Something that I hear way too often is something like “I tried yoga once but it was too hard – I couldn’t keep up”. I feel that in our modern Western society we are so obsessed with training and sculpting this meat suit that we walk around in (as well as the fact that we love to be busy), that we need to make all movement fast and chaotic – including yoga. Which means that too many yoga classes seem like they are catered more for athletes than ‘regular people’.
Something that I am really passionate about is making yoga accessible for all. There are more and more resources now to allow us, as yoga teachers, to provide classes where we can be inclusive of all – no matter your level of mobility, the shape and size of your body, whether you are pregnant or even if you choose to spend the whole class seated in a chair.
One book that we love for this is Yoga For Everyone. It is a great book that provides many variations for 50 different yoga poses to help students (like you and me) find options that feel supportive for their body. The book has imagery of people of all ages, races and body types and even includes some sequences at the end so you can tie all of the poses together to create a short practice.
Highly recommended for anyone who feels intimidated by some studio classes.
I will leave you with the hope that you know that there are always variations and options of different yoga shapes and that you can build the courage to modify and adjust in any class that you attend – no matter what everyone around you is doing. Your body, your practice, your choice.