Not Flexible enough for Yoga?

      When I first heard (and saw) about yoga on the internet, I just scrolled and moved on. Want to know why? All of the poses I saw led me to believe that I wasn't flexible enough. I didn't start yoga until a couple years later, but looking back, I wish I would have started sooner. I'm sure there are a lot of people in the same boat I was in. I don't want anyone else missing out on the amazing art of yoga just because of a common misconception. No, you do not have to be flexible to do yoga. Here is why:

      First of all, most of the pictures on the internet are of people who have been practicing for years or was already flexible from other sports or activities. Do not compare yourself to anyone else, in yoga or in life. Compare your old self to your new self. Yoga is your own personal journey, so don't be down if you can't get something the first time or even the thousandth time. Yoga takes practice, just like anything else.

    Yoga poses are only a small part of yoga. Most people do not do yoga just for flexibility. There are other things you can focus on as well such as breathing. Yoga is about whatever you want it to be about. You could be doing yoga to achieve peace, lower stress, or for any other benefits. Even if you do want to focus on poses, you don't  have to get into all of the pretzel-looking ones. It's okay if you can't do basic stretches. You can always modify to fit your personal needs. Like I said earlier, yoga is your own journey, so don't be too hard on yourself if you've yet to accomplish a goal such as touching your toes.

    When I started yoga, part of the reason was that I wanted to get flexible. And guess what? I did. Looking back, not doing yoga because I wasn't flexible seems silly because yoga itself will help you gain flexibility. If you aren't flexible, yoga is EXACTLY what you should be doing. No, you may never be able to touch your toes or do the splits. So what? Yoga is about much more than flexibility. Yoga is about personal growth.

So don't be scared to go to class or do yoga at home because you're afraid you're not flexible enough. There is no such thing as "not flexible enough" in yoga.

  
     

Benefits of Yoga

           Yoga comes with many benefits, as you have probably already heard. I can honestly say that yoga has changed my life for the better, and I'm not exaggerating. It has become less of a hobby and more of a lifestyle. Before I get into the benefits of yoga, first we must look at what yoga is.

          It is hard to discuss an exact definition of yoga because yoga is your own personal journey. Yoga is said to unite the body, spirit, and mind. It can be physical yoga poses (Asana), meditation, or both. For me, yoga is also a way to harmonize with my inner self and nature; I usually do yoga outside. You can do yoga at home or in a class.

         With that being said, there are many types of yoga, which come with different benefits. I will do a breakdown of the different types of yoga in a later post, but for now, lets discuss why you should do yoga in general.

1. It builds strength.
2. It improves your flexibility.
3. It increases blood flow.
4. It improves your posture.
5. It drops your blood pressure.
6. It helps depression.
7. It helps you relax.
8. It boosts your immune system.
9. It increases your awareness of your body and environment.
10. It helps you sleep better.
11. It helps with migraines.
12. It improves balance.
13. It helps with stress.
14. It helps anxiety.
15. It boosts your mood.
16. It helps arthritis and back pain.
17. It improves lung capacity.
18. It helps with weight loss.
19. It helps you focus.
20. It helps with PTSD.
21. It gives you inner peace.
22. It improves brain function.
23. It helps balance blood sugar levels.

With all of the benefits,  you definitely should try yoga. Remember, you do not have to be flexible or strong to start doing yoga, so give it a try. Here is another great article that talks about the benefits of yoga.

Best Health and Fitness Apps

1.) Map my run (free)- I use this daily. It tracks different workouts through GPS, or you can manually log exercise by the distance and duration. My favorite part is the challenges. I'm a competitive person, so it really pushes me.

2.) Lose it (free)- Tracks meals, exercise, and nutrition. It also has social features to keep you motivated.

3.) Calorie Counter Diet Tracker by My Fitness Pal (free)- It is what it says: a calorie counter. I don't count my calories anymore, but I do use it for motivation. You can now post progress pictures.

4.) Sleep Cycle Alarm (free)- Determines your sleep pattern, and wakes you up during the lightest sleep phase.

5.) Body Space (free)- A social fitness app that gives you different workouts to try.

6.) Steps Pedometer and Step Counter (free)-  Set goals and track how far you've walked along with how many steps you've took.

7.) Calm (free)- Mindfulness meditation app with breathing techniques and calming sound effects.

8.) My Diet Coach (free)- Counts calories and keeps you motivated with tips and quotes.

9.) Sworkit (free)- You can choose a workout or personalize your own.

10.) Daily Workouts (free)- Customize your own workouts.

11.) Lifesum (free)- Helps you make healthier food choices, and also helps with exercise.

12.) Zipongo (free) - Provides healthy recipes as well as coupons.

13.) Simple Yoga (free)- Definitely not as good as the next app listed, but I wanted to provide a free alternative. You can not customize, but you do have your own "personal trainer."

14.) Yoga Studio ($3.99)- Use already created classes or customize your own.