Mar 21, 2025 | Mind Your Health Show

The Importance of Proper Muscle Activation in Yoga: Why Mindless Yoga Can Harm You

by Connie Cheung

Most people assume yoga is safe, gentle, and healing—but did you know that practicing without proper activation, alignment, and breath control can actually cause harm? In this video, we dive deep into why mindless movement leads to injury and how Functional Yoga Medicine ensures that yoga becomes a therapeutic, strengthening, and restorative practice rather than one that reinforces poor movement patterns.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

✅ Why yoga isn’t inherently safe—it’s how you do it that matters

✅ The difference between muscle activation vs. muscle tension

✅ Why many students over-effort and actually lose the benefits of yoga

✅ How our modern lifestyle disconnects us from our bodies and affects posture

✅ The key role of breath, core activation, and elongation in a safe yoga practice

✅ How heavy lifters often have better movement mechanics than many yoga students

✅ The danger of pushing through poses without awareness

This video is a must-watch for yoga practitioners, teachers, and anyone looking to deepen their understanding of functional movement and injury prevention in yoga.

🔹 Subscribe for more insights on Functional Yoga Medicine!

🔹 Like & Share if this resonates with you!

🔹 Drop a comment below—have you ever felt like yoga wasn’t working for you?

Sign up for our FREE TRAINING! 👉 Click Here for the Free Training!

Learn more about our FYM Online Membership 👉 Click Here to Learn More!

#YogaSafety #YogaInjuryPrevention #FunctionalYogaMedicine #ProperAlignment #MuscleActivation #CoreEngagement #Breathwork #YogaPosture #MindfulMovement #YogaForHealing #FunctionalMovement #YogaTips #PostureCorrection #StrengthThroughYoga

🌟 Wrist & Shoulder Stability Drills for a Stronger Yoga Practice: https://youtu.be/NHIRJC69-Mc

🌟 Quick Exercises to Address Your Needs: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6sFubvxvSIB16fFzff8yH4WHHdv0FI3i

Be sure to subscribe to our podcast and YouTube channel so you never miss an episode of the Mind Your Health Show! We release new episodes every week.

Click here to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mind-your-health-podcast-with-dr-connie-cheung/id1297924924

Click here to subscribe to our podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/35dvMqbXWTpzhNYTf7C4hs

And if you liked this message, please leave us a review on iTunes!.

Be sure to follow Dr. Connie on Instagram and TikTok!

https://www.instagram.com/drconniecheung/

Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce Wraps

I love PF Chang or Cheesecake Factory lettuce wraps. This easy to make dish pulls together all the macronutrients,...

Fried Rice

Fried Rice

I love making fried rice with leftover rice or cauliflower rice and vegetables. It's a great way to incorporate leftover...

Veggie Pancake

Veggie Pancake

This is one of my favorites because it’s so good, but also allows me to use all the leftover vegetables in the fridge. I...