Can I do Yoga?

People often tell me 'I'm not flexible enough to do yoga.' As if yoga were a performance and not a practice. People tend to think that the goal of yoga is to be able to touch their toes, put a foot behind their head, or balance their body on one finger. This is not the case. The practice of yoga is to improve well-being. Injuries occur in yoga when we compare ourselves to others and think that we should be the same as them instead of listening to what our own body needs. Bryan Kest, a prominent instructor in the yoga community, says "How can we compare ourselves to others when we are all so different? The comparison should only be with ourselves and our own progress, where we started from and where we are today. Tension free and toned is the goal. What is strong for you is going to be different for me."
With that said, we can all practice yoga. With presence and awareness we can use the space and time within a yoga class to have an internal conversation with our body. If we listen to what our body says, even if our body tells us that day to lay on our back for half the class, then progress is being made. Health is being restored just through being present. I recommend trying everything to see if it works for you, and being comfortable to modify for yourself within that experience.

What is Yoga?

The most basic definition of yoga is the word union. The practice of yoga is a personal search to create wholistic health. Yoga is a space to bring the mind, body and spirit into balance. There are many branches of yoga, and many styles within each branch. Physically, yoga can be aerobic, strength-building, and flexibility focused. The physical practice(asana) of yoga, although often the only focus in western culture, was originally created as a preparation for the practice of meditation. Stretching, warming, and strenghtening the body allows it to sit still and focus the mind for longer periods of time. Another practice heavily incorporated in yoga is breath control(pranayama). Breath control has been proven to alter physiological responses in the body and lessen or eliminate pain. A combination of these elements mixed with an intention of presence and awareness promote well-being at a physical, mental, and emotional level.