The following is a compilation of some of the most common misconceptions about yoga I come across, and my responses to them.
“I can’t even touch my toes, how am I supposed to do yoga?”
This is a very popular fear and misconception that keeps people from trying yoga for the first time. While flexibility is important to perform certain poses, no teacher expects a new student to be super limber. Flexibility comes with time and practice; it is not a requirement to walk in the door.
“Yoga is too hard.”
Some styles of yoga are very challenging, however other styles such as Hatha, Yin and Restorative Yoga are gentle, and offer a great starting point to build up strength and stamina for harder classes.
“Just sitting there and breathing is not my thing, I need something more active.”
If you want a hard workout that challenges every single muscle group and more, seek an Ashtanga, Power Vinyasa or Bikram Yoga class. These classes are not for the timid and do require a moderate to high level of fitness to attend.
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