With the popularity of yoga spreading at an alarmingly high rate across the world, it is no wonder rumours and myths about yoga are so prevalent today. Today, we discover some of the common misconceptions that has been on the back of your mind especially for those that are hesitant on picking up this ancient practice. You will without a doubt be placed with a peace of mind upon the debunking of the following myths!
One of the most common misconception is that yoga is practiced exclusively for females. That couldn’t be any more incorrect and is only portrayed that way in the media. When yoga was first created back in the Vedic era, it was men who established the practices and only men who practiced yoga. With time, yoga grew and spread to the modern world where it eventually focussed on postures and physical exercise. Many people would associate it to being too feminine and thus the birth of the misconception was born. However, more men are starting to accept this tradition and there has even been in increased movement called “Boys of Yoga” where they attempt to crush this stereotype.
Yoga is definitely not a religion, but rather a set of practices and beliefs that aim to help one reconcile with their mind. Everyone is free to have a religion and practice yoga at the same time and in fact, some religions such as Buddhism have integrated yoga into their religious practices.
Perhaps modern perception of yoga has been shaped by the huge corporate fitness industry but yoga is more than just physical exercise, postures and breathing techniques. Yoga was originally created by yogis as a way to reconcile their mind and body in order to achieve enlightenment. If you intend to use yoga just for the sake of physical exercise, no one can stop you. But learning about the true system of yoga and how it can help to improve your life can be equally beneficial so choose what’s good for your life.
Postures can be easily adapted and customised for people with injuries. Just remember to seek help from a professional and stop immediately if something doesn’t feel right with a particular exercise.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, so you can’t expect everyone to be able to perform an incredibly flexible posture when starting out. There are beginner moves for everyone and flexibility can be trained, so take your time to learn and explore on your yoga journey. The most important point is starting and not giving up, so stop procrastinating on your yoga sessions.
Now staying in stationary postures may not seem very challenging at first glance, but try starting and you’ll soon realise that yoga can be quite strenuous to the body. In fact, it is not uncommon for your muscles to ache the day after an intense yoga session as your body struggles to keep up with the postures as you advance in your yoga experience.