Why? A question I am always curious to know from those who say yoga just isn't their thing. Here I will go through a few reasons I have heard several times over about why people think yoga is not their thing...
If you have one of these reasons...I say, give Yoga another shot, overcome your opportunities and see, feel and better understand all of the positive benefits that yoga can bring to your days ahead!
"I cant even touch my toes" (Then proceeds to show me right then that they cant touch their toes)
"It is too slow for me"
"Group Workouts are not my thing"
"I stretch daily at home, I don't need yoga"
Here are my Responses that I (Victoria) have held consistent over my years of teaching, practicing and enjoying yoga. I hope some of these points may also resonate with you..inspire you..and fuel your next goal to give yoga a second chance!
1) Yoga isn't about touching your toes, its about breathing through a stretch which relaxes your head down, brings awareness to the back of your legs, lower back shoulders and can add relief to digestive blocks . Touching your toes is not always the main goal in a forward fold, this pose offers many physical benefits if the knees are bent, the head is relaxed and you allow your body to just fold over your legs. Yes indeed this can be a measure of flexibility yet being flexible before starting a yoga practice is a big mis-conception. So if you cant fully complete a forward fold, no worries YOU are the perfect candidate for yoga and observing the progression of your forward bend stretches as you evolve your yoga practice.
2) Have you ever tried a "Core Power Yoga class" , "Hot Power Yoga Class" or an "Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Class" . Look for one of these style classes the next time you try yoga and want more of a workout. Make sure to bring a yoga towel, it may get sweaty :) I love Surfer towels, easy dry and fit perfect over a yoga mat!
3) Group Workouts, Yes they can be intimidating and sometimes heavily focused on a competitive atmosphere..If that is something your not ready for or in the mood for its okay! Yoga is not that.
Group yoga (an actual yoga class) is not the same as a boot camp class. In a yoga class, one of the main goals of many people is to be PRESENT in the moment; no judgment, soft spoken conversations, light music and an overall welcoming environment for all whom choose to take time for self-care. So I challenge you to try a gentle yoga class, grab a friend to try a class with you OR you can check out my YOGA YOUTUBE Channel for yoga classes you can enjoy right from the comfort of your home.
4) 'You stretch at home', AMAZING keep it up. Slow movement is better than no movement, habits and routines are key to living a stress-free life... YET, are you able to truly say that you stretch at home daily? The power of yoga is the focus not only on stretching, but also a moving meditation, an intention setting space, a place of peace and quiet within and truly being in the present moment for a set amount of time, or through a sequence of sun salutations etc. So to this I say... if you stretch at home daily...try adding a few minutes of simple mindfulness breathing, try setting an intention (Achievable /Measurable/Goal) for your day and be present in the moment. If you do not actually stretch at home everyday, hold plank pose on tv. commercials and meditate before bed every night as you say... then be honest with yourself and try something that truly can bring benefits to your mental and physical health.
You've got this. Give your body the gift of even just a few minutes of yoga, and let me know how it goes. I LOVE Success Stories!
