F*ck Being "Good" at Yoga
Can I tell you something? I’m not really “good” at yoga. I’m not super flexible, long, and lanky and my hamstrings are so tight I can barely touch my shins in dandasana. I don’t move gracefully and I haven’t mastered a headstand. And although part of me wants to judge myself for it, I love myself and my practice because of it. My body moves in the way it is able to on any particular day and time. And that changes day to day. Sometimes my body tells me that I will get a migraine if I go into headstand. Other days it tells me I’m safe. I’m grateful that my body speaks to me and tells me what is safe and what is too much.
I’ve met a lot of people who would like to try yoga, but they’re worried they won’t be any “good” at it. Can we take a second and reflect on that; being “good” at yoga. I fell in love with my yoga practice because it meets you where you are. It has no judgements. It’s patient and accepts wherever your body is on that particular day, even if that means sitting in child’s pose for an hour because your body is telling you that’s what it needs (yes, I’ve done it and I would highly recommend it). And lucky you! You don’t have to bend over backwards to feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings. It means that you have to do less than what someone else who is super flexible has to do to feel any sort of sensation in their body. It means that there’s room for exploration - that there is ground that hasn’t even yet been covered that YOU get to experience. What a gift! The truth is that there is no such thing as being “good” at yoga. Yoga is for everyone, all ages, all shapes and all sizes.
Over the next few weeks, I’m creating a series of videos that will make yoga accessible for everyone, from the tepid first time yoga to the more advanced practitioner. You will need some props but here’s why I love working with props so much: If you can’t reach the ground, we bring the ground to you so that you can still feel the full benefit of each pose. You’ll need:
If you don’t have those, don’t worry! Look around the house and get creative. Maybe a towel will work as a strap, some books as a block, a couch pillow as a bolster, you get the idea. If you have any questions about props, comment below. Stay on the lookout for some video content in the weeks to come.