Yoga flexible
Whether you are a beginner or not, yoga is a very popular technique when it comes to stretching, breathing control, or toning up. And this is the richness of the practice of yoga: it is very rich, and develops a particularly complete range of benefits.
The Statista survey shows that among the sports regularly practiced by French men and women, yoga and Pilates are in a good position, with 11% of those surveyed. This is probably because the benefits of yoga in question are vast!
In this way, between stretching, alignment, pranayama and postures, a regular practice of yoga guarantees many effects. But if there is one that concerns everyone, it is flexibility! And yes, how many times have you dreamed of being able to be flexible? The only problem? Some people don't succeed!
From Hatha yoga to Kundalini, from Ashtanga yoga to prenatal yoga, practicing yoga means for many people to want to be flexible. This is a common misconception! A yoga session does not necessarily require the ability to contort.
Yoga is a discipline open to everyone, even the most rigid, the most beginners! You still doubt it? Get out your yoga mats, we explain everything!
Flexibility when starting yoga
Just because flexibility is not a vital ingredient for doing yoga asanas and excelling in the discipline, it doesn't mean it's useless. On the contrary, feeling inflexible is a good way to enter the practice of yoga. Because let's face it, there are very few postures where you shouldn't give of yourself!
Moreover, you should certainly not be put off starting the first class, far from it!
Starting yoga without being flexible is a good way to give yourself a goal and a margin of progression. And it must be said that between the breathing exercises, postures and sequences, the budding yogis have come to the right place. Many exercises are the ideal playground to become flexible!
Along with gymnastics or Pilates, beginner's yoga is a guarantee of better flexibility. But you still need to know how!
First of all, it is essential to have a regular practice. It is during the course of classes that flexibility will come. Moreover, it is important to realize that flexibility is not a gift, and that it is accessible to everyone in varying degrees. Encouraging, isn't it? Enough to make you want to take up yoga more easily!
From this point of view, yoga has many assets, since beyond developing balance, it allows us to make our limbs more flexible, more stretchable, thanks to the development of deep muscles, which are not always used, but also thanks to the repetition of certain yoga postures.
Because by pressing on what hurts, we always end up getting there (or almost there)! And if becoming supple over the course of the sessions has a primary advantage, beyond the benefits of sport, it's good to be proud of yourself!
A little advice for beginners: practicing yoga with your eyes closed (when possible, of course!) sometimes makes certain movements easier. Think about it!
Yoga: a way to develop flexibility
At the end of a yoga class, many physical and mental abilities are developed. And if flexibility is one of them, it is important to know why. It is now understood that it is not enough to want to be flexible to be flexible, but also that it is not necessary to arrive with a baggage of flexibility to practice yoga.
Because yes, this discipline is a body gold mine, which allows us to progress through the sessions, and to establish a much more intimate relationship with our own body. And that goes through flexibility exercises! Because what could be more satisfying than discovering physical desires?
However, it is important not to seek flexibility at all costs when practicing a sequence, whether it is yoga at home or in group classes. Indeed, it is not necessarily a goal in itself, nor even a constitutive remedy to practice yin yoga well.
The essential is to know how to seek the right alignment, rather than to badly reproduce a posture by being very flexible. Indeed, to be "stiff" but to be effective is much more relevant than to be flexible but to hurt oneself with a false movement. It's all about balance!
Moreover, working on flexibility through yoga postures allows you to reconnect with yourself, to learn what you are capable of, what you are incapable of, and to be able to touch a key notion in yoga: temperance, and letting go.
It is useless to be stubborn, it is better to understand that yoga goes further than flexibility! It is also better to take advantage of yoga stretching than to try to go even further.
Flexibility and Breathing: A Strong Bond in Yoga
We will all agree that breathing is a crucial element in our (over)life! And in yoga, it's the same thing, but the breath takes on a completely different importance, which we can directly link to flexibility.
Indeed, in addition to connecting us to our deep "self", the breath allows us to alleviate certain efforts, but above all, to accompany others. Among these efforts, why not think about stretching and postures where flexibility is at stake, for example?
Indeed, as you exhale through your nose, the calm and the feeling of being uncomfortable will gradually fade away. Over the course of the sessions, the physical barriers may even become lessened, or even relaxed, in order to go further in the movements. Result: you gain in flexibility!
Because yes, practicing yoga also means knowing how to link the different parts of the discipline. Because for example, stretching while having the breath cut off or jerky will be worse than if each movement is accompanied by an adapted breath, which follows the harmony of the body.
The idea, once again, is really to know how to listen to oneself. This is the key to yoga!
Yoga: knowing how to listen to each other to gain flexibility
Yes, the key, the real one, is this one! If practicing yoga is for you a chore that you reproduce mechanically every week, flexibility is not something you will be interested in, for the simple reason that you may simply get angry at the slightest difficulty.
No, if being flexible is not a component of yoga, becoming flexible can still be interesting. And that involves understanding what is at stake with your body. What does the body want to tell me? What is my body limit? What physical reflexes should I adopt over the course of the sessions to improve myself?
For example, some people will prefer to do their yoga sessions at the end of the day, since at that time, the body is often less tense. Others will favour repeating movements each week to train the muscles.
All these little things, taken together, will allow you to understand that being flexible is also in your head, and above all: with yourself, and only yourself.
Little tip: don't forget to hydrate yourself (with water, of course!), in order to take care of your muscles. They are the ones that will guarantee your suppleness.
Yoga postures to gain flexibility
Do you want to do stretching and postures to become more flexible in yoga? It's possible! Indeed, if they exist, yogic positions where flexibility is not a minimum are still a little rarer, and it is always good to develop one's physical capital.
So here are a few names of movements that could help you see an improvement in your flexibility. Don't hesitate to ask a private teacher to integrate them into your routine. With Superprof, for example!
• The half-bridge,
• The open angle,
• The dog upside down,
• The dog heads up,
• The pigeon,
• The pliers,
• The shoemaker,
• The eye of the needle,
• The head of cow,
• The tree,
Don't forget that the most important thing is also and above all to have fun and not to force yourself too much!
Thus, it will be understood that flexibility is not a necessary ingredient for the good practice of yoga. On the contrary, it can be a real challenge when you start the practice. Because yes, it must be admitted that being flexible makes it easier to perform certain postures. But not better!
The right balance to work according to your desires, your abilities, and your pleasure! Good luck!
