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.
Vinyasa means movement. Unlike a Yoga posture this is more of a sequence of moving poses.
 

Yoga Postures Site Map

Boat Yoga Pose
Side Sphinx Yoga postures
Tre Sole Yoga Postures
Upward Bow Yoga Poses
Downward Facing Dog Yoga Poses
Triangle Yoga Postures
Spinal Balance Yoga Postures
Plank Yoga Postures
Warrior One Yoga Postures
Warrior Four Yoga Postures
Flying Monkey Yoga Postures Vinyasa
Chandrasana Yoga Postures
Utkatasana Yoga Postures
Locust Yoga Postures
Warrior Three Yoga Postures

Try some of our online audio Yoga dowload classes we have Yoga Video dowloads as well  

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.