with awareness. This process reveals unhealthy and inefficient habits and shows you how to correct them. As an athlete, the purpose is to move in the direction of the poses, not to do them perfectly.