In two previous articles, 3 Things You Thought You Knew About Yoga and Debunking 3 Common Yoga Myths, I wrote about these misconceptions:
1) You must be an acrobat/gymnast/contortionist to do yoga.
2) Yoga is boring. You just sit around doing nothing.
3) Yoga is a religion.
4) Yoga is for women only.
5) You must be vegetarian or vegan to practice yoga.
6) All yogis are peaceful.
Well folks, here are 3 more myths that persist. Don’t let these discourage you from trying out this wonderful practice!
Yoga is just for young and healthy people.
Yoga is for everyone. There are many styles and teachers of yoga that cater to different needs and levels of experience. For example, Chair Yoga is beneficial for a lot of elderly people with limited mobility or those with certain disabilities. Also, becoming more in demand, is yoga with a specific purpose. It’s becoming easier to find classes such as Yoga for Depression, Yoga for Veterans and PTSD, Yoga for MS, and Curvy Yoga, to name a few. No matter what your goals are for your practice, there is a yoga class suitable for you.
Yoga is just for hippies.
You don’t need to sport dreadlocks or sip kombucha to fit in with the yoga crowd. In fact, yoga is also becoming more popular in the corporate world. Many companies now provide on-site yoga classes for their employees to help them relieve stress and increase productivity. The point is, you don’t have to be someone you are not to practice yoga. Everyone is welcome!
Yoga is just another fitness fad.
Yoga is an ancient discipline that originated from India and eventually made its way around the world. It has evolved to meet the needs of modern practitioners while still staying true to its traditional teachings. A consistent yoga practice nurtures our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Yoga’s positive impact on people’s lives ensures that this practice will stay relevant for many more decades to come.
