I want to highlight the number one thing that I hear from people when they hear the word yoga. This is usually said by people who don’t do yoga a lot or don’t do it at all…they say “I’m not flexible enough to do yoga.” I completely understand and despite this thought, you don’t need to be flexible to do yoga. Practicing yoga may seem intimidating, especially if you have seen others in magazines or on TV doing extremely challenging poses. Some that I have seen are balancing poses (standing, hand, and headstands). It probably seems like playing a sport for the first time and thinking you must immediately and successfully score or make a goal.
I encourage you to let that fear go…let it go! Reasons to put fear aside:
1. the expectation is not for everyone to do extreme poses
2. every person has their own mat, it’s their own practice
3. as a yoga instructor, I’m here to guide you through poses
4. listen to and honor your body during the class
You might try a pose and lose your balance or feel awkward. This happens in life, too. I encourage you to smile or laugh it off and try again. It’s not that serious. Humor is known to get you through tough times and help relax you. Being relaxed is a plus since it also relaxes your body to ease into poses.
You can take yourself as deep in a pose or not so deep, it is up to you. Either way, to be or not be flexible enough to do yoga will be unknown unless you try yoga. Try it at least a few times. This way you will have more of a chance to notice benefits, know your body, and realize how to work your way through poses. You might surprise yourself and what you are capable of doing. Also, part of flexibility and yoga is being open to trying something new or retrying poses.
Also, during yoga, there are different steps taken to ease into poses. These steps include:
1. warm-up poses
2. prep poses to lead up to the most challenging pose for the end part of a class (it is not a must to do the challenging pose)
3. prep poses also help build strength to do challenging poses in the future (in a week, month, or year)
4. options to modify poses
I relate to the “I’m not flexible enough.” comment with my heels not touching the ground in downdog and not being able to comfortably cross my legs in a seated position. I have tight hip, glute, hamstring, and leg muscles. And, yes, I’m more flexible now after knowing more about yoga. Understanding the warm-up, prep, modified, and general poses that help the most with flexibility is key.
Also, remember it takes time to become flexible. Praise yourself for what you can do. Your body and abilities can be different from the next person and the teacher. Only compare your ability and flexibility to what you can or have done. Do this without judgment and know that it is not a competition. To become comfortable in the poses takes time and practice, too. One yoga practice might be different from your next practice. So hang in there! Know that you are not alone and ask your yoga teacher for pointers.
To get more information about yoga you can add yourself to our email list. I look forward to hearing about you and your yoga journey. You can also check out our videos on YouTube and Facebook.
Angela Franklin is a passionate yoga instructor, who wants to empower women to be their own advocate to improve their holistic health. She also has a background in the medical, mental health, and fitness professions. To get more information about yoga, wellness, and courses visit: https://freedomyogawithangelafranklin.com/