Everyone has an excuse when it comes to why they don’t exercise or try something new. Yoga is no exception. You don’t know if it’s “just not for you” if you don’t try it at least once–and I would say, at least 10 times with different teachers. I was in yoga for a couple of months before I actually started to enjoy it. Thank goodness I saw the potential and kept giving it another try, because I’ve learned so much, and now yoga is a cherished part of my life.
These are some of the worst excuses for not doing yoga I’ve ever heard, and why they’re all lame:
It’s for girls.
Actually, yoga was developed by men 5,000 years ago. Most of the great masters are still men. It’s a beautiful practice for both men and women, and will build strength and stamina, improve confidence, and lower stress no matter who you are.
I don’t like all that chanting and stuff.
I thought the same thing at first, but after I learned a little bit about the reasons behind the various mantras, their effects on the body, and how I feel when I do them, I learned to love them. Educate yourself about them before you discount them, and you can make an informed decision about whether to chant or not.
Secondly, the vast majority of yoga classes taught in gyms don’t tend to include much chanting.
And finally, you don’t have to chant. You can do the rest of the class and just sit quietly for the two minutes that are spent creating sounds.
It conflicts with my religion.
I don’t understand how it could do that, because yoga is not a religion. It can be spiritual for many people, but that’s something you decide on your own whether you associate with a particular religion or not. Just like I can’t drag you to church or temple and make you believe what they say there, I can’t drag you to yoga class and make you have a spiritual experience.
For some, yoga becomes the center of their spiritual life. They use it for meditation/prayer and to strengthen their connection to the creator. For others, it’s just exercise. Either way, yoga is incredibly beneficial and you shouldn’t miss out on it.
Furthermore, the basic teachings of yoga from a more in-depth stance line up pretty well with most religions: do no harm, do not steal, honor your body, be kind to others.
I’m not flexible.
That’s why you need to do yoga.
You don’t have to be flexible to start. I know the majority of what we see about yoga in the media is of incredibly strong, thin, flexible people, people with “yoga bodies“. Those aren’t the only people who benefit from yoga–and indeed, most of them probably weren’t that strong, thin, or flexible when they started yoga.
In each pose, you just go as far as you can go. You might not be able to touch your toes today, but you’ll notice improvement if you stick with it.
It’s weird.
In yoga, every little movement, gesture, and sound we make has meaning. There is a reason behind all of it. It’s both an art and a science. When you start to de-mystify it and learn why we do the things we do in yoga, it becomes more fascinating and less weird. In fact, it all makes perfect sense.
Or, like my own yoga teacher said with a laugh before answering a question about one of those particular little movements, “Yoga is weird. It is weird people that yoga.”
And that’s okay, too.
Still nervous? Read about how to prepare for your first class.