Overcoming your yoga excuses

Practicing yoga on a regular basis helps improve your concentration, relieve stress, and increase your sense of wellbeing. But sometimes your hectic life and busy schedule can really get in the way of your yoga practice. We all have excuses for skipping a class, but sometimes it’s more important to exert self-discipline and stick to the plan rather than abandon it completely. Are you constantly making these common excuses to avoid yoga? Read on and find out how you can overcome them.

I’m too busy

This is perhaps the most widely used excuse for missing a yoga class. You might say you’re too busy to drop by your nearest studio, but guess what? Everyone is busy these days! There are many yogis out there who can carve out time for a daily one-hour practice, and they must be doing something you’re missing. We all have 24 hours in a day – it’s just a matter of prioritizing and making small tweaks to your daily routine to squeeze in yoga practice.

I’m not flexible enough

If you’re intimidated by the extreme flexibility and bendiness of the yogi on that magazine cover, or how easily your fellow classmates can bend over and reach their ankles with their hands, here’s some consolation: it takes time and consistent yoga practice to create and maintain flexibility. You might not be able to twist your body into some of the more complex and demanding poses on your first attempt but, with more practice and patience, your flexibility will definitely improve over time.

I’m overweight

You can’t afford to let this excuse stop you from trying out yoga. Many classes for beginners have no prerequisites, meaning your bulky body shape won’t be a problem. In fact, low-impact exercises like yoga may be more comfortable for overweight people than other types of workouts like running or weight training. What’s more, professional yoga instructors can provide modifications for all fitness levels and various types of bodies in a class, so even plus-size yogis can ease into poses quite comfortably.

I’m too old

It’s never too late to start practicing yoga, regardless of the stage of life you’re in. Although certain postures like handstands can be more difficult for older adults as a result of less flexible joints, the challenge of balancing, and other health concerns, many other poses are not physically demanding at all. There are special classes designed for people in their forties and beyond, where poses are modified and the pace is a lot slower than in other classes. Don’t let your age become an issue!

I don’t know what to do

Are you worried that your inexperience will be a burden and slow the whole class down? Don’t be. The truth is that not everyone really knows what they’re doing in a yoga class, even if they’ve been attending for weeks or months. And even if you’re in a class full of experienced yogis, there’s no reason to feel intimidated. Yoga instructors are accustomed to having new faces in the class, and they can help guide you into sitting, standing, and moving so that your body can find balance and you can achieve the perfect alignment.

Don’t let these excuses hold you back from practice! If you want to learn more about yoga, get in touch with our expert instructors today.