“Not so Bendy Wendy”
Alright. I’ll admit it. I’m not the most flexible yogi. Not by far.
.
.
Flexibility has been a challenge for me my whole life, even as a child. I took gymnastics when I was 5 years old and I was the only kid who couldn’t do the splits or backbends. Even though I liked it, I always felt stuck and different than the rest of the kids. My childhood gymnastics career lasted a year or so and then it was on to soccer for 10+ years. That I was good at, but became increasingly less flexible over the years due to the fear of stretching. 😜
.
.
.
I was super tight in my back and hips and about a foot away from reaching my toes in a standing forward fold. It wasn’t until my teens when I randomly stumbled upon one of my mom’s yoga/workout videos and decided to give Yoga to a try. I started with the Asana (physical postures) practice not having a clue of the internal/spiritual benefits. All I knew was that I felt good in my body by incorporating my breath into each movement.
.
.
.
Extra long story short…It has taken me about 15 years to get to the point I am at in my Asana practice. My students will often tell me how flexible I am and I laugh inside because they have no idea how far I’ve come and how far away I am from where I would like to be. Often times I get discouraged from seeing all of the super bendy acrobatic yogis on social media. (There are a ton!). In fact, I find myself feeling shy about posting my daily flows or pictures of progress because I’m thinking “who really cares to see another yoga pose that’s not as impressive as the next?”.
.
.
.
My point in sharing this is to tell you that you don’t have to be flexible to start practicing yoga.
.
.
.
There are plenty of not so “Bendy Wendy’s” out there. The word Yoga means “union” and the purpose of the Asana practice is to cultivate the flow of Prana (vital life force energy) connecting spirit and body. There are 8 whole limbs to yoga. The Asana (physical postures) is only one, and within that there are many different forms that are ever evolving. My message to you, that is also a message to myself, is that even if you think you aren’t as good as others at something, you shouldn’t let it keep you from trying something new and inspiring others through sharing what brings you joy! Share your bliss!! It might make someone smile to see you laugh at yourself while falling out of a balancing pose and/or struggle into the splits!
.
.
.
Morgan Fallon