Do you have to be flexible to do yoga?
Instagram has a lot to answer for – those bendy stretchy folk striking impressive poses in stunning locations, giving the impression that to ‘do yoga’ you have to be able to contort your body into a range of positions.
This begs the question – what actually is yoga – and do you have to be flexible to ‘do yoga’.
What is yoga?
Yoga is literally the union of mind and body – with focus and breath as the keys to assist that aim.
Can’t touch your toes? – it doesn’t matter. It’s the intention – and what you learn in the process that counts.
The fitness-based yoga and fancy poses that you see in those social media posts may be impressive to look at – but if yoga were about the ability to stretch and contort the body then the most spiritually advance would be circus performers and gymnasts.
What yoga isn’t
Yoga is not a workout or a tool for self-improvement. Nor is it a way to relax before jumping back into the busyness of everyday life.
It’s not something you do once a week or whenever you can make the class. It’s not an occasional downward dog or handstand. It’s something bigger and deeper than that.
what yoga is
Yoga becomes a practice that saturates your whole life. A practice in letting go, loving deeply and living fully.
An adventure towards a more peaceful, joyful way of living.
A journey towards freedom and becoming more fully who we are. Stripping away the ‘stuff’ me surround ourselves with and learning to live with what is inside. A deeply personal and profound space.
Yoga is journey, not a destination: a journey that transcends the physical body and stills the mind.
Yoga is paying attention – to the body, the breath, the emotions and our perception of our place in this world. A journey towards that state of connectedness with a greater consciousness, if you will.
Do you have to be flexible to do yoga?
Not flexible in the sense of being able to touch your toes – but flexible, perhaps in the way you think – open to the idea that life is a journey, and the best way of passing that journey is to be fully present. Yoga is a tool to help you make the most of that journey.