‘What you think, you become.
What you feel, you attract.
What you imagine, you create’ – Buddha

I’m strong, but I’ve never been super bendy. Every day when I step onto my mat I’m working on my flexibility, releasing residual tension that’s built up from years of long distance running, triathlons and sitting at a desk.

The most common thing I hear from people who come to class for the first time is ‘I’m totally inflexible’. It’s often said with an air of nervousness and apprehension as if they’re expecting to be sent home. Or, worse still, they fear that everyone else in the room will be uber bendy and they’ll be humiliated, all because they are struggling to touch their toes.

So, here’s the thing. You don’t need to be flexible to practice yoga. Flexibility comes as a consequence of practicing; it’s not a prerequisite. I often use the analogy that you wouldn’t think that you’d need to know how to play the piano to take piano lessons; it’s the same principle.

The thing to remember is that all bodies are different, and everyone is faced with different challenges and things to work on, whether it is flexibility, strength, balance or just simply being still, mindful and present. What’s easy for some can be super difficult for others. No one has it nailed, even the uber bendy one at the front who seems to effortlessly bring their head to their shin.

Yoga is a practice. It has to be cultivated, day by day, week by week. We are always work in progress. We tend to avoid the stuff we find hard because it brings us face to face with our weaknesses and takes us to a place of vulnerability. It’s about recognising that, showing up, letting go of the ego, accepting where we are and not comparing ourselves to others, in the knowledge that that each moment on the mat is an opportunity to progress our own practice.  And with time, our bodies start changing. Then one day, without effort or struggle, you’ll be there on your mat rocking a pose that you thought seemed impossible a few months ago.