You're Not Too Inflexible for Yoga

The sentence I hear most as a yoga teacher isn't a question. It's an apology.

"Oh, I can't do yoga. I'm not flexible."

I hear it at parties. I hear it from friends. I've heard it from people who lift heavy, run marathons, and work 12-hour shifts on their feet. Strong, capable people who are somehow convinced the yoga mat is off-limits until they can fold in half.

So let me say it plainly: you are not too inflexible for yoga.

It says so right on my homepage. Real yoga for people who are stressed, imperfect, and inflexible. That's not a slogan. That's who I teach.

Flexibility Is a Result, Not a Requirement

Saying you're too stiff for yoga is like saying you're too dirty to take a shower. The tightness is the reason to come.

I have tight days, too!

Nobody walks into their first class with open hamstrings and perfect posture. I certainly didn't. Flexibility is something yoga can give you over time, if you want it. It's not the entry fee.

And honestly? Flexibility isn't even the point. Yoga is about connecting breath, body, and attention. (And so much more). You can find connection with tight hips. You can do it in a chair. You can do that lying flat on your back in savasana, which, by the way, is a pose too. You can find connection to breath or even to self even on your sickest of days. I have. Yoga follows us through all seasons of life.

What Yoga Actually Asks of You

The Yoga Sutras describe posture, or asana, with two qualities: sthira and sukha. Steady and easeful. That's it. Not deep. Not pretzel-shaped. Not Instagram-ready. Steady and easeful.

If a pose makes you grit your teeth and hold your breath, it's neither. Back off until you can breathe.

There's also ahimsa, the first yama, which means non-harming. On the mat, that means not forcing your body somewhere it isn't ready to go. Pain is not progress. A little sensation, a little stretch, a little challenge? Yes. Sharp pain or pinching? That's your body saying no, and in my classes, "no" is always the right answer.

Last week I wrote about aparigraha, letting go of how a pose is "supposed" to look. This is where that gets real. Your version of the pose is the real version.

Yes, Gym Yoga Counts

Some yoga purists turn their noses up at gym yoga. I don't. A lot of people try yoga for the first time at a gym, because it's included in a membership they already have and it feels less intimidating than a boutique studio full of fancy leggings.

I teach the same yoga whether it's on Zoom, in a studio, or next to the squat racks. And gym yoga is the perfect complement to everything else you're doing there. Lifters need mobility. Runners need hip openers. Everybody needs to learn how to breathe and recover.

Which brings me to my news. Group fitness at the new Crunch Fitness Arcadia starts November 7, and I'll be teaching yoga there. My class schedule is coming soon. If you've been looking for a sign to finally try a class, consider this it.

Your First Class: What to Expect

If you're nervous, here's my insider guide to walking in the door:

• Show up five minutes early. Grab a spot and tell the teacher about any injuries. We want to know.
• Grab props. Blocks, a strap, a blanket. Props aren't cheating. Props bring the floor closer to you.
• The back row is fine. Nobody's watching you. Everyone is busy worrying about themselves.
• Child's pose is always an option. Take it whenever you need it, for as long as you need it.
• Breathe through your nose. If you can't, that's your cue to ease off.
• Don't compare. The person next to you has a different body, a different history, and a different day.
• Stay for savasana. It's the most important part of class. Don't sneak out early.

Three Poses for Tight Bodies to Try at Home

Want to start before November 7? Try these tonight. Go slow, breathe, and stop if anything hurts.

Supported Child's Pose. Kneel, bring your knees wide, and fold forward onto a pillow or a stack of cushions. Rest your forehead down. Breathe into your back for a minute or two.

Reclined Figure Four. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Cross your right ankle over your left knee. Keep the right leg active, the foot flexed. Stay here, or hug your left thigh toward you for more. Switch sides. Hello, tight hips. (Switch sides and do it again).

Legs Up the Wall. Scoot your hips close to a wall and let your legs rest up it. Arms out by your sides. Stay for five minutes. This one is basically a nap with benefits.

That's yoga. No splits required. (I can teach you those, too).

So what's held you back from trying yoga? Hit reply and tell me. I read every one, and your answer might become a future newsletter.

See you on the mat.

-Heather

🌵 Around the Valley: yoga this week & next

Halloween week is here, and the Valley is celebrating on the water, on the mat, and on the meditation cushion. Here's what's worth your time from now through early November:

Free & donation-based

• Free Meditation – Sahaja Yoga Phoenix · Saturdays, 2:00 PM (Oct 24 & Oct 31) · 2434 E Osborn Rd, Phoenix · Free. A weekly drop-in guided meditation, beginner friendly, no mat needed. Details
• Witches Regatta on Tempe Town Lake · Sat Oct 24, 4:00 PM · Tempe Town Lake Boat Marina (north shore) · Free. Desert Paddleboards' annual Halloween paddle. Wear your witch or warlock cloak and float the lake as a coven. Bring your own board or rent one (rentals need a $10 City of Tempe boat permit). Details
• Introduction to Inner Engineering (Isha) · Thu Oct 29, 5:00 PM · Phoenix · Free intro session. Details
• Save the date – FitPHX Morning Yoga · Sat Nov 14, 9:00 AM · Encanto Park Clubhouse, 2499 N 15th Ave, Phoenix · Free, all levels, City of Phoenix program (every 2nd Saturday). Register

Sound baths on the water

Floating soundbaths are back now that the pools have cooled off. You lie on a paddleboard mat while live bowls and gongs wash over you. It's basically yoga nidra on the water. Paid, book ahead:

• JW Marriott Desert Ridge, Phoenix · Wed Oct 21, 6:00 PM. Book
• Canopy by Hilton rooftop, Tempe · Wed Oct 21, 7:00 PM. Book
• Queen Creek Recreation Pool lazy river · Fri Oct 23, 8:00 PM · Booked through the Town of Queen Creek. Details
• Skyline Pool, Mesa · Sat Oct 24, 6:00 PM. Book
• Hotel Solaya, Scottsdale · Mon Oct 26, 6:00 PM. Book
• Skysill Rooftop at The Westin Tempe · Tue Oct 27, 6:30 PM. Book
• Hilton Phoenix Resort at the Peak · Wed Oct 28, 6:00 PM. Book
• Westin Kierland, Scottsdale · Thu Oct 29, 6:00 PM. Book

Classes & specialty sessions

• Women's Yoga & Mobility · Wednesdays, 7:15–8:15 PM (incl. tonight, Oct 21) · Wild Girl Wellness, 4685 S Ash Ave Ste H1, Tempe · $15 drop-in, women only. Part flow, part yin, part mobility. Details
• Chair Yoga Therapy for Seniors · Thursdays 11:00 AM & Mondays 2:00 PM · Scottsdale. Great to pass along to a parent or grandparent. Thursday · Monday
• West Valley picks: Yoga in Surprise · Thursdays, 9:00 AM, plus Yin Yoga in Surprise · Tuesdays, 7:15 PM. Thursday yoga · Tuesday yin
• Fire Flower Qi Gong & Meditation · Fridays, 10:30 AM · Center for Divine Awakening, Phoenix · $20, all levels. A gentle, moving meditation if you want something different from asana. Details

Coming soon

• Yoga with me at Crunch Fitness Arcadia · Group fitness starts Sat Nov 7 · The gym opens Oct 31. My class schedule is coming soon!

Know of a class, workshop, or sound bath I missed? Hit reply and tell me!