5 yoga myths that are holding back your practice
Ok, you have been hearing now many times that ‘yoga is good for you’ and you are on the verge of trying it…but still haven’t. That is probably because you are maybe still believing in some myths that exists around yoga.
Well we are here to debunk them, and maybe give you that last little push to get you on the mat, believe us, it WILL change your live!
So let’s start with the most heard one: ‘I’m not flexible’. Well, let me break it to you, you don’t need to be flexible to do yoga. The opposite is true, yoga will make you more flexible! That is, if you have consistent practice. Of course, we all have our body limitations, and some yogi have tight hips, or tight shoulders, but by practicing yoga, you will slowly start to feel more open in those places and become a little more flexible. Remember blocks and belts are there to help you go into postures, especially when you are not flexible. And lastly, every pose has modifications to make them available to people that are less flexible. Even me, I can’t reach a proper pigeon pose without two blocks under my hips, and I have been practicing for 10 years!
The next one that you are thinking of might be that you have to be ‘thin’ to practice yoga. That is absolutely not true at all, all bodies are welcome in the yoga class, again, if some postures are uncomfortable (hello belly, hello boobie), they are part or your body, so they are beautiful. Don’t hesitate to accommodate the posture to your body, take that belly in your hands and move it over to the side if it can help you go into your posture. If not, just get into the posture the most comfortably you can. Remember, an asana (yoga posture) needs to feel steady and comfortable. It is not your body that needs to adapt to the asana, but the asana to the body!
Of course you could also think that only women join the classes. Thankfully, the last years, more and more men are joining yoga classes. Understandably, because by nature, men are more tight, because they are usually stronger. (The muscle mass can be in the way of different bendings). The yoga postures really help to balance this out. Furthermore, in the ancient yoga texts, most of the content has actually been written out for men and adapted to their bodies. So the images you encounter in those books are mostly men.
You might think that yoga is a religion? Or that you have to be spiritual to practice yoga? Yoga is NOT a religion, it’s a group of practices, it’s a way of life, a philosophy where the ultimate goal is to control the mind. You can find the information in ancient books and scriptures that contains knowledge about different practices and how to practice them. One of those practices is the yoga postures called asanas. If you want to practice yoga because you want to work on your strength, your flexibility, your mental health, that is enough. If you want to dive deeper, and get to know the other practices like pranayama (breathwork), mudras (gestures), bandhas (locks), dhyana (meditation) or the yoga philosophy than you are more the welcome to explore. Many books are available, or find a teacher that you trust with whom to dive deeper.
And lastly, you might believe that you have to join a studio to practice yoga? Absolutely not, there are many videos available for what is called ‘home practice’. If you go online, you will definitely find what you are looking for, home practice videos range from 5 min (if you want to do a quick stretch) till 1 hour (if you have time to do a full class). It is super comfortable to practice from home, because you can wear your pyjamas, use your own bathroom or take breaks when you need. + have I mentioned it’s also cheaper? (You can check The Salty Yogis channel) Of course, there are also advantages to go to a studio as you have an experienced teacher who adapts the class to his/her students, helps with alignment to get you in the posture, and brings her energy to the class. Meanwhile it also gives you a chance to connect with your local yoga community. I tend to be more immersed and relaxed when I leave an in-person class then when I do my home practice.
I hope I gave you some insightful arguments on why those myths should not exist, and convince you to hop on your mat! Hope to see you there.
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