While holding up your own body weight in yoga is one reason it's so effective at toning your entire body, you won't get sexy yoga anything if your wrists are hurting too much to hold certain poses for even half a breath. Soreness is common because this joint is weak, and rightfully so — it's not like we're used to walking on our hands all day long! If wrist discomfort keeps you from enjoying your yoga practice, here are some ways to alleviate the pain in common poses.
Use the foam wedge mentioned above, or keep the top of your head resting on the floor. Another great wrist-pain remedy is to do your backbend by holding onto someone's ankles. Have a friend stand by your head facing you. Place your palms on the front of their ankles with your fingers pointing down. When you lift up into backbend, you're pressing away instead of down, which is much easier on the wrists.
