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Yoga for Everyone
by Laura

First off, let’s dispel any lingering myths you might have about yoga (whether you’ve given it a try yet or not): You do not have to become a vegetarian, or a Buddhist, or a rubber band to practice yoga. You do not have to write haiku or own a "chant" cd or have a dozen "Zen" sayings at the tip of your tongue. You do not have to like hemp or incense or Tibetan monks. (You can, of course, but you don’t have to.) In fact, you do not have to be anything other than yourself, and you do not have to have anything other than a desire to learn something new.

You’ve probably heard about yoga and about how it’s "good for you." The many physical, mental, and emotional benefits that people gain from the exercise are touted in books, DVD’s, and websites galore, and range from increasing flexibility to reducing pain to helping women to bring their hormonal cycles back into balance.

Sure, yoga could change your life. But even if it doesn’t, it’s worth a try, because small and surprising benefits can still come your way. For example, it might help you to look at things from a different perspective. It might help you to re-discover something that you’ve forgotten. Or perhaps most importantly in our busy lives, yoga might help you to make some "me" time. That’s an important thing for us to remember: to take a moment each and every day for ourselves - to do something that we like to do (whether that "something" turns out to be practicing yoga or not).

"I’ve seen yoga poses, and they look too challenging."

Whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been at it for years, don’t be intimidated by the instructors in a class or the models in a book. Remember, they’ve been doing this for YEARS!! And they didn’t look so graceful and easy when they first started, trust me. A good instructor (whether in a class, or on a DVD) will show you small modifications that you can make if your hamstrings are tight, if you have bad knees, etc. A good instructor will also remind you that if it hurts, STOP doing it. That’s another great thing about yoga. It’s NOT a "no pain, no gain" type of exercise. It’s about a gentle opening, like a flower blooming. It doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it should be pleasant and fun (after all, how are you supposed to relax if your back is screaming in pain?). It should be about discovering new ways in which your body can move, not about beating your body into an uncomfortable position.

A particularly excellent instructor once told us this while we were trying a difficult balancing pose in class (I’m paraphrasing from memory here): "Be like children in this pose. Children are not afraid to fall down. In fact, what do children do when they spin around and around in circles and then they fall over? They giggle. It’s fun! Take that same kind of attitude into your balance poses. If you fall down, let yourself fall down, and have fun with it. Don’t be rigid; that’s anti-yoga." I used to hate balancing poses until he put the idea of "falling is fun" into my head. Now those "tough" balancing poses don’t intimidate me, because, if nothing else, I can fall down and laugh!

"Do what? I’d feel stupid and awkward!"

Beginners should be very, very patient with themselves. Anything new is going to feel awkward at first (can you remember how frustrating it was learning to tie your shoes or ride a bike?). No one just naturally jumps into triangle pose. But it is natural to want to feel good, right? The key to getting past the awkward stage and into the feel-good stage with yoga is to stick with it. Give yourself at least 4 or 5 tries before you decide whether you love it or hate it.

If you are particularly nervous about feeling out of place in a class full of people doing yoga, you can try the poses in the comfort and privacy of your own home, with an instructional tape or DVD. You can pause or rewind and replay as many times as you need to in order to "get" the pose, and no one will see you trying to figure out where your hands go. Not all instructional DVD’s are created equal, of course (I’ve seen a couple that are pretty lame, myself). You may want to try out several different programs to find an instructor and/or style that you like best. Personally, I enjoy the approach in the Gaiam series, especially those by instructor Rodney Yee. He has a soothing (but not cheesy) voice and demonstrates with clear, precise movements.

"Yoga’s just not my type of exercise."

You might be surprised to learn that there are nearly as many different kinds of yoga as there are kinds of people! In fact, you can accomplish just about any goal you’re reaching for with yoga: weight loss, a cardio/power workout, building muscle tone and strength, meditation/relaxation, or just simple stretching. There are even very specific DVD’s targeted to, for example, athletes, golfers, and even surfers! Check it out!

"I just don’t have enough time in my day."

Try Gaiam’s AM/PM Yoga DVD’s. These sessions are a mere 20-30 minutes - you can do them while dinner is cooking! - but they still make a difference, and you’ll feel it. The AM yoga session is broken up even further, into mini-sections of conscious relaxation (3 minutes), yoga poses (12 minutes), and meditation (2 minutes). It’s also super-gentle; it’s really more relaxation and stretching than yoga, and makes you feel calm and centered, no matter what your level.

In sum: yoga is a great exercise that’s worth a try. (After all, what other exercise can you do in your pajamas??) It’s not about twisting yourself into a pretzel; it’s about feeling "comfortable, focused, and unhindered" (as one instructor said). It’s a reminder to appreciate the small things - like reaching just a millimeter further than you did the last time. It’s about turning off your buzzing brain and taking time to relax. It’s about making some "ME" time in your day. And hey, who couldn’t use that?