on yoga

Yesterday I had yet another person tell me that they can’t do yoga because they’re not flexible. In over 20 years of practicing and teaching yoga, this is by far the most common reason I hear for avoiding the mat.

If you don't practice yoga because you don’t like it, carry on, that’s an amazing reason to not do something; but not doing it because you’re not flexible is a bit like a novice weight lifter saying they can’t lift weights because they aren’t strong enough. Just as we know that it takes practice to build strength, it takes practice to build flexibility. But more importantly, it doesn’t matter. The emphasis on flexibility misses the point.

The point is to support a calm, present mind by focusing on posture, breath, and gaze. It’s moving meditation for those of us who say we can’t meditate (i.e.: most of us). When your attention is focused on holding a pose, breathing evenly, and directing your gaze it’s hard to think about that irritating thing that happened today or that thing happening tomorrow. And, if you do slip and find yourself thinking (again: most of us) there is a plan to pull your mind back to the moment: focus on your breath, your gaze, the pose.

So, instead of thinking about yoga as the practice of touching your toes, think about yoga as a practice of moving your body, regulating your breathing, and calming your mind. That’s it. As long as you’re doing that, you’re doing yoga.