5 excuses you should stop to practice yoga
- themovingashram
- Mar 24, 2017
- 3 min read
1. “HELP, I am not flexible enough for yoga”
One of the many excuses why people do not practice yoga is flexibility. Most often than not, people associate the practice with flexibility which is pretty natural since some asanas or yoga poses require one to bend.
Being flexible is definitely an asset but it will not bring you anywhere if you don't integrate poses with breathing and concentration. I admit that my flexibility helped my practice but flexible or not, yoga should not be limited to a person's physiology.
Yoga is a journey. It will help you to get to know yourself better and the things you thought you cannot do.
2. “I don’t have the time to practice yoga”
I am guilty of using this excuse for over a year before actually practicing yoga and believe me time wasn’t the issue at all but my mindset. Each day consists of 24 hours and ideally if we break it down we will have 8 hours of sleep, 8 hours for work (for those employed), 2 hours of busting the traffic and 6 hours to accomplish other stuff like taking a shower, clean up, slack off, etc. Practicing yoga only accounts for not more than 90 minutes of our time. My practice often last for about 15 minutes the least (for Surya Namaskar A & B or some sun salutations) and the longest practice was more than 12 hours when I attended the Global Mala.
3. “Yoga is boring”
I know a lot of people who would rather try a dynamic exercise than practice yoga. While I don’t mind people being active in any type of workout or sport, yoga shouldn’t be compared since yoga isn’t generally considered as an exercise to begin with.
If you find yoga boring then diversify your practice. Power yoga, Aerial yoga and Acroyoga (acrobatics) are some challenging styles of yoga that will definitely give a thrilling experience. Once you are satisfied, relax and opt for a Yin or Hatha practice. Yoga is much bigger than you would have ever imagined, just don’t go for beer yoga.
4. “I am fat.”
Believe me, being fat is not a hindrance to practicing yoga. I fell in love with the practice when I was about 30 pounds heavier. Even pregnant women practice yoga. Overweight or underweight, healthy or unhealthy, weak or strong, name it. Everyone is welcomed to practice yoga.
While it is undeniably true that most yoga practitioners are fit, do not be discouraged because yoga is a practice to reunite with the ‘self’ – it is you and you alone (you and your mat). I have teachers who are fat while some who look frail but yoga sees no judgment in the physical being. We are not perfect after all.
5. “Yoga is only for women”
Most of my guy friends don’t practice yoga just because they think yoga is a practice just for women especially when they see pink mats and leggings sold in yoga specialty stores; while some of them practice yoga just because of the same reason – to check out women.
Little did they know that some of the influential yoga practitioners are men. Yes, men practice yoga, too! Pattabhi Jois (Ashtanga), Bikram Choudhury (Bikram), Paulie Zink (Yin), David Life (together with Sharon founded Jivamukti) and Yogi Bhajan (Kundalini) are some of the mle founders of diverse yoga practices today.
Yoga does not discriminate. It's for everyone!
Now tell me what are your excuses?
Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback!
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