What's Holding You Back?

So, you’ve read or heard some good things about #Yoga, or even some things that you aren’t sure about. Maybe you are keen to join a class OR you are still on the fence about it all due to one, or several reasons? Sound familiar? Keep reading and maybe something below will resonate, and hopefully help you to feel that you CAN AND WILL come along to a Yoga class.

I remember the first ever public Yoga class I went to, and believe me I talked myself out of it many times until I eventually went, so I can understand if you are having doubts.

But it actually turned out to be one of the most #amazing experiences of my life, and changed my life. So please, if you are thinking of coming, press pause on those doubts in your mind and join me on the mat!

1. “I’m not flexible enough.”

This is one of the main reasons I hear as a teacher that people stop themselves from coming to a class, and it’s CRAZY TALK!

You don’t have to be #flexible or good at Yoga to start practising Yoga. And unless you have a past as a dancer/ gymnast then believe me most people who come to Yoga in the beginning are not that flexible (myself included)!

Flexibility is one of the reasons we #practice Yoga and is something that improves as we continue our practice regularly. Yoga is not for the flexible- it is for the willing!

2. “Everyone will look at/ judge me.”

It’s human nature that we look, we compare, we compete with each other (even if we’d rather not admit it).

BUT on saying this many people practice much of a Yoga class with their eyes closed, or are in fact so engrossed in their #breath or the understanding of a particular #posture that believe me they aren’t interested in what you are doing!

Some #asana involve positions where it’s also not possible to see what others are doing and we learn to #listen and build a much greater #awareness of ourselves and our #body, without the need to look around to see if we are doing it “right”.

Yoga is an #internal practice and when we practice regularly we come to realise that we are all on a different part of the #journey, there’s no need to compare or judge, or look outside- we should be looking within.

3. “I’ve got an injury so I won’t be able to do any of it.”

Lots of Yoga asana can be modified and adapted to work with injuries and limitations, and gentle Yoga and #movement is often used to help with, and prevent injury.

If you are worried about this its best to call or drop in ahead and have a chat to the teacher, and always consult your doctor before starting any new form of movement if you do have any disabilities or limitations.

4. “I won’t be any good at it.”

If this stopped you from doing everything in life that you thought you might not instantly be fantastic at I’m betting you wouldn’t have got very far! The thing with Yoga is that’s it’s not about being good or bad at something, it’s about being good to yourself! We are all built differently and will all have areas or ease and challenge- that’s part of the journey.

Despite what images may be mainstream, Yoga to me, and the Yoga I teach is not about doing handstand or headstand drills and bending your #body into pretzel shapes. Yes there will be challenging elements, but I am teaching you better awareness of YOU- physically and emotionally.

Yoga is a practice of breath and silencing the often none stop thought waves of the mind.

Traditionally, the postures are only used in order to open up our body to allow us to sit in a comfortable seat for #meditation. Don’t practice Yoga to get better at Yoga, practice Yoga to get better at living!

5. “I might fart or fall asleep and snore!”

What if you do? You wouldn’t be the first person to in a Yoga class, and you won’t be the last! Let’s put it in perspective- far worse things probably have happened to you in life! Sure it might be embarrassing (to you) and in that moment, but believe me I’ve seen and heard a lot as a Yoga teacher!

Yoga can teach us to not sweat the small stuff, and this is definitely small stuff, so don’t let it hold you back from attending a class!

6. “I’m not confident enough in my body.”

I can’t tell you that Yoga will give you instant body confidence, but I can assure you that you won’t be the only person who is thinking this! The thing I can tell you is that through a regular Yoga practice you will come to appreciate how actually amazing the body is, in whatever its current shape and size is.

We spend a lot of time criticising and hating on our bodies- we only get one and we should learn to appreciate them and treat them well, which is where Yoga comes in. Over time Yoga really can and will help with this physically and emotionally. In addition if you are looking to lose weight or tone up then a regular Yoga practice can help with this.

You don’t have to wear tight or revealing outfits, just something that isn’t too restrictive to move in but that you are comfortable in.

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