Most people feel that yoga is all about being flexible.
It is however a state of mind. Learning to come back to yourself, finding your limits, expanding your boundaries, and being able to truly relax into who you are is the yoga promise.
Accomplishing a yoga posture can be evaluated by alignment, length of stretch and the length of time that a posture can be held. The continued yoga stretches brings medium and long-term rewards for the body; health and mental stability for the combined physical and psychological aspects of an individual.
Yoga gives you the tools to unwind, de-stress, and achieve a clarity of mind. If your yoga stretches expands you and gives you sense of wellness, then it is the right yoga stretch for you. It yields an instant feel-good effect. It just feels better to live within a looser, more flexible body than a tight, bound-up one.
It is not a rigid discipline designed to punish your body, but an enjoyable way of releasing tensions, improving your health and is suited for each individual needs.
If you lead a busy life, wake up with pain, or you want all round fitness, you definitely need to start yoga.
You might think you are not flexible enough but practicing regularly would loosen you up.
You need to be motivated by a positive attitude towards your body and its use. Don’t judge your practice by how far you can or cannot stretch. Never feel inadequate because you can’t hold a stretch for long, or it doesn’t perfectly look like the model in the picture or your coach. And don’t rush like a bull at a gate – that would be disrespectful to your body.
Another thing to note would be patience and waiting for your body to let you in. Allow your stretch to become a sort of conversation with your body.
Be reflective, be respectful, and be responsive. More than poise in your stretches, seek grace in your breathing.
Just start your journey; You never know where it might take you.
And don’t forget, Well being is always about giving yourself some attention.