The Pros and Cons of Flexibility
As a yoga teacher, it’s incredibly important for me to listen to my body. As a yoga teacher with hypermobility, it’s even more important for me to listen to my body. It’s something that a lot of people struggle with whether you practice yoga or not, teach it or don’t.
A few weeks back, I taught a really nice slow flow and we opened up the hips. The catch is, my hips & spine are hypermobile and I couldn’t feel my hip flexors going beyond their limits. After this, I couldn’t walk properly for a few days as I was struggling to engage my hip flexors to lift my legs. Crazy right!
People who aren’t flexible often say that they can’t do yoga because they can’t touch their toes and I say nah-ah. If you’re that person, you have a strong & stable body and that is brilliant.
There are so many images out there that have created the expectation that yoga is for the skinny, twisty, bendy people but that isn’t that case. Those bendy, twisty people are often hypermobile. It’s in their makeup and they have struggles that you can’t see. Some of the symptoms that can be part of the hypermobile body are blood pressure challenges, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue and gut irritations to name a few. Being a bendy, twisty person may not be sounding so exciting anymore.
This week I’ve been listening very closely to my body as I’ve been having challenges with my blood pressure and fatigue. They’re directly connected as a spike in one drives a dip in the other. I’ve spent a few days taking it easy and I’m starting to feel better. Before I understood hypermobility I would always push through fatigue as I thought I needed to toughen up. I’d burn out and end up sick. Now I know better and I pay more attention and listen to my body, most of the time anyway.
If you’re the strong, stable person, the “I can’t do yoga” person, I’m here to let you know that you can do yoga if you want to that is, and you’ll be great at it. You already have strength and stability. You can hear your body when it says “No further dude”. Yoga can support you in creating space in your mind & your body, you’ll benefit from it so much.
You may not be the person standing on a giant rock on the beach with their foot behind their head. Does that mean you’re a bad yogi? Nope. All it means is your hip sockets and your muscle structure doesn’t allow your leg to do that. How does getting your foot behind your head help you in life anyway? Think about that for a moment.
I have students that join classes that can bust out stability work that I have been working on for years and sometimes I still can’t do but they can. I’m not going to ask them to see a different teacher. I tell them they’re great and congratulate them. Sometimes, I tell them I’m jealous of them as well. Not very yogi like but it’s the truth.
If you’ve thought about trying a yoga class but have steered away from it because you’re not flexible, I encourage you to give it a go. Find a good yoga basics or yoga beginners class in your area or online. Check out the Forever Body online classes here. And, look for yoga props to help with your practice – read more about those here.
If you’re the bendy person always wanting a little more, take a moment to see if you can move with more strength and more stability. Observe the sensations in your body as you practice and listen to the messages your brain is sending you.
Have a great day,
Kirsti x