' I would love to do
yoga but im just not flexible enough' if i had even $1 for everytime i heard
this, infact, for all the times we have all heard this or maybe repeated this to ourselves. Its safe to say we
would be multi billionaires right now. We really do have a deep obsession with
believing that we need a flexible body to practice yoga, don't we?
Its not surprising, of course, since the west
embraced yoga and the craze began of making it into this elite bending competition, perhaps it is or was the only conclusion we
were ever going to come to.
Although, really, this
statement of being ' not flexible enough' makes as much sense as saying that you aren't 'fit' enough to
go to the gym. Yoga does indeed have this element of stretching and making shapes in it,
in the asana practice ( physical practice) but wouldn't it be a shame if this huge subject made up of living compassionately, kindly and lovingly to ourselves, to others, reminding us or teaching us to live freely whilst letting go of fear. Wouldn't it be as shame if this was defined or denied to us just by whether we could or couldn't get our legs over our heads?
Whilst the 'making shapes aspect' gets the most attention outside of class, 99% of regular practitioners i speak to or students never give feedback on the physicality aspect of yoga ( although im sure like most of us, that is the initial reason we may begin yoga) and almost always explain instead how it makes them feel. The amazing feeling to just breathe in peace, to have there mind come to stillness for that hour in there week, that instead of someone barking at them to hurry up, be quicker, push harder they are invited to just be, to slow down and listen to whatever it is there body has to say ( and yes if that is 65 visits to childs pose, a rest posture during class, fabulous) aren't we missing out on all the beauty that exists if we purely focus on the shapes the body makes, or in this case, the shapes we think our bodies 'cant' make?
Whilst the 'making shapes aspect' gets the most attention outside of class, 99% of regular practitioners i speak to or students never give feedback on the physicality aspect of yoga ( although im sure like most of us, that is the initial reason we may begin yoga) and almost always explain instead how it makes them feel. The amazing feeling to just breathe in peace, to have there mind come to stillness for that hour in there week, that instead of someone barking at them to hurry up, be quicker, push harder they are invited to just be, to slow down and listen to whatever it is there body has to say ( and yes if that is 65 visits to childs pose, a rest posture during class, fabulous) aren't we missing out on all the beauty that exists if we purely focus on the shapes the body makes, or in this case, the shapes we think our bodies 'cant' make?
For me,Yoga is so much more
then stretching. It is dropping the awareness from my insanely active
mind and reuniting it with the body. Its having time to just breathe and listen
to what it is my heart, my soul and deepest thoughts have to say instead of
drowning them out with comparisons and noise, reminding me, all of us, that we are abundant
and perfect exactly as we are ( beyond make up, clothes and Instagram filters)
It is Union (yoga) of
anything and everything, breath with body, mind with spirit, 'individual' with community the list is
endless,
A flexible body isn't
the requirement for a yoga practice more that of a flexible mind.
As a statement
graffitied on a wall in Asia once read to me, 'The mind is a gift we often
forget to open'
So please, don't let your creaky
hips or tight shoulders stand in the way of you and this beautiful practice,
find a teacher that speaks to you, that resonates ( i believe there is one out
there for everyone) let go of your expectations, your fears and allow your body
mind and spirit be opened upto this ancient and abundant practice.
.
