Today I had the opportunity to lead a yoga practice to a good friend of mine who had never tried yoga before. Although he had not planned to attend the yoga practice, curiosity (and maybe a lack of equipment in the gym) got the better of him. Like all first time yogis, the first thing out of his mouth was 'But, I'm not flexible'. It's funny how we attach such statements to ourselves and how these thoughts tend to keep us in our comfort zone.
As new yoga practicers, we tend to focus a lot of mental energy on the things we cannot do instead of the things we can do. We are all flexible, just flexible in a varying amount of degrees. I, personally, will never be able to perform dancer pose like some of the students in my classes. I will probably always use a strap in staff pose. On some days, I may be able to move my back into bow pose. And on other days, my body just won't last through the entire 'Eagle takes flight' sequence that Bram/Jen teach at Centre Luna yoga. And I'm okay with that.
Instead of focusing on what we are not able to do, we need to try and rethink things by saying 'I am able to do ....' or 'I am working towards doing....'. These positive affirmations give us the confidence and courage to push the limits of our comfort zone, whether it be to attend our first yoga class or to finally get our legs up for headstand. When we push ourselves just past our comfort zone, we enter an area that a former physical education professor at McGill used to describe as 'deliciously uncertain'. This area is easy enough that we can succeed but hard enough that it challenges us- it is finding a balance, but moving forward at the same time. It is creating change.
Every time I hear someone say that they are not flexible, I think back to the my Yogafit training and the emphasis placed on creating an inviting atmosphere. Their Essence of Yoga (which is found in all types of yoga), encourages breathing, feeling, listening to the body, letting go of competition, letting go of judgment, letting go of expectations, and staying in the present moment.
So to all my inflexible friends out there:
1. Remember to breathe during any stretching or flexibility exercises. Through the breath, we are able to go just out of comfort level and improve our flexibility (even if by a mm).
2. Feel, feel, feel. If it hurts, it probably isn't worth it. One of my yoga mentors at Yogafit used to say that it should feel somewhere between 'ouch' and 'that's easy'. We each know our own bodies and their limitations and injuries. We each know what feels good. We are each trying to find a balance along this spectrum.
3. List to the body each day. We feel different from day to day depending on our energy levels and the activities we do. Everyday, whether it is yoga or in another area of our life, we do what we are able to do.
4. Letting go of competition, judgment, and expectations occurs by focusing on ourselves. Yoga is one of a handful of activities that focuses entirely on ourselves. It's just us and the mat. It doesn't matter if we don't look like the person beside us or the model in the yoga magazine because it's not about them. It's about us. It's about finding our best version of the posture- making the posture fit our bodies and not our bodies fit the posture. It's about doing what we can on a specific day, not yesterday or tomorrow.
5. Finally, staying in the present moment. In today's day in age, we are on facebook, twitter, planning next week's schedule, working on a presentation, paying bills, talking on our cellphones, and trying to drive at the same time. We are in 15 places at once and we rarely take the time to enjoy the present. If we stay in the present moment, we are open to experiencing the feelings and sensations that are going on in our bodies. We are ready to change, we are aware, and we are open to experience.
So, to all my 'I'm just not flexible' friends, perhaps it's time we try stepping out of comfort zone and into something 'deliciously uncertain'.
Namaste
Krista
