“I’d love to do yoga, but I’m not flexible!”

Saying you can’t practice yoga because you aren’t flexible is like saying you’re too thirsty to drink. Really, the only requirement for the physical practice of yoga is our body, mind, and ability to breathe. Yoga welcomes everyone regardless of age, body type, or fitness level.

Yoga can increase your flexibility as well as help build strength, increase body awareness, and tap into your mind-body-spirit connection. Yoga helps our body to continue to function as it should, with grace.

We’ve all heard the saying “use it or lose it.” Yoga will help us use it now so we can keep using it as we age.

Yoga & Flexibility

When it comes to flexibility and yoga, there are two things you need to know. First, you don’t need to be flexible to begin a yoga practice. Second, a regular yoga practice will help you cultivate flexibility. Increased flexibility will translate to a greater feeling of ease within your body—moving throughout your day will become more effortless.

Yoga & Strength

Yoga not only improves our flexibility, but it can build strength as well. It’s surprising how much strength is required to hold a pose such as Plank, which requires the whole body to be engaged to support itself. Standing postures, balancing poses, and arm balances are all options within yoga for building and maintaining strength. Yoga help us cultivate strength as we work to support our own body weight. Holding poses will help build muscle endurance. Repetitions that rely on eccentric contractions where the muscle must stretch and contract helps build long, lean muscle.

Yoga is for Everyone

The biggest thing I want to impart to anyone interested in trying yoga is this: yoga is for everyone. Yoga is for you. If you have a body and a mind, there is a form of yoga that is right for you. Try them all, and find what lights you up. Discover what feels good in your body.

If going to a class intimidates you or if practicing with a group of people doesn’t work for you, schedule a private session here.

The worst thing that happens is you try something new. The best thing that happens is you find a way to live more easily and effortlessly in your body. At the very least, establishing a regular yoga practice can be a part of your self-care regime, or it can be the start of a beautiful lifelong journey.

Join a Beginners Yoga class here. Every Wednesday at 7pm.