Misonceptions of a Yogi

Original Post on I am the F Bomb

In my 6 years of teaching yoga, I’ve heard it all. The fears, excuses or ego that holds you back from experiencing the greatness that yoga has to offer. Yoga means “to yoke.” It means to offer balance and that’s exactly what I’m here to do for you. I want to bring balance to the extreme Misconceptions of a Yogi.

1. Yoga is for Girls
Yes, out of the 15-20 Million yoga practitioners at present, a whopping 75% of them are female. However, it’s important to know it wasn’t always this way. In the early days, yoga was taught one on one exclusively to males. Massive classes didn’t exist and teachings were handed down man to man. As yoga became more westernized, women picked up the practice. Considering modern female influence, it’s no surprise yoga has become a predominately female driven industry. But, I’m here to tell you – Any Body can benefit from yoga. Big muscle dudes, scrawny dudes, middle of the road dudes – we don’t discriminate gender, race, or physicality. Gentlemen, we invite you back with open arms!

2. Farting in Class
This is one of the most common questions I get: How many people fart in your class? Well, I’m not going to answer that – because, I’ve never paid attention. Let’s just say, that yoga is a practice to move, adjust and detox your body, muscles and organs as a whole. As you move, things shift. When things shift, they release – at least, you hope! Release happens and its ok (Read: Farting happens, and its ok!) As your teacher, I don’t miss a beat. Yes the room is quiet and people may hear, but no one ever really knows who it is and if they do, it really doesn’t matter. Not to mention, it’s healthy to release. You are there to practice whole body healing. Yoga is not about holding “stuff” in to or be the person that does ever posture perfectly. It’s about having a safe, wholesome experience on your mat; an experience that helps you feel better after class.And lets’s be real, farting feels good. Don’t ever hesitate from coming to class for fear of a fart. No one remembers. It’s a safe space. Everyone poots.

3. Yogis are really, REALLY good in bed.
So, this is the next most common question I get. Again, I’m not going to answer and exploit my sexual life here. However, I will tell you that yoga has been known to improve breath, endurance, confidence, personal sexuality, communication and yes, flexibility. Working with your body creates a higher awareness of feelings, likes and dislikes. When you know your body, you know how to use your body. ‘nuff said.

4. I’m not flexible enough.
UGH. This one drives me nuts. Yoga is not a practice for flexible people. It’s a practice of flexibility. Flexibility of the mind and body. As a Wellness and Mindful Living Coach, I work with people’s emotional “stuff.” I can tell you 100% that The Mind plays just as big a role in your physical capacity as your muscular ability. The beautiful thing is, yoga helps with all of it. A calm mind alleviates the muscles. When your sympathetic nervous system is firing all the time in fight or flight mode, I can guarantee your hamstrings will never release. I can also guarantee if you devote time and space to releasing the mind, you will notice a significant physical release. Also, you have to account for anatomical differences. We are all made very different. That’s not something we should compete with, its something to embrace. Enjoy your body and all it’s capable of.

5. I’m not judging you
This one is super important for me. I teach 3-4 public class and countless privates per week. My job is to help you connect with yourself, feel good in your skin, and be safe. That doesn’t happen by judging you. It happens through observation without judgement. I observe a room of students and understand the energy and physical levels in the room. I don’t look at how your pants fit, fat rolls or bones stick out. I look at YOU. I try to see the internal experience of each student in order to accommodate. I don’t care about your ass in those pant, weight or feet (my students can attest, my feet are always dirty). I care about something much, much deeper – your experience. Let me help you move and feel good – it’s really that simple.

6. I’m not _______ enough. 
Young, thin, healthy or not pregnant, enough. BLAH! Yes you are. By belittling yourself, you are holding yourself back from actually feeling better. Yoga is for ANY BODY. I cannot stress this enough. You simply have to find the right class/teacher and I am more than happy to help you find it (emiliemaynor@gmail.com). Yoga is beautifully accessible to all people. It is meant to meet you where you are. There are classes and teachers wholly devoted to you. Chair yoga, restorative gentle, yoga for body image, beginners orprenatal – classes galore!

7. You will “achieve” yoga.
Yoga is not a destination. It’s a continuous practice. In fact, it’s referred to as a discipline, which means your will constantly work. Sometimes it will be your body and sometimes it will be your mind that “needs work.” Every practice will be different. Which is why it’s so important to know you can’t compete in yoga. Your experience varies from class to class and so does everyone else. It’s a very personal practice. Know yourself and listen to your body. If you don’t “know yourself,” yet, that’s OK. Do yoga to listen and understand yourself.

Bottom line – yoga can be for you. You just have to show up and accept it! If you still feel timid or uncertain, message me! Let me help you find your yoga. I specialize in teaching Beginners. I understand how hard it is to walk into a studio and take that first step, so here are a few resources to help motivate you and help you understand the true value of yoga:
– Every Body is a Yoga Body
– Beginners Series
– Yoga and Body Image Coalition
– Body Boop, Loving your body one boop at a time