Myths about YOGA

Whenever we ask people about Pilates they always seem to have a good understanding of what it is and what it is good for. But when we ask the question ‘What is Yoga?’ there is either a silence that fills the air or “its just a lot of poses and stretching”.

I wanted to write this blog to dispel some of the myths surrounding Yoga because we want you to all see the benefits and give it a try!

Myth No 1

You need to be Flexible to come to Yoga!

Unfortunately, in the world of social media, all you see is a load of videos of contortionists, getting into weird and wacky positions. Yoga is about mindful movement and does not rely on being super flexible, although for obvious reasons being more mobile through practice is a thing to achieve in time! Yoga involves other factors such as meditation and breathwork.

Myth No 2

Yoga isn’t a workout.

Static holds/poses are actually of great merit when it comes to strength and conditioning, and have also been used in healthcare by physios and the like for decades to improve muscle strength whilst actually reducing pain.

Myth No 3

Yoga is just a load of stretching.

Vicious Rumour! Its like saying a press up just strengthens your arms. When looking at any exercise its about looking deeper into the movement to unlock its secrets. Yoga is not just holding positions, it’s a combination of approaches to help restore both Physical and emotional balance. Yoga can be very hard when you have a great teacher to challenge you at your level. Equally it can be as easy as you need it to be.

Myth No 4

Yoga is just for women, not men.

In actual fact, a growing number of instructors are male (28% to be precise). It is a fantastic way to increase strength and stability whilst reducing stress and anxiety. There is now a solid base of evidence that yoga and breathing techniques help to reduce stress! But unfortunately, there is still a strong stigma around showing weakness. Since yoga is so popular among women, it is perceived as “feminine” by a lot of men.  But both men and women suffer from stress and if yoga can help with this, you should do it.

To book onto a yoga class click here

you can find us just outside of Saffron Walden, in little chesterford. Not too far from Cambridge.