Three myths about yoga: you don't need to be flexible to start (flexibility comes with practice), yoga isn't always slow (Ashtanga Vinyasa is fast and builds muscle), and yoga isn't just what happens on the mat. Real practice begins when you step off it.
Three things the world tells us about yoga, which are absolutely not true. The first, you have to be flexible to practice yoga. The truth is that yoga asanas help you become flexible. When I first started, I couldn't even touch my toes, but within a few months, I noticed the lightness and flexibility of my physical body greatly improved. I also felt I became more mentally flexible, more open to new ideas and opinions. Myth two, yoga is too slow and boring. Honestly, for the longest time, I didn't begin my yoga journey believing this myth. Now, of course, there is restorative yoga, which is. It's less rigorous, but there are other forms like Ashtanga Vinyasa, which I personally practice, which are much more fast-paced, help you build muscle, and can leave you sweating on your mat. Third and the most important myth: yoga is something you do on the mat. My friends, the truth is that yoga is not something that you do. Yoga is a certain way of being. If there's one thing that my practice has taught me, is that real yoga starts when you step off your mat.
