YOGA IS FOR EVERY BODY 5 of the most common yoga myths eliminated to encourage you to experience the fabulous world of Sutra 1. I’m not flexible enough for yoga: If we had a pound for every time someone said ‘oh yoga isn’t for me, I can’t even touch my toes’ no shit sherlock. You probably spend most of the day sitting and when you hit the gym probably aren’t incorporating enough time to stretch? It’s like saying I won’t learn Italian because I can’t speak Italian. If you took some Italian classes, you might learn a bit of Italian, if you take some yoga classes you might gain a little bit more flexibility. If this sounds a lot like you then Yoga is exactly where you should be heading not only for the stretching, but our muscles get so weak from all the excessive sitting we do, and yoga is a great way to build the strength you need to move more effectively. 2. Yoga Is For “Spiritual” People: Yoga is not a religion. There are a lot of people that just do yoga for physical practice and that’s perfectly ok. Some people feel conflicted about the spiritual side of yoga or just haven’t tapped into that side of it yet and maybe they never will. The best thing about yoga is it meets you where you are and if for now you just want to feel strong in body and mind and spend an hour away from work then EMBRACE IT! The spiritual aspect is definitely available to those who want it but it’s not a must if that’s not what you’re looking for. 3. I find it hard to relax: Well, that’s no shock! You work a demanding job, maybe have a side hustle or two, you workout five days a week and maybe you’re a mum of two. Your brain is constantly in overdrive. The thing to remember is our brains are not designed to take in all the information they are expected to. This is why we see so many people experience burnout & exhaustion. GREAT NEWS – YOGA CAN HELP! The busier your mind is the more yoga you need. Yoga is a fantastic skill that will help you find ways to connect inwards, find stillness and relax. What’s great is that Yoga in terms of asana is a great gateway into finding a meditative practice without having to sit still. Yoga is a moving meditation that takes practice and due to it challenging you in body and in mind, you will soon see how quickly you become so immersed into the practice that before you know it you’ve spent nearly half the class in a complete meditative state. 4. Yoga isn’t really exercise: Now this is one I can relate to. It stopped me starting yoga sooner than I should have and I could not have been more wrong. There are 100s of types of yoga and if you are worried that yoga won’t give you ‘that post workout feel’ then worry no more. Yoga is one of the best workouts and my body has been in the best shape ever since I started yoga. It’s stronger and leaner than before PLUS the biggest bonus is because of its low impact you can achieve all this without all the injuries that come from smashing out a HIIT workout 5 times a week. 5. Everyone in class is going to be watching me and probably laugh at how stiff and uncoordinated I am: This IS the one we hear SO SO much! People feel really self-conscious coming to their first yoga class and I get it. Its new territory and you assume you will be surrounded by lots of yoga pros but that’s not the case. Students are taught to use gazing points when in poses such as looking at your middle finger when in warrior two which makes it pretty hard to worry about what other people are doing ESPECIALLY in those more difficult balance poses. In short most people in a yoga class are paying attention to what they are doing and trying not to fall over!!
written by Matthew Fritz
Matthew is the owner of Sutra Studios in Phoenix, Arizona and recognized as the Wellness Visionary within his field. He is an intuitive Guide, Life Coach, Speaker and Artist dedicated to assisting others in maximizing their strengths to obtain the confidence to achieve their goals. Visit: SutraStudios.com/