There's several cues to follow with any given pose, sometimes so many, there ends up being a whirlwind of instructions flying around in our minds. It can get distracting, and distraction can lead to silly, avoidable injuries. We just need to figure out which cues to focus on.
Personally, I'll typically choose three cues; I know that's my mental limit before my mind starts becoming overwhelmed. Which three I choose depends on what I feel I'm struggling with the most at the time. For example, if I feel like I've been off balance lately, I'll make the cue, "level your hips" a top priority.
Here's an incredibly helpful and descriptive infographic you should save for future reference:
[Click to enlarge]
Breathing into certain muscles to go deeper into a pose is a common cue yoga instructors give. What exactly does that mean, though? How does one breath into anywhere other than the lungs?
There's several cues to follow with any given pose, sometimes so many, there ends up being a whirlwind of instructions flying around in our minds. It can get distracting, and distraction can lead to silly, avoidable injuries. We just need to figure out which cues to focus on.
There's a reason they say patience is a virtue. In this day and age with instant messaging, overnight delivery, and even Netflix releasing full seasons at a time, we've basically been programmed to anticipate instant gratification in nearly any situation. And when we don't receive that instant gratification, we instantly become frustrated; ironic, isn't it?
