29/09/2022
Do you need to be flexible to do Yoga?
Simple answer - no!
Yoga is not just about the poses (asanas). Through asanas we are practicing being present, aware, and doing things consciously, instead of mindlessly. We are practicing slowing down our breath and breathing more deeply while stretching and moving.
So being unable to do a certain pose doesn't mean you're not good at yoga or not as good as someone else who can do it. Success in yoga isn't measured by how many advanced postures you can do. The poses themselves are never the end goal. It is not about being flexible or "good" at asana (which, by the way, is only one of the eight limbs of yoga). It is truly about what you learn along the journey.
"True yoga is not about the shape of your body, but the shape of your life. Yoga is not to be performed; yoga is to be lived. Yoga doesn’t care about what you have been; yoga cares about the person you are becoming. Yoga is designed for a vast and profound purpose, and for it to be truly called yoga, its essence must be embodied.” -Aadil Palkhivala"