Yoga has become a very popular form of stretch and exercise as well as a form of relaxation,,,however there are certain suggestions that some people may not think of.
The following may be food for thought:

1.  Yoga is not a competition.   It does not fall into the category of sports competitiveness. Too many practitioners and instructors sometimes forget that the purpose of Yoga is to get in touch with your own body and have awareness from within.  There is no competition and comparing to others.  Everyone is at their own pace and so practitioners should not feel discouraged if they are not immediately Rodney Yee.  Practitioners are often seen forcing the poses and stressing and straining along with hard line coaching from instructors.  This not only puts the practitioner at risk for injury but also defeats the purpose for  mind/body relaxation.

2. Medical problems should be listed and discussed with your instructor and doctor.  Depending on past injuries or other issues such as ostereoarthritis, high blood pressure, pregnancy and other illnesses, certain poses are appropriate for some and not for others.  Easy does it is the key for the practice of Yoga.  A well skilled instructor will recommend the right poses for you.

3.  Different types of Yoga are not appropriate for all.  Some Yoga methods actively heat up the body.  Others are more fast moving while are other methods are slower and more gentle.  One needs to carefully sample each and depending on your medical condition proceed with healthy caution.  Heated yoga for example can complicate heart disease and headaches and stroke or can cause more mental agitation if one is already prone to anger. 

4.  Yoga postures cannot be practiced in isolation. One cannot simply practice Yoga postures and then proceed with a lifestyle that does not integrate the peace and relaxation Yoga brings. Yoga is an entire way of living and being and recommendations in diet, spiritual practice and healthy ways of living and thinking must be practiced along side the postures that one is attempting to master.

5.  Too many focus on the exercise portion of Yoga and not on the practice of actual enlightenment.  Surveys from Yoga journals have shown that many are not aware or not interested in the idea that Yoga is a very ancient system that actually brings about ultimate enlightenment: a state of continuous wisdom, joy, peace and all higher qualiities.  Without studying the ideas of enlightenment and what that means is to take the sugar out of the cake.  The purpose of Yoga is to go deeper into our core Self:  The word Yoga means "to Yoke":  that is an ultimate realization that our small self is linked to grand conscious intelligence.  Practicing and appreciating this aspect brings about a deeper experience that will benefit one's life as a whole---the purpose of real health.