It’s that time of year when a lot of folks starting thinking seriously about making some changes towards living a healthier lifestyle. That’s when I start seeing emails coming into my email inbox with the subject line, “New to Yoga”.
The big question or focus of these types of emails centers around the writer’s concerns about the size, shape or health of their body and whether they can “do yoga”. Sometimes this question is paired with its companion question: “Can yoga make me a healthier person?”
The short answer to both questions is, “yes”. If you’d like to hear my thoughts on the longer answer, then read on.
Let’s first tackle the question, “Can yoga make me a healthier person?” In my experience, very much so. But, not necessarily because someone can bend their body into a particular pose. Way before anyone is able to perform a pose that looks like it is out of a magazine photo shoot, the yogi has learned through the practice of yoga to develop a partnership with their body instead of being at odds with it. If we come to the mat, either on our own or at class, over time, we will progress deeper into the poses. This process of patiently being with and learning to really listen the body is the key. For it is within making that investment that we have the opportunity to respect what we find there and drop our judgmental attitude. In letting go of the mental and emotional baggage we have associated with our body, we are freer to take more and more steps towards improving our health. The physical practice of yoga will make us feel better, but the emotional and mental changes it brings really helps us to expand our efforts into other areas of living a healthy lifestyle.
As for the second question about having the ability to start a yoga practice, I understand the hesitation. While it is possible to start successfully on your own at home using videos, it is more effective to go to a class led by a qualified instructor. But, that brings up several issues. No one likes to feel awkward. No one wants to be the person in the room that can’t keep up or doesn’t know how to do something. If you are brand new, starting out in a regular class where you might be the only inexperienced person, isn’t easy and can be very anxiety producing. It is really advisable to start out with either a beginner’s or gentle class.
Regardless of what class you attend though, even as a beginner…even on your first day, it is YOUR practice. You are the only one that knows how your body feels. The instructor is there to guide you but it’s your job to practice in a way that gives you some sensation but not too much. It’s your job to back off when your tired. It’s your job to push yourself a little when the body invites you to do so.
Another thing people get hung up on is thinking that with the body they have, they will never be able to….(pick any and all of these)…lift their leg up over their head, touch their toes, do a back bend, do a headstand, and so on. We actually do not know what the future holds for us if we are willing to work consistently and patiently over time with help from experienced instructors. But, more importantly, in my view, this type of thinking is focused on the wrong way of measuring “success” in yoga.
I believe that there are two areas to focus on, especially in the beginning. The first is coming into a pose to a degree where you feel the right amount of sensation — “the edge” as it is sometimes called. This could mean that when you and I are standing together and bend over towards touching our toes, one of us might be reaching the toes and one might not. But we are both experiencing a level of sensation that is not painful and but definitely noticeable.
The second important focus, for beginners, is learning to pair breath with movement. So, when the instructor says, “Exhale, forward fold”, we do exactly that. To me, pairing breath with movement is where the magic of yoga lies. This is where the gold is mined!
Therefore, regardless of what you can do as a beginner, by focusing on finding the right amount of sensation and starting to learn how to pair breath with movement, you are firmly on your yogic path. The size and shape of your body does not matter nor does striking the “perfect” pose when you evaluate your practice in these terms.
Now, enough talking about yoga…time to practice!
