Thursday, January 26, 2012

I'm Not Flexible Enough to Do Yoga

Even at my increased rate of practice, I was still astounded at how little I could bend my body compared to others.  I was so stiff it was at times embarrassing, as no posture came easily to me.  But soon, I had a wonderful epiphany:  I was the "stiffest" person in the class, and I may always be.  And for the first time in my life that became okay.  I decided to give myself permission not to have to be the best or compete like I'd been trained to do in sports-compete until you win or die trying.  I knew it wasn't possible to win this time, and I would never excel at this, but I still loved it.  So, I gave myself permission to be the stiff guy in the back row the guy who was trying hard but was kind of embarrassing to watch.  I just didn't care anymore, and it felt so good to me.    
If I had a nickel for each time I've heard, "I can't do Yoga I'm not flexible enough," I could make a really large contribution to a deserving charity somewhere.

Were you strong before you started going to the gym?  Do you have to be skinny to start a diet?

They seem like silly questions, but the answer is the same, you can't start changing anything until you start.  It is a rare occasion to see a someone stick their leg behind their head or some other crazy move.

What if you just came to a yoga class and started to move and maybe then you would become more flexible.  Think about it, is  your inflexibility to try something new keeping you inflexible?

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