5 Biggest Misconceptions About Yoga | Top Five Tuesdays | Yoga Blog | Yoga Journal

5 Biggest Misconceptions About Yoga | Top Five Tuesdays | Yoga Blog | Yoga Journal

I had to share this blog I read on the Yoga Journal blog. I have students who believe the first one, and I think I was even in that category as well. The first misconception about yoga: Yoga is just for _____ people. In other words, it's that chatter you may have in your head such as, "I'm not flexible enough", "I'm not thin enough", "I'm not young enough"; well, thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU! There is a style and pace for everyone, especially these days. It's just a matter of researching and trying different classes and teachers. I know if you have an injury or other restriction in your body, you may be scared to even try because of the risk of hurting yourself. Yoga teaches us to be in our own bodies, not what "other" body's are doing. I know, from experience, it's hard NOT to compare yourself. I still catch myself doing it after 10 years! Notice when you do that, and redirect your attention to your body and breath. Do the pose to the best of your ability, and what feels safe, but challenging to your body.

Yoga is a mix of awareness, concentration and movement. So you're basically mediating as you move from pose to pose. This comes from #3: The purpose of yoga is physical fitness. Not necessarily. The poses are great for the physical body to strength and stretch muscles, but it's not like an aerobics class you may take at the gym. I teach yoga at a gym, and I know some of the students are there for just the physical, especially if they're new. I always incorporate a little mindfulness techniques and meditation, so they get a little of everything. As a yoga teacher, you really can't leave that out if you tried!

Those were the ones that really spoke to me, as I run into them a lot. If you're a student of any level or a teacher, or thinking about trying yoga, read the short blog, link is at the top.

Namaste