Social media images give you a false impression of what yoga is

If you've been reading my blog posts for a while (thank you, by the way!), you know I'm an avid reader. I usually read 2-3 books a week. Lots of memoirs, biographies, self-help books, and educational books.

One of those educational books I just started reading is "How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going" by Vaclav Smil.

While this book addresses big questions such as climate change, I've also been asking myself some simpler questions recently:

Like, why does my cat always vomit on my carpets, not on my hardwood floors?

What yoga deal should I offer for Black Friday?

Why is every social media post about yoga showing instructors doing pretzel-like poses?

You know what I’m talking about.

Many yoga instructors (no disrespect) seem to want to impress you with their freakish flexibility by showing images of them doing contorted moves. They instill in you the belief that yoga is about getting into these pretzel-like poses.

What lessons are we getting from these social media images?

That you don't deserve to call yourself a yogi until you can do fancy-looking poses? That you shouldn't even bother showing up for yoga unless you are flexible? That if you just did enough yoga, you could also wrap your leg around your head?

This might make you feel like you're the problem ... like it’s just a matter of hard work and willpower.

But it’s not.

Everyone's body is built differently. Think about how flexible each of us is as a bell curve distribution. Yoga instructors who are super flexible are at the far-end tail of that curve. Far from the mean. Think of them as freaks of nature!

By the way, the same goes for supermodels. They need to be tall and skinny, yet have lots of curves. They are also on the far-end tail of that bell curve regarding body types. Think of them as freaks of nature, too! (How liberating is that, hah!)

THEY are freaks of nature! And YOUR body is perfectly normal.

Here’s the thing…

Your body -- the way it is today (even if you have complaints about it) -- is perfect for yoga!

Yoga is not about fancy poses. It's about reconnecting with your body and your breath. It's about calming your mind so you can deal with everyday stressors (and we all know they'll inevitably show up).

So I want you to join me for one of my FAVORITE yoga poses right now.

Handstand? Crow pose? Scorpion pose?

No! I want you to join me for a few minutes for the Legs Up The Wall pose. (Check out my previous blog about this de-stressing yoga pose if you want instructions on how to get into this pose and discover its benefits).

Did you do it? Did you do the Legs Up The Wall yoga pose?

If you did, congratulations! 🎉 You have my permission to call yourself a yogi!

If you've taken my online yoga classes, you know that I teach in an accessible and supportive way. My classes have no handstands, crow poses, scorpion poses, or other pretzel-like poses.

My online yoga classes are gentle and anatomy-informed. I design them to relieve stress and counter the ill effects of spending hours every day in front of our computers, such as tension in our shoulders, low back, and hips.

What are your thoughts on this? Has social media skewed your perception of yoga? Might it be time for you to reframe your thoughts about yoga? Is it your time to give yoga a try or deepen your yoga practice?

Best,
Christine

P.S. Want to discover additional yoga poses that are simple to do? Enter your name and email address to grab your FREE Starter Guide to Yoga for 45+ ...