Overcoming Yoga Fears and Frustration

Today, I had a new student of yoga approach me with the concern that she was not good enough to do yoga. The class she had attended in the past was full of people doing poses she could not do. She experienced an hour of frustration because she could not do what everyone else was doing. It is common for all of us to have that competitive drive rise when we are in a room doing the same thing among others. Her comments were a good reminder for me as a teacher to give alternative poses and to make each student aware that we all start from the beginning. There are various forms of yoga and each teacher has his/her own twist on it. It is important to be aware if you are in a moderate to advanced class or a class geared toward young yoga practitioners. (And, I am not talking about your age...it doesn't matter in yoga!) There is a style of yoga for everyone and if you've had a not so good experience, don't give up. Word of mouth is always a good source for finding a good fit or simply going to the studio to meet the teacher and see if you get a good feel about them. The key is, don't let one experience stop you on this journey of yoga.