There is this huge misconception that yoga is just for people who are super flexible or Instagram models, but that’s ridiculous. It’s equivalent to needing to know how to hit a home run in order to play baseball. Or you need to be CEO material in order to get a job. That’s crazy! Sure, those things might make the task easier, but what is there to strive for, to practice, to discover? Honestly, how realistic is that?
Well, the same is true for yoga. You don’t need to be flexible to start practicing. Your flexibility will come from trying and showing up on the mat regularly.
Yoga is a journey. We call it yoga practice for a reason. It’s not called yoga finish line. You can’t win at yoga because there is always room to learn and to grow. Yoga is discovering what our bodies and minds can do, which is often so much more than we think we are capable of.
Bear with me for a second while I get a little hippie dippie. Yoga is the marriage of the mind, body, and soul. It is a way of tuning out the world and it’s noise so you can tune into your higher self and find peace. Yoga stretches and strengthens the mind, body, and soul to find space where you were once closed or stuck.
You see, it’s not only about the postures or the pretzely Instagram-worthy poses. I mean, yes, they are fun to do, but that’s not the point. The point is to try – to connect with who you are at your core, while you try some really cool poses. Are you going to succeed in your first attempt? Probably not. But that’s ok! In fact, it’s good. You should fall out of poses. You’re human, after all. We all screw up, confuse our left and right, and fail. But isn’t that how we learn? The most beautiful thing is when you’ve failed and fallen out of the pose a million times, then suddenly – voila! – it works.
Flexibility comes with time. Poses become more stable and accessible with practice. Don’t wait until you’ve mastered yoga to give it a try. That will literally never happen. The fun part of yoga is just trying while building community with fellow yogis as we cheer each other on, and maybe learn to laugh at ourselves when mistakes happen.
So come join me for a class. You don’t need to be able to stand on your head, touch your toes, or even cross your legs. Just wear comfy clothes, try something new, and have some fun.
Meet you on the mat, dear yogis!
Written by Savannah Cuomo, StrongGirl Revolution resident yogi.
