Do You Have To Be Flexible To Be Able To Practice Yoga?

Although flexibility in yoga is important to perform some postures, we can also take advantage of the benefits of this practice if we are not too elastic

Some people wonder if you have to be flexible in order to practice yoga. Due to the postures and the complexity of many of them, there is the mistaken belief that if you lack elasticity, yoga is not for you. However, this practice is much more than this.

Yoga is not only about performing a series of postures that will help you stretch your muscles. Nor is it necessary to execute each of them perfectly. This practice goes much further. Let’s see why you don’t need to be flexible in order to do yoga.

Being flexible to be able to practice yoga is not essential

It is not an essential condition to be flexible to be able to practice yoga. In fact, this practice helps to acquire greater flexibility. If you are a person with low elasticity, over time you will notice how you improve in this aspect.

However, we must pay attention to the style of yoga that we want to practice. If we go for a type that does not focus so much on movements, but on meditation, flexibility here will not be a handicap. Some of these styles of yoga are:

• Ashtanga : It is practiced sitting in the lotus position and with a straight back.
• Kundalini : It focuses on awakening the chakras with visualizations and meditation.
• Kriya : It is a variant of kundalini , includes mudras and breath control.
• Sound Yoga: It focuses on repetitions of mantras to induce the meditative state.
• Vyniasa : Flowing sequence of movements that prepares us to meditate.

As we can see, in all these styles it is not necessary to be flexible. In fact, they are quite immobile types of yoga that do not contain too many movements and in which impossible postures are not usually performed.

These types of yoga are ideal for people who seek to reach a meditative state or who, due to certain physical limitations, cannot perform even the most basic postures.

Elasticity develops progressively

Being flexible to be able to practice yoga is not something that should worry us if we opt for a style where postures are performed that are increasing in difficulty. The reason is that this practice helps us develop elasticity progressively.

That is why it is important that, if we have never practiced yoga and our flexibility is reduced, we enter a yoga class for beginners. In this way, the body will get used to the different postures and will work on that limited elasticity.

It is important that we do not try to force the body too much even in a basic posture. The reason is that we can hurt ourselves. If we do not respect the limits of our body and want to go fast, we will end up injuring ourselves.

Yoga and balance

Believing that only flexibility matters in yoga is a mistake. A person with enviable elasticity may not be good at performing some poses. In addition to this ability, we need balance.

The posture of the tree, for example, more than flexibility requires balance. The same goes for such well-known poses as the dancer or the chair. These are pretty simple poses. When we have already gained experience, perhaps, we will have to face poses such as the bridge or the handstand.

Yoga and peace of mind

In addition to balance and flexibility, what yoga seeks is also peace of mind. That well-being so necessary and sought after in a society where whoever suffers from great stress more or less.

Meditation is an important part of yoga, but concentration to maintain balance also transports us to the present moment. A moment in which there is no room for anxiety or worries. Just for now.

The importance of breathing

Breathing is the last important element in this practice. In many of the poses in which it will be difficult for us to test our elasticity, breathing can help us.

There are several ways to breathe. Some will allow us to relax, others will help us achieve a much deeper twist. This is another much needed part of yoga.

Have you ever worried about not being flexible to be able to practice yoga? What benefits have you obtained over time? We hope that the lack of elasticity is no longer an inconvenience so that you can start in this practice so positive for you.