I have now heard essentially the same thing from so many people:
“I don’t have a yoga body.”
“My muscles are too stiff.”
“I would have to get in better shape first.”
These people are completely missing the point. It’s not their fault, as there’s no way they could ever know why until they try yoga.
Here’s the truth:
- Every single person would benefit today from starting, or continuing, a yoga practice.
- You don’t need to be in any certain level of shape to start yoga.
- Yoga isn’t an end destination to reach. It’s better seen as one important piece of your never-ending process to be physically and mentally strong.
Here’s an important key to help you safely start your yoga practice:
Go slow.
Don’t jump in with a goal of losing 10 pounds in a week or becoming a completely different person immediately. Go slow. Your body and mind don’t handle massive, quick change very well, which is why people who go that route usually end up crashing.
When you start yoga, just go slow and don’t push your body and mind into any areas they’re not ready for. For example, if you find a class or a video on Youtube but the poses are too difficult just go into child’s pose and breath deeply until you’re ready to continue the class.
Child’s pose
Making a class your own is almost always okay with yoga instructors. If you are trying a new class and you are unsure if this is the case, just ask the teacher before you start.
I once went to a yoga class and did child’s pose the entire time. It was a rigorous class that I thought I could do even though I was sick, but early on I realized I my body just didn’t have it. I spent about an hour in child’s pose, or laying on my back, breathing deeply and listening to the teacher and focusing on my health. It was boring, but when it was over I also realized it was exactly what my sick body needed.
When you understand that you can bend any practice to your own needs, and that you should always start slow and not push your limits until you become more experienced, it becomes easy and healthy to start right now!
Conclusion:
Pull up a video on Youtube, find a class in your area, or just lay down on the ground and take 3 deep breaths. These are all ways to implement yoga into your life and begin seeing the benefits immediately.
Have fun!
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STOPThat's great! I think what's so important is to take it slow and stay consistent. Even a few minutes of day of stretching, over weeks and months, will help you so much, and eventually you'll know when you're ready to do more. Good luck!