Give yoga a chance!

As someone who is madly, head-over-heels in love with yoga, I am always taken a bit aback when someone tells me that they tried yoga and didn't like it.

How is that even a thing?

The reasons they give are varied but the most common seem to be:

1. I was crap at it.
2. It was boring/ not strenuous enough.
3. It was too weird and intimidating

The first one is easy-peasy to deal with: basically, you are wrong. I simply cannot accept that anyone can be "crap" at yoga. Not possible. I read a quote once that was something like "everyone can do yoga - except for lazy people". And I totally think that is true.

Source: www.blisstree.com

Of course, trying anything for the first time is going to be hard and will feel a bit weird. And as adults, it always sucks to be in a place where you don't understand what is going on and you feel out of your comfort zone. But you know what? Nothing truly awesome will happen in your comfort zone. That is why you wanted to try something new in the first place, right? 

Well, just like with everything else, yoga is going to take a bit of time before it starts to feel really awesome. So my advice to people who think they are too crap at yoga is this:

• Keep trying! Take a couple more classes before throwing the towel in. I am certain that you will soon get a better feel for it and start not to feel like a fish out of water anymore.
• Don't worry about what everyone else is doing in class - no one is judging you! Yes, the girl next to you may have her leg way over her head and that might make you feel like your attempt at the same pose (maybe with your leg still bent or using a strap because you can't reach your toes) is a failure. But it isn't! Just focus on where you are at and it will all come with time. And that girl will be doing the same thing - she will be too busy focusing on her pose to be judging you in any way at all (or, if she is in fact staring about the room with a smug look on her face, then I would suggest that perhaps SHE is the one who is crap at yoga and not you!).
• If the class you have tried really does just seem too advanced or intense for you, seem out a slower class or one that has been designed for beginners - you can go back to the intense class once you get your yoga mojo on later. Or maybe try a different style of yoga - there are many different types out there and it is possible that the first class you have tried is not right for you (or maybe the style is fine but the teacher is not right for you). Try a few on for size and you are bound to find one that you click with.

But what if you think that yoga is boring or doesn't give you a proper work out? Well, if I was a purist, I would probably tell you to just jog on. Because yoga is not meant to be sport and that it is not the sort of thing you should be doing if you want to achieve some kind of hardcore workout or to feed your ego (check out this great article if you are interested in reading more about this perspective). And this is, of course, all true. But even if all you want is a good sweaty workout, I honestly believe that you can still do yoga and, yes, take advantage of some of the amazing physical benefits it brings. 

That said, yoga will not on its own help you drop lots of weight, train for a marathon or build up a pair of guns as big as The Rock's. But it can be an amazing workout, make you sweat loads and give you an amazing, healthy and toned body if that is what you are after. After something that is physically challenging? Look for a studio that offers Bikram, ashtanga, power or vinyasa yoga classes and, trust me, you will find muscles that you never even knew you had.

Source: www.elephantjournal.com

And you never know, later down the track, you might start looking beyond the workout that yoga gives you and into all that other "stuff" that has to offer. 

The third reason that I hear - that the class they attended was a bit too weird, there was too much talk of chakras, auras and other spiritual guff that they didn't really get into to, or that it was all too serious or pretentious.

These are things that I have actually experienced and had to grapple with myself. I am ok with a certain amount of, what my husband calls "hippy, off with the fairies stuff", too much can really turn me off my yoga and I find it actually to be a negative distraction for my practise. Also, I find that when a studio or a particular teacher takes their yoga too seriously (no smiling and a complete absence of Lululemon leggings in the classroom is usually a tip off), it can be really ostracising for newcomers. Especially if the other students seem cliquey or treat newcomers with suspicion.

If this has been your experience, then my suggestion is just to leave them be. Find a new class with a teacher that smiles and enjoys helping new students. There are amazing teachers out there. But, equally, there are ones that are total wankers. And life is too short for a yoga class that doesn't leave you feeling uplifted and generally good about yourself. 

So yoga, huh? Maybe it is time to give it another crack. I promise it will be just like fun! ;)