In this article I debunk the top five most common excuses for not practicing yoga and how to turn
them around in your mind to help get you off the fence and onto the mat.
1. ‘I am not flexible or bendy enough to do the poses’
This is the most common excuse I hear and is one that I have suffered from myself. In >>this
article<< [insert hyperlink] about flexibility, I show you how my forward fold is limited in motion due to my skeletal structure and how this used to cause me great embarrassment in class. When I learnt about anatomy at a deeper level, I understood that all hip joints are not created equally and I learnt to adapt my folding postures accordingly. I can help you make the same adjustments in class too; there are always adaptations that can be made to suit your body type, whatever the pose.
It is true that some people seem to be more ‘elastic’ than others but this is how yoga can help you.
Our organs, bones and muscles are all connected by a substance called fascia. Think of this like a
tensile but flexible plastic. If you sit all day with your legs crossed, always wear heels or do a lot of
cycling, your muscles will shorten and contract in certain areas and the fascia will keep that form in
place. Try a slower style of yoga to begin with such as Hatha or Yin where you can really concentrate on problematic muscle groups. With commitment to gentle stretching in your tight areas, you will soon loosen up and feel amazing. Explain what you think your problem is to the teacher and don’t push yourself too hard. Basically, if you think you’re inflexible, then the best thing to do is start flexing!
2. ‘I am not fit enough and/or feel too fat to come to a class’
If you’re not used to exercising, then yoga is the perfect way to help build strength and balance and improve your overall toning. A lot of poses help build core strength, which improves your posture and your ability to perform functional exercises. The most important thing is to not to leap into the deep end; start with a beginners class and built up to that sweaty Power Vinyasa showdown! Please don’t feel self conscious about joining a class; yoga is for all people regardless of their size and shape. In yoga we do a lot of work with the breath, which helps us connect to our own bodies. Quite often we have a disconnect between body and mind but reconnecting can help build confidence and self esteem. Once you light the fire within, your inner goddess will shine out!
3. I have an injury (or chronic condition)
Don’t feel that you can’t practice yoga with an injury; you just need to take special care not to
aggravate that area, keeping the rest of your body strong will help you heal. For example, someone with a wrist injury would need to avoid downward dog but can rest on their elbows in puppy pose. A runner with a torn hamstring ligament would need to avoid deep hip flexions such as pigeon or forward fold or perhaps all leg-focused poses all together but that should not stop them working on upper body strength before easing back in with bridge and warrior i and ii to help build back their strength. There is much literature on the healing power of yoga for chronic conditions. As mentioned above, yoga helps connect the body and the mind by uniting movement and breath. This awareness of your body can send healing energies to the places you need it most. The breathing or pranayama methods oxygenate and alkalise the blood, which promotes health and healing. As always, please do take the time to discuss your practice with your doctor and yoga teacher to find the best approach for you.
4. ‘Yoga is too slow and gentle for me’
Did you know that Ashtanga Yoga was designed to keep the Indian army fit when they were not at
war? Yoga is practiced even by elite athletes to help them maintain mental balance, posture and
overall flexibility to support their other sport. If you’re the sort of person that craves a ‘proper
workout’, then perhaps you have not tried the right type of class yet. Ashtanga is very strength
focused and follows a set sequence of postures. Vinyasa Flow has adapted this routine into a faster
format with no set sequence, variations of this include Power Yoga, Jivamukti or Prana Flow.
Similarly, Forrest Yoga is very much focused on core strength and generating heat in the body. If you like to sweat, then maybe Hot Yoga could be your thing; this follows a fixed sequence of 26 poses that will leave you dripping with perspiration and glowing radiantly. Once you are ready to up your yoga game, then join advanced versions of these classes for strong, strength-based workouts. When you’re ready to chill at the end of the week, then balance a Yang practice and lifestyle with a little Yin or Restorative Yoga to dial it down and unwind.
5. Yoga is too ‘woo woo’
Let’s not forget that the origins of yoga come from spiritual teachings found in the ancient Vedas of
India over 5000 years ago. The yoga that we know today has been modernised over the last few
hundred years and has been adapted to appeal to Western cultures. The original asanas were
created as a means to keep the body supple enough to sit for hours in meditation, with the ultimate
goal of reaching Samadhi or enlightenment. The physical asana practice is only one of the ‘eight
limbs’ of yoga as taught by Patanjali in the classical period. The other ‘limbs’ can be roughly
translated as internal and external restraints and observances, breath control, withdrawal of the
senses, concentration, meditation and Samadhi or pure connection with the universe.
Therefore, you may find teachers that are more classically aligned to the philosophical roots of yoga and incorporate more spiritual aspects, meditation and chanting in their classes. On the other hand many classes focus simply on asana and breath to be more generically appealing and exercise based.
Whatever your preference, there is certainly as class and a teacher for you!
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