I hate, hate, hate when people tell me they can’t do something, especially when it comes to yoga.
I’m not flexible enough, is the most common excuse.
I’m not strong enough.
I could never do a handstand.
It’s too hot.
I’m too stressed and busy.
It’s too weird, with the chanting, “ohms,” and incense.
I’m nervous; I’ve never done yoga before.
I’m not in shape at all.
Here’s the thing, the secret that’s not a secret, that will officially debunk all of your excuses: There’s a style of yoga for everyone!
Whether you’re looking for hard core power vinyasa to kick your butt, or a dark room to meditate in, there is literally a style of yoga for everyone for every purpose you could think of. High energy flows, stretching, meditation, hot or not, solo at home with a computer, partner yoga… You get my point.
The minute you tell someone you do yoga or that you teach yoga, all kinds of reactions come through. A lot of times there’s connection. A lot of people do yoga these days, so it’s great common ground. A lot of times the “Oh I wish I could do yoga, but…” statements come out.
After nearly ten years of practicing yoga and 6 years of teaching yoga, I have down pat my response to whatever excuse is given to me: There’s a style of yoga for everyone.
We all fear what we don’t know, and we all have anxiety over trying something new for the first time. But unless you plan to do the same effing thing every day for the rest of your life, you’re going to have to try new things at some point. You have to get over that fear enough to show up and give it a go. Jamie, Nicci, and I field those fears a lot when it comes to new students at our studio, Flex & Flow. We get constant emails that positively reek of nerves and uncertainty. We always respond the same way: Just come in and try a class. For our high energy studio, we truly believe that if you challenge and push yourself, that you’ll surprise yourself with what you’re capable of! We all have that athlete inside of us that wants to throw down and rock it. Sometimes we just have to get over a little fear of the new and unknown to tap into it.
Dive on in and get sweaty! Join us for the 4 week #FFYHIITYOGA challenge! A new sequence is released each week. The goal is to do it three times during the week (doesn’t sound like a lot, but give it a go and then decide) and follow along with the prompts on Instagram throughout the week, too. Here’s week 1’s sequence:
You can also join us on Instagram Live this Friday at 9am PT to talk details about this challenge and why you should dive on in (the sweat is fine)! We’ll also be talking about our new HIIT Yoga Membership!
Needing something a little more on the mellow side? Even if you’re more inclined to the high energy stuff, we all should balance it out with some yummy, chill yoga too. I got together with some of my favorite photographers, the Starks, and we created a blog post featuring our favorite poses for brides on their wedding days. These poses and simple flows are designed to help calm any feelings of anxiety before walking down the aisle. This is going to be super helpful for all of my friends getting married this summer, but is also super useful for anytime someone is dealing with stress or just needs to chill the eff out. Check it out! (How-to videos and write ups are in the post, with one example below.)
Don’t forget, we do yoga so that we feel good. Sometimes that means flowing it out and getting sweaty, sometimes that means lying on your back and breathing. It’s all yoga.
What are your excuses keeping you from yoga? How will you overcome them?
