When your yoga teacher gives you verbal instructions about the position of your hips or comes over and coaxes you to deepen the bend of your knee to warrior 1, he or she is working with you on your alignment. The idea that there is an ideal way to do each yoga position can seem like a contradiction, since those very same teachers are the ones encouraging you to listen to your body and not judge yourself. Stop listening to the teacher OK, you should listen to the teacher most of the time, but don't forget who's really in charge here: you. If your teacher instructs a pose with which you don't feel comfortable, if it causes you pain or aggravates an injury, don't do it. No one is inside your body but you, so you are the one calling the shots. Practicing good alignment and listening to your body are both ways to minimize the chance of hurting yourself in a yoga class.