Yoga. It’s actually IS for everyone...especially us folks who don’t LOOK like the typical yogi. When I (Lisa) started my “vibrant living” wellness journey back in November 2012, I decided to consistently add yoga to my routine.
Although I felt like the least flexible person in the room (and sometimes I still feel like I don't belong there), the truth was I NEEDED yoga more than that girl next to me in class who can twist her herself into a pretzel. Because of this, I put my insecurities aside, and I fell in love with yoga. It truly integrates your mind, body, and spirit like no other exercise.
Just as there are many branches of cardio and weight lifting, there are also many branches of yoga. When getting started, be sure to go to a beginner class or let the teacher know ahead of time you are new to yoga. Most yoga instructors are good about reminding us that everyone’s abilities are different and not to push yourself. One piece of advice that helped me is to remember to find that balance of a gentle stretch that is good for the body but not to extend yourself so much that it'll cause an injury.
I'd love to share some of my favorite Yoga resources with y'all.
Yoga With Adriene (a local Austinite): All her videos are on YouTube, so you can do these in the privacy of your home!
Praise Moves: Good alternative if you're a Christian and someone convinced you that yoga is too "new age and weird." ;)
Pro Yoga Therapy: If you're a medical professional who wants to incorporate yoga into their practice, Dr. Ginger Garner has an amazing program. I’ve taken some on line courses here.
And lastly, I'll just leave this right here...let this amazing guy be inspiration for you to keep going in case you feel "out of place" in a yoga class!