There is an all too common misconception that every yoga teacher or long-time yoga practitioner hears.The exact wording differs from person to person, but it usually sounds something like, “I’m not flexible enough to do yoga.”
The truth is, you don’t need to be flexible to do yoga. You don’t need to be fit. You don’t need to be young or look great in a pair of yoga pants. You don’t need to pay for an expensive membership to a yoga studio. You don’t need a bunch of fancy yoga equipment. You don’t even need a yoga mat.
Yoga can be done anywhere, at any time, by almost anybody. This is because the majority of yoga has nothing to do with the body. While the asanas (postures) are an integral part of yoga practice, it’s not necessary to have a perfect down dog, or even to be able to touch your toes.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a wonderful feeling to be able to achieve a pose that you were previously incapable of. However, that pose could simply be the ability to raise both arms over your head for some.
Yoga isn’t about being able to achieve impressive headstands. Yoga is about connecting your mind, body, and breath. It’s about establishing, reestablishing, and strengthening the neurological connections that help us navigate our lives in a meaningful way. That can be achieved simply by sitting and being present. It can even be accomplished from a hospital bed.
Yoga can be accessible to anyone. If your first experience with yoga doesn’t live up to that, please don’t give up on it. There are so many different kinds of yoga, and so many different kinds of yoga teachers!
Yoga is for every body. All shapes, sizes, ages, colors, and abilities. How can you have a yoga body? Have a body. Do yoga.