Henry David Thoreau said, “Begin where you are and such as you are . . . .” That’s great advice in general, but it particularly applies to yoga. Here are the common excuses people give for not coming to a group yoga class and my rebuttal.
1. “I’m not flexible.”
This one is the most common and the most misguided. You don’t do yoga because you’re flexible. You do yoga in order to become more flexible. And you’ll be surprised how quickly you become more flexible.
2. “Everyone will be looking at me and I’ll look stupid.”
This one is more understandable, at least from my perspective. I started out in 1980s group aerobics classes. Usually, at least one wall of the aerobics studio was a giant mirror that made sure that everyone in the room could see what I was doing. And depending on what was happening at any point during the class, I could look and feel really, really uncoordinated. So I understand this fear. But let me reassure you. Yoga studios don’t have mirrors, and if we are practicing the way we should, we’re not looking at anyone else. We are too busy paying very close attention to how we feel in whatever pose we’re in. Also, a lot of poses prevent us from looking at anyone else!
3. “Yoga studios/teachers/students are snobby, so I won’t feel welcome.”
I get this one. Snobby yogis are probably out there. But I guarantee you this is not the case at Main Street Yoga. Our teachers truly believe that yoga is for everyone, and our students are some of the most amazingly helpful and welcoming people you will ever meet. If you won’t take my word for it, read our reviews on Facebook. None of them were solicited.
4. “I don’t have a yoga body.”
Every body is a yoga body! No two people will look exactly the same in the same pose. And if you think you have to be tall and skinny to do yoga, look up Dianne Bondy. She rocks!
5. “I’m a guy. Guys don’t do yoga.”
Men were the original practitioners of yoga. In the United States however, the majority of yogis are women, and the demographics at Main Street Yoga are in line with that. But there are men who come to our classes. And if you’re a dude who thinks he’s too cool to practice yoga, here’s a list of ridiculously cool men who practice yoga:
a. Robert Downey Jr. (my personal fave)
b. Matthew McConaughey
c. Adam Levine
d. Alec Baldwin
e. Russell Brand
6. “Yoga isn’t ‘real’ exercise.”
I can’t tell you how many new students have told me how surprised they were that they broke a sweat during a beginners class. Yoga provides every type of exercise you need: cardio, weight/resistance training, core work, and, yes, flexibility.
7. “I don’t have time.”
Look, we all lead busy lives. And yes, it is difficult to “find” the time to come to class, but it’s not difficult to “make” the time to come to class. Put it in your schedule. Make whatever standing arrangements you need to make it possible for you to come to class. You’ll feel better and you’ll function better in other aspects of your life.
Have I convinced you yet? Even if you’re not completely convinced, even if you’re just leaning a little more toward coming to the studio than you were 15 minutes ago, consider registering for Yoga 101. It’s this Sunday at 2:00 pm. It will be full of first-timers. It’s only $16. And it includes your first regular group class. Here’s the link: https://squareup.com/store/mainstreetyogafmt/item/yoga
See you in the studio