I blog and post often about the inclusivity of Dru Yoga, so nothing saddens me more than when I hear something on the lines of …. “I’d love to come to yoga class, but I’m going to wait until I’m more flexible / I’ve lost weight / I’m too old to start yoga”.
Dru Yoga is for everybody and every body! Traditional ygoa is not a fitness regime, it’s a philosophy for healthy living.
Let’s take each of these comments in turn.
“I’m not flexible enough to do yoga”… One of the key, proven benefits of yoga is that improves flexbility, so I can’t think of a better way to improve flexibility than to come to a yoga class! Not only that you’ll be guided through all the postures by a tutor who has been trained to keep you safe and help you get the most out of the practices. I rest my case 🙂
“I need to lose weight first”… This one makes me the saddest. Ignore the Instagram photos and magazine shots, these are not the reality of a Dru Yoga class. At an Inside Out class you will supported and encouraged. We never single people out and we don’t make any judgements. We aim to help everyone get the most out of each class, and work with their body, not against it. You definitely don’t need to be a size 6 to practice and benefit from yoga. In my 28 years yoga experience size is absolutely no guide to a person’s ability to get into a yoga pose – you have to trust me on this! Furthermore, Dru Yoga encourages us to love our bodies, boosting our self worth and confidence. Once you start practising you’ll want to take the best care of yourself, yoga teaches us that our bodies are amazing and worthy of the best love and self care. Plus! You will be moving, helping to tone your body, and getting a fantastic relaxation at the end of the class.
“I too old to start yoga”… Yoga is practised by people of all ages and abilities. My oldest student is in her 90’s – she only took up yoga in her 80’s. In Dru Yoga we can adapt and modify all our postures so that everyone is practising in a way that best suits their needs. The benefits of taking up yoga at any age are well documented – improved flexibility & strength, improved back & joint health, boosted circulation (good for heart, lungs & immunity), reduced stress & anxiety, better quality of sleep, improved digestion…I could go on! These benefits are not limited to the young, or to those who have practised for years, these are very tangible benefits that everyone can experience. The thing is, you will be the same age whether you start yoga or not, but you could be a 60/70/80/90 year old who is experiencing the benefits mentioned above, and you’ll be having fun and meeting people.
Be brave, take a chance, come to a yoga class! See what happens. If you don’t like it no problem, at least you won’t be wondering any more, and you never know you might just find something you love and wish you’d started years ago.
I hope this blog has reassured. As always, if you’d like to share your experiences we’d love to hear, and you might just inspire someone to give yoga a try. If you need a little more reassurance then please do get in touch. We are here to help and answer questions 🙂 Ix