1. What yoga is or isn’t
Yoga can have different meanings to different people and it’s definitely not my place to tell you what yoga is or isn’t – you will likely find that out for yourself and it could even change over time. However, if you ask most people what yoga is they will likely say “stretching” and “doing poses,” largely due to the imagery prevalent on social media. This was also my view for years, before I grasped the rich history, philosophy, and broader scope of yoga.
The Sanskrit word “yoga” translates to “union,” a concept with diverse interpretations. At a philosophical level, there are some huge concepts to get your head around (that’s a blog for another day!) but if we focus on the ‘practice’ level, yoga is often described as the union of body, mind and breath. But what does that actually mean? Well, our bodies and minds are often disconnected, with our thoughts constantly racing so one of the aims of yoga is to quieten the mental chatter so that our minds are present with our bodies and breath. The idea is that this integration is the foundation to then move deeper.
A helpful metaphor illustrates yoga’s essence: imagine a lake where thrown stones (your thoughts) make the water murky and choppy (your mind), obscuring the lakebed (your body). When the stones cease, the silt settles, the water stills, and the lakebed becomes clear. For many, that is what yoga aims to provide. So, how does the physical practice relate to achieving this union? It serves as a tool. By moving our bodies, we naturally draw our awareness inward, away from external distractions and mental chatter. After all, focusing on a work project is challenging while balancing in tree pose! Furthermore, physical movement releases accumulated tension, making it easier to find stillness in both body and mind during Savasana.
2. That our skeletons are all quite different
It’s an obvious statement when we say that all of bodies are different but if you lined up 10 skeletons next to each other, you would see huge differences in size, angles, bone lengths, proportions etc. In yoga, it’s crucial to remember that each body is inherently unique, starting with the very foundation of our skeletal structure. While we often focus on flexibility as the primary factor limiting our ability to achieve certain poses, the individual architecture of our bones plays a significant role. For instance, the angle at which your femur (thigh bone) naturally sits within your pelvis can dramatically influence your range of motion in hip-opening postures. What might appear as a lack of flexibility in one person could simply be the natural endpoint dictated by their bone structure, a point that stretching alone cannot overcome.
Therefore, a mindful and compassionate yoga practice acknowledges these inherent skeletal variations. It encourages students to explore their individual range of motion with awareness, respecting the boundaries set not only by muscle tightness but also by their unique bone structure. Understanding this difference allows for a more accepting and less judgmental approach to our practice, shifting the focus from achieving a specific aesthetic to experiencing the internal benefits of the pose within our own anatomical framework.
3. That our limitations can be our superpowers
My own journey through numerous knee operations and subsequent physical limitations has profoundly shaped my approach to teaching yoga, transforming what once felt like hindrances into invaluable assets. Having navigated countless modifications and experienced the frustration of feeling like the “worst” in class, I possess a deep empathy for students facing their own unique challenges. This personal experience allows me to offer more authentic and relatable guidance, understanding firsthand that yoga is not about achieving an idealised aesthetic but rather about finding presence and benefit within one’s individual capacity.
Furthermore, my past injuries have instilled in me a heightened awareness of alignment and the importance of listening to the body’s signals. This sensitivity translates into more precise and adaptable cueing, empowering students to practice safely and intelligently, honoring their own restrictions. By openly sharing my own journey, I aim to create a more inclusive and accepting space, demonstrating that yoga truly is for everyone, regardless of physical limitations. My “restrictions” have ultimately become the very lens through which I can offer a more compassionate, understanding, and ultimately, more effective teaching experience.
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