by Jonathan Bartlett, Philadelphia Yoga Examiner

I am a yoga evangelist. I believe yoga is for everyone—no exceptions. I also teach yoga. It’s one of my favorite topics of conversation, one I know that causes my family and friends to roll their eyes and sigh when I bring it up during social gatherings. I have talked to a lot of people about yoga, and have received a lot of input, particularly from those who don’t do yoga, yet. Objections to and misconceptions about yoga are many and myriad, but most fit into the following categories.

1. “I Can’t Do Yoga”

When I tell folks who don’t know me that I teach yoga, often I get a blank stare, they look up and down this thin, aging male frame of mine, squint their eyes into mine, and then access that portion of their brains wherein resides a phrase they’ve repeated every time anyone has brought up the word ‘yoga’…

’I can’t do yoga.’

After that, it’s either, ‘my body is too inflexible,’ and then such words such as ‘pretzel’ or ‘contort’ float by, and if they are still looking into my eyes they will see them involuntarily glaze over as I access that portion of my brain that holds my rebuttal.

‘You don’t have to be flexible to do yoga. That’s the point.’

The truth is everybody is too inflexible to do yoga. Everybody’s body has a point beyond which their body won’t flex, and that feeling of muscle resistance and strain in the poses is the same for everybody, yoga athlete and yoga novas alike. Flexibility is a work in progress for everyone, no matter what their body type.

What yoga offers, particularly those who muscles have not been stretched regularly, is more freedom in movement, to do what they want off the yoga mat: on the street, in the office, at home, everywhere your body moves.

Yoga Position

2. “Yoga is a religion and requires me to change my beliefs”

It’s true that some yoga folks have embraced the spirituality associated with yoga. It’s there. There’s no denying yoga’s connection with the Vedic view of being in this world, offered some thousands of years ago and is today expressed in Hinduism as well as a host of other beliefs, by the way, including Buddhism, Jainism, and even, yup, Judaism and Christianity, some scholars say, but that discussion is for others, or for you, if that’s your bent, and that’s the point:

Yoga does not require belief of any kind. You decide what you want from yoga. Yoga does not decide for you.

To my mind and many others, yoga only asks for your attention to your body as you perform and breathe through the asanas, in class or on your mat at home. Some studios accentuate yoga’s connection with its spiritual origin, either as an expression of the owner’s relationship with yoga, or as evidence of the authenticity of the yoga instruction. These come in the form of Hindu style music, statues of Hindu gods and goddesses, exotic jewelry, notices of exotic events at the facility. It can be overwhelming, insistent, even intimidating. You are always free to ignore these, if you can, and focus on the class instruction. If you can’t, there are yoga classes out there which offer only the poses and the breathing and the mind/body connection during instruction. Classes at the YMCA, at chain fitness centers and other locations are available nationwide. If you are a Christian, there’s even Christian-focused yoga out there.

To my mind, it’s all yoga.

3. “Yoga is a woman thing”

I see more and more guys with yoga mats, but the myth still persists and to those males who hold that belief, I say

‘Dudes, give it a shot!’

Mindlessly/mindfully stretching your muscles and being in tune with your body rocks! It builds confidence in movement and action, and bubbles up to enhance your performance off the mat: at work, in the office, and at play, on the basketball court or in the privacy of your own home.

4. “I need a work-out”

My sister’s favorite objection/misconception.

Like I said, and will say again, yoga comes in many flavors. If that’s what you are thinking then check out one of hundreds videos on YouTube…

There’s a lot of yoga out there, folks!

Pick the style that suits you and your needs.
It’s all good.