“I’m not flexible enough to do Yoga”

This is a comment I hear a lot and it makes me sad that people dismiss the opportunity to try Yoga because they think flexibility is a requirement! 

I am here to tell you it is not! Yippee, I hear you say.  

Yoga was originally recognised in forms of meditation and it may be unknown to many people that the physical movements/postures, poses, also known as ‘Asana’ is only one element to Yoga.  

So, I’m here to tell you to be kind to yourself the next time you take a Yoga class, it’s certainly not about reaching any sort of pose or being able to stand on your head and look flawless in the process.  

It is so much more than that.

Yoga can be whatever you want it to be. It may be taking those 10-60 minutes for yourself, honouring your body, recognising the connection to your breath, moving into those stretches that feel good for your body and building functional strength that allows you to move with greater range of movement.

Throughout my career in the fitness industry that I’ve spent the last 10 years involved in, my viewpoint has shifted enormously as to how I feel towards exercise. Through my own practice and study in Yoga, including travel to different countries and meeting wonderfully inspirational Yoga instructors, I’ve learnt how much more Yoga can offer to my life other than just movements.  

Some days I don’t do any Yoga asana and I prefer to study Yoga or simply sit or lay down for 5-10 minutes and I work on breathing, also known as ‘pranayama’.

So really the only thing that needs to be flexible is your mindset, stop telling yourself you need to be flexible physically, and start where you are.

You may see pictures on the internet or even pictures of me on my Instagram, and be put off that classes may be too hard for you. They absolutely aren’t. Yoga can be for everyone, whatever your circumstances there can be something for you.

I pride myself with having an in-depth knowledge of how the body moves; including qualifications and a wealth of experience working with people who have injuries or a disability. I believe all exercise can be tailored in some way to suit you as an individual.

I love to keep in touch with the people I teach and value input towards the classes I put forward.

If you’re still on the fence about starting any yoga class and have questions, I’d be more than happy to help you with no obligation to join my classes.

Enjoy whatever Yoga you may do today even if it’s sitting down and breathing for five minutes, take that time for yourself.