There's quite a lot of mystique around yoga, and what happens on the mats inside those sweaty, incense filled rooms. I think most people picture themselves being ridiculed by other more bendy folks, who pretzel themselves into all kinds of positions with crazy foreign names. Meanwhile they flail around (the only one who doesn't know how to DO yoga), trying to keep up in their less-than-trendy gym clothes and eventually end up in a pile of inflexible humiliated sweat while the others breathe and chant peacefully through their practice. So let's dispel some of those myths about yoga, those things I've heard from friends, acquaintances and family. I'll tackle a few a week, until we've gone through all the big ones and everyone is ready to jump into the pool!
Yoga Myth: "You have to be flexible to do yoga and I'm not flexible"
Most people are not extremely flexible, and unless you want to continue to get more inflexible, yoga is a great way to begin to stretch that body out. You do not need to be able to put your legs over your head. Standing, sitting and lying down are enough of a start. The best part about yoga is that you start where you are, even if where you are is nowhere near to touching your toes. Yes, there will probably be people in class who will be able to contort their bodies into seemingly unnatural positions, but by and large, this is not the case and honestly, nobody cares much. Instructors (any good ones, anyway) always give options for the poses.
I do however, recommend taking a beginner's class if you're new or haven't been in a long time. This will help you get down some of the basic poses and lingo. The majority of yoga classes and styles center around the same basic principles so once you get the basics, you will feel more comfortable walking into any class.
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