I’m Not Flexible! I’m not flexible! …Sound familiar? It does to me…This is the number one reason I hear from prospective yoga students on why they think they can’t participate in yoga. If they only knew… Most people aren’t that flexible! That’s a relief to hear for those who are not accustomed to twisting into a pretzel. Gymnasts, athletes, ballerinas –yes, but everyday regular people tend to be a bit on the tight side! In addition to feeling they are the ONLY ones in the class who cannot touch their toes, there is a great sense of trepidation on how to begin or how to outdo the person next to them. I have encountered these types at different venues. I call them Type A, Type AA, Type AAA, and of course the coveted position of quadruple A! While you may think the “A” designation is referring to a personality, it usually goes hand in hand with the tightness level, unless the person has practiced at some form of stress reduction. Not all tight people are “A” personalities, of course, but they like to lead the pack! “B’s are quick to follow. Never Fear! Many new students feel all eyes are on them and their lack of stretching ability. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Most people in class are so absorbed into what they are accomplishing for their own selves, they are not looking around to make assessments of others. This is a comforting thought to new students who feel they might not measure up. It is always stressed that yoga is NOT a competition, but an exploration of the processes of the mind, body and spirit. Let’s Sit In A Chair! Our society does a lot of sitting…at a desk, on the couch (i.e. couch potatoes), at meals, sporting events and my all time favorite- driving in cars. Have you ever noticed all of the cars have the seats in a “C” formation- just perfect for slouching for long periods of time. Let’s tighten up the front body and collapse the low back. Throw in the hamstrings while we’re at it. I want bench seats in my car! We Are Different  In many other countries, there are not so many chairs. People bend at the knees- deeply- and sit in a squatting position, balancing on their feet. They eat their meals like this. This creates a natural stretch each time they “sit”. We, on the other hand, want that chair. This is a huge cause of being tight in the low back, hips, and hammies, not to mention the front body (more about that in a later episode).Forget About It Those who say ‘I’m not flexible” are actually normal! Knowing this, each and every person who feels this way should now realize they are not alone. The likelihood that you will encounter many “non flexible” students is high. With regular practice comes flexibility. There is no other path but to practice. Not forcing a pose, but realizing, even though you may not be as far into the pose as someone else, YOU are still benefitting from that pose. Whether you feel the stretch with so called minimal extension, or you feel the stretch with grandiose extension- you are feeling the stretch and getting the benefit of the pose for yourself. That’s what yoga is about, your own path, including your own flexibility, it’s limitations and it’s possibilities. Forget about your perceived lack of flexibility, join in, put your fears of keeping up aside. You will find your Happy Place with your own practice, embracing your own flexibility, and allowing your own practice to evolve. Namaste!- Laurie Write your post here. |
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