Yoga for flexibility
If you think that practicing yoga will make you more flexible, you've come to the right place! Indeed, while among the benefits of yoga, flexibility is a pillar, this concept could be to nuance according to the practitioners.
First of all, it is important to know that flexibility is first defined by the amplitude of a movement, but also by the comfort that one has to achieve it. And we are not all and all equal when it comes to flexibility! To be flexible, you have to work on it!
From this perspective, yoga is a discipline that allows us to develop it, but not always as we think. Some people often tend to put the cart before the horse, and sometimes get hurt, sometimes do yoga postures badly, which could cost them a lot of money.
And if a study shows us that 50% of practitioners do yoga at home, this implies that no correction is made to their (potential) bad posture. Working on flexibility, yes, but be careful to do it well!
Because between a sequence of asanas, the comfort of the spine and the control of breathing, becoming more flexible can quickly become a goal that blinds efficiency or safety. So here are all the mistakes to avoid in order to be able to work on flexibility and be a perfect little yogi!
Mistakes in Yoga: Believing that you have to be flexible from the very first class
Yes, one of the first mistakes you should not make when you want to work on flexibility is this one! Thinking that being flexible is an essential base to start (or not), we underestimate ourselves, but we also perceive the practice of yoga in a biased way.
Indeed, this discipline is first of all a sport that links body and mind, but also the mind. A winning trio that places flexibility among the tools that facilitate the practice, but which are not always constitutive of it.
Of course, being flexible makes things easier, but it is not a question of being flexible to be flexible. It must be understood that yoga is a more global and richer practice than that. It is a sport that is both mental and spiritual, where postures (asanas) make it possible to put this into practice.
In this way, flexibility is maintained over the weeks, and not being flexible during a trial class doesn't mean you can never be flexible. Cheer up!
Mistakes in Yoga: Forcing to be Flexible
While flexibility is not a key element in yoga, it can help you improve and do a routine more effectively. Through regular practice, you can then gain flexibility and develop your overall physical condition.
But one thing is fundamental in this perspective: don't force yourself! Indeed, our members are not all equal when it comes to the body's elasticity. This is the reason why you should not at all costs want to touch your feet when you do the pincer posture for the first time.
Let's not forget that yoga is an evolving practice, where progress is made week after week, and where every effort is rewarded. Moreover, the mind comes into play in an important way, that's why if flexibility doesn't come, it will come little by little. And if it still doesn't come, don't be discouraged, yoga is also a state of mind!
Mistakes in yoga: not getting help to work on flexibility
Stretching is one part of the obvious flexibility, but it is not the totality of it. It is not enough to end a session with a few sequences and movements of this type to gain flexibility. However, we can go further!
Indeed, to work on flexibility, neglecting external support can be a serious mistake. And in this perspective, two things can support flexibility: the equipment and, obviously, the teacher.
For the first one, it is indeed equipped with straps, or even bricks, that you will be able to attenuate the efforts to soften yourself. Moreover, you will probably be less quickly demotivated by the rather playful nature of such parallel training.
The accessories also allow you to maintain a better posture, a good position, and a good overall support of the body. This works the lower back as well as the abdominal contraction, and allows you to achieve your flexibility goals without even realizing it!
Secondly, going to a yoga teacher can be a very good idea to gain flexibility. Trusting yourself is sometimes a mistake that you make when you think you're doing well.
For example, if you take classes alone at home, thanks to your computer, the objectives will not necessarily be the same as if you were with a teacher. The objectives, but also and above all, the results!
A yoga coach will be this figure of guide, support, which will allow you to focus his teaching on the type of yoga best suited to make you gain flexibility, but also on precise postures, in connection with your possibilities.
A yoga teacher is therefore the assurance that you will not make a mistake, and that you will not get hurt, think about it before you start to practice flexibility on your own!
Mistakes in yoga: comparing yourself to others in order to be flexible
If you've chosen a yoga studio teacher to make you more flexible, or even if you're watching group classes on video from your living room, there's one fundamental mistake you shouldn't make to avoid the frustration of flexibility: compare yourself!
It is indeed crucial to understand and assimilate that joints and limbs are not the same for each of us. Everyone has a different body, with its limits and possibilities.
By watching other yogis (beginners or experienced) perform this or that posture with rare ease, discouragement can quickly point the tip of one's nose. This is precisely where this is a crucial mistake, since when practicing yoga, the important thing is to refocus with oneself, and only oneself.
Valuing the path rather than the goal, the progression rather than the result, letting go rather than rendering, such is the spirit of this beautiful discipline. In this way, flexibility will immediately seem more attainable to you, since no reference will come to blur your mind!
Mistakes in yoga: not letting your body breathe
One of the common mistakes made when working on flexibility is that attendance can, against all expectations, be counterproductive. In fact, each session is, for a yogi, the opportunity to work and observe the progress made during the last yoga class: touching his feet more easily, stretching his bust better...
And if the efforts pay off, motivation can be high, even if it means making you want to progress as quickly as possible, and going to a yoga class more than you should. This is a serious mistake, since it is essential to let your body breathe!
Indeed, your body needs to assimilate the progress, and your muscles need a little well-deserved rest. Imagine, you're shopping, and the next day you're making the same shopping cart again, chances are it's counterproductive for a whole bunch of reasons, right?
Especially at the beginning, keep training sessions to a minimum, even if it means you can easily link them together later. Becoming flexible is not a race against time!
Mistakes in yoga: not breathing properly to gain flexibility
From the hips to the abs, through the thighs, flexibility concerns the whole body. And for a successful stretching, and a regained serenity, breathing is an essential ally. Indeed, whether you stretch your muscle during a gymnastics class or practice an asana in a yoga session, knowing how to breathe is the key!
It allows to fluidify any movement, and to make it immediately less complicated to reproduce at the moment of exhalation. In yoga, breathing is a very important part of the practice, and those called "pranayama" are pillars for better relaxation.
Thus, forgetting to "breathe well" is a very common mistake, which, from now on, will not be committed by you! Before stretching, do some breathing exercises, breathe in through your nose, blow through your mouth. And do the same when doing your flexibility exercises and postures.
Breathing well allows for better oxygenation of the muscle and the brain, but also helps to lower blood pressure. What more could you ask for than to be supple and healthy?
It will be understood that by avoiding these few small, basic mistakes, it will be possible to facilitate the work of flexibility, and of the body in general. Come on, it's your turn to try now!
