Does it really matter if you can put your legs behind your head or grab your ankles in a backbend? Will your life be enhanced? Will you be a better person? Why do you do yoga? People practice yoga for all sorts of reasons and you may find your reasons changing with time, I do. So keep asking.
Sometimes you may get frustrated with your lack of flexibility. This may happen whether you are already flexible or not. When you are practicing yoga asana you are working with your tight edges, playing with them, exploring them. You may do yoga to become more flexible. That’s fair enough, you’re in the right place. As you learn to accept your body as it is, you will feel so much better about it.
If you are tight you might find that tightness causes discomfort in your body. As you work gently and repeatedly on this area you may find that you can feel better than you have ever imagined. There is a certain amount of flexibility that is functional, that helps you move about, that helps work against all those hours sat in front of your computer. Yoga is great for your body, it can do so much more.
And then one of my students asked what the benefit of that pose was? Such a great question! One of my favourite things about being a teacher is the questions. I said that to me it was a very quietening pose, the pose name means sleeping tortoise and it’s like going into a tortoise shell, some people don’t like it because of that. I am sure I could look in a yoga book and find a list of benefits but I always like to teach from my own experience so I did. I’m not sure if that is exactly what she meant, I could be wrong.. but I think that she wanted to know the benefit for the body.
The truth is I don’t think that it’s necessary to be that flexible. I shared with my students that it took me many years of daily practice to be able to do that pose. It wasn’t easy. It is now but thats because I put my legs behind my head every day . Was it worth it? Absolutely! What were the benefits to me? I am glad you asked!
- There will always be things that seem impossible in life, it’s great to learn to work at them regardless in an safe environment where it doesn’t ultimately matter if I fail.
- Attempting seemingly impossible things keeps my ego in check
- It took years but I did it and it made me feel like I could do anything if I persevered
- Doing something challenging forces me to become aware of my body, bringing me more into the present moment
- It makes me accept where I am not where I want to be
The truth is you could apply these lessons to any yoga pose, it doesn’t matter what is challenging to you, it doesn’t have to be an advanced yoga pose. Whatever challenges you, here is a place you can learn. What can be problematic is if you don’t stop to enjoy the journey, if you forget that you were really practicing yoga to relax and that instead it has become another way to compete with yourself. Those of us who find time to practice on our yoga mats are privileged I think. It is a wonderful opportunity to connect and accept yourself. To get away from the hustle and bustle of life and just see how you feel today. So yes work on something impossible, go for it, I love a good challenge but don’t lose perspective. Being more flexible doesn’t make you better at yoga, being more accepting does.
What yoga pose seems impossible for you right now? Do you enjoy working at it or do you find it frustrating? Why do you practice yoga and have your reasons changed?
