Start where you are, there is no perfect starting point

yogaatstudio9
5 days ago
3 min read

I did not come to yoga because I was already flexible, incredibly calm or naturally good at balancing on one leg.

I came to it later in life, and like most people, I had to start somewhere.

That is one of the things I like most about yoga. There is no perfect starting point and no requirement to already be able to touch your toes, fold yourself in half or understand what every Sanskrit word means.

You just start with the body you have.

People sometimes tell me they would love to try yoga, but they are not flexible enough. I always find that a strange one, because flexibility is something you can work on. You would not say you cannot start running because you are not already fit enough to run a marathon.

Yoga is much the same.

You might come into a forward fold and find that your hands are nowhere near the floor. That is fine. Bend your knees, use a block, stay higher. You are still doing yoga.

Your practice does not need to look like anyone else's

Someone beside you might be folded in half looking perfectly comfortable while you are wondering if their hamstrings are made from something completely different to yours.

Probably.

Everyone's body is different, and that is why I do not think yoga should ever be about trying to make everybody look the same.

Some people have naturally open hips. Some are stronger. Some have better balance. Some of us have days where standing still feels like enough of a challenge.

The important thing is what is happening in your own practice.

Progress is often quieter than you think

When you keep turning up, things begin to change. Sometimes you notice the bigger things, like finally managing a balance you have been working on or feeling stronger in a posture.

More often, the changes are quieter.

You breathe a little easier. You stop fighting the pose. You realise you do not need to push quite so hard. You become more comfortable with where you are.

And eventually you might even stop getting annoyed when you wobble.

Maybe.

That is another thing yoga teaches you. Your body is not going to feel the same every day.

One week something feels easy and the next week it feels as though you have never done it before in your life. Sleep, stress, tiredness and everything else going on can all affect how you move.

So there is not much point comparing today's practice with last week's either.

You just work with what turns up.

Use what helps

That might mean taking the stronger variation of a posture. It might mean using a block. It might mean doing less.

None of those options are better than the others.

The props are there to help, not as some kind of punishment for people who cannot reach the floor. I would much rather see someone use a block and breathe comfortably than struggle their way into a shape because they think that is what they are supposed to be doing.

For me, that is where the real practice is.

Challenge yourself without taking it too seriously

Yes, it is great to work towards more challenging postures. I enjoy that side of yoga too. There is something satisfying about working on something for weeks or months and suddenly finding that it starts to make sense.

There are also plenty of times when you wobble, fall out of it and wonder what on earth just happened.

That is part of it as well.

You can challenge yourself without taking yourself too seriously.