The above illustration, from my soon-to-be released (it will happen Sunday, May 15), introductory yoga book shows a pose that I doubt I could ever achieve. For one, I don't have enough upper body strength to lift my weight that high. Secondly, I doubt I could ever flex my body backward into such a bend. Since I rarely attend yoga classes, I personally don't know anyone who has mastered this pose. This pose would seem to require extraordinary strength and flexibility. Nevertheless, I can still do yoga - maybe not every pose, but enough to keep me feeling fine.
One assumption that arises frequently about yoga is that you have to be flexible to do yoga...! To me, that's like assuming you have to be thin to get thin....Silly circular logic. Of course, people who seem to be inherently flexible will have an easier time executing and mastering the poses. But, the point is not are you flexible enough to do yoga, it's will you do yoga regularly (let's say almost daily!) to become more flexible? As Dr. Timothy McCall says in his book, Yoga as Medicine, some people's body structures do not lend themselves to doing certain poses easily. "...If your limbs are short in proportion to your trunk, for example, you may never be able to clasp your hands behind your head in certain twists, or thread one leg behind the other in Eagle pose." Nevertheless, regardless of how flexible or inflexible you are when you start a yoga program, consistent yoga practice will enable you to gain greater flexibility. You may not be as flexible as others around you, but you will benefit enormously, regardless. So, no, you don't have to be flexible to start yoga, but you will gain great flexibility with it when you establish a daily regime.
Yours for enjoying a more flexible life with yoga,
Laura Venecia Rodriguez
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