Basically if you experience sharp pains when you are doing this or any pose ease up a little. The "no pain no gain" mentality does not apply to Yoga.

When we stretch it is important to understand that our main focus of stretch is not on ligament or tendon. The stretch focus is on muscle and fascia. Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds muscles and allows them to move freely over each other. Muscle and fascia can stretch up to 150 percent of it's volume. Tendon only stretches about 4 percent of it's volume.

Tendon attaches muscle to bone, and the degree of stretch should be litmited there as well.

Ligament is a bone to bone attachment and should not be stretched extensively. Like the wooden bar in a ballet class, that dancers stretch over. Would one try to make that stabilizer bar extremely flexible? Of course not it would not be able to support the weight of a dancer stretching on it. The bar should be a little fexible but not too much.

There is strength in yielding as the Taoists would say. We know this all too well here in California, the earthquake capital of the world.

One of the key ways to know if you are stretching the wrong area is that your body will give a trigger pain. Typically a sharp electrical feeling.

Here is Boat "Navasana"

Top to Bottom
Boat pose
One Leg Boat Pose
Lower Boat

If you have lower back pain do not do this pose. You may try it with your arms supporting your legs by placing your hands under your knees.

For the stomach series. Tree Soles are done in rapid succession. Like our online audio Yoga classes say. You lay on your back and do them similar to sit up. 1 then 2 then 3 from top to bottom at right.

Lay on your right shoulder and extend your right arm under and to your left. Then raise your left leg up and out to your left side. Pull the floor towards you with your left arm. It stretches your right upper back Rombhoid and Trapezius area. Careful of your neck though. If you have neck pain do not attempt this pose.

While in Down dog it may get confusing so imagine a clock under your right hand. For correct rotation spin your right elbow clock wise and your left  of course counter clock wise. Pictures at right show correct rotation. If not the lesser tubercle can collide with the Coracoid process and cause potential damage and or irritation to the acromioclavicular  (shoulder) joint. Note, it is not as critical when the arms are below the shoulder pointing down. It is taught to keep the external rotation to create a healthy and safe pattern of movement.

This pose is as it looks we start in plank and put one hand and opposite knee on the ground. then raise the opposite arm and knee. So it is the left leg and the right arm off the ground and hold them up. Then switch sides after about thirty seconds.

This pose is a strong pose for the upper body. What we do differently is that we slightly bend the elbows and pull the floor towards the feet. That makes us use muscle more than just holding the pose.

This pose is a moving pose where you jump one leg forward between the hands while in a push up posisition and then switch sides in rapid succession.