I’ve heard them all and I’ve made them all. When I first came to yoga, I was terrified of the bendy-babes, couldn’t touch my own toes (apparently the marker of flexibility and self-worth) and I had no cool yoga pants. Down Dog made my arms shake and I couldn’t concentrate on my breath. As you can tell, I made a lot of excuses that kept me from hitting the mat.
What excuses are you making?
1. I’m not flexible.
The world of yoga marketing would have you believe that it’s essential to be able to smell your own feet, nose between toes, to head to a yoga class. If you’re not flexible now, that is not a reason to bypass yoga altogether. Yoga helps you cultivate flexibility – both in your body and in your brain.
2. I don’t have time.
If you’re a busy-buns and feel your life is running too rampant to hit the slow-pace button, yoga is your antidote. When you practice yoga, time expands and extends. It’s like when Neo starts to fight that bad dudes in The Matrix and everything moooooves sooooo sloooooow. Your life will be a bit more like that but with less combat, hopefully.
3. I like booze and burgers.
You know how Friday night drinks make you feel all dozy and chill, like the preceding week could just slip away in a haze? Yoga does that too. It’s a mega stress-melter without the morning after headache. But for real – you can still engage in other facets of life and be a yogi. It’s not like you’re becoming a nun. Everything in moderation, vodka and vinyasas included.
4. I don’t have any yoga clothes.
Top-secret news: Yoga clothes are a con. Wear tights. Wear sweat pants. Wear whatever. The world of yoga clothes can be totally ridiculous. You can just wear what you want and as long as you’re comfy, you’re a-okay. Don’t skip out just because you don’t own one-hundred dollar stretch pants.
5. It’s way too hard.
Did you walk and talk your way out of the womb? No wait, could you just make yourself a sandwich, count to ten AND peer-mediate from the get-go? HELL NO. You had to practice, learn, try, fall over and get into some conundrums before you were able to do any of this life-skills stuff.
Yoga is the exact same. It’s hard and it’s weird and it’s challenging. It’s a whole new language for your body and brain. Give it time. With practice, patience and perseverance, it too will unfold.
6. I’m not a 20 year old skinny white chick with a feather in her ear.
I know. I know. And yes, I know. Remember, iconography and marketing does not represent all the real life experiences out there. If you don’t fit into the popular yoga imagery, who gives a shit. Practice yoga. Be yoga. The world needs more you, not more marketing poo.
Truth is! YOGA IS FOR EVERYONE. One hundred and ten percent TRUTH.
Find a teacher and a class that sings to your heart. Yoga should help you to feel empowered and accepted. Shop around and find your yoga-home. Then practice your little heart out, skinny white flexible chick, in fancy yoga clothes, or whoever you are, you awesome possum.
