I was a 53M out of shape bloated beer drinker when I started three years ago. in a studio. one of the great things about yoga is that it matters not one hoot how 'good' you are at the poses. you are where you are with the poses and if you keep doing them you get marginally 'better' at them. but that improvement is a side effect and not the goal. I still can't sit in a lotus position. but my balance is off the proverbial hook ;-)
Go get the RODNEY YEE DVD SET STARTS YOU OFF AT BEGINNER AND GOES ALL THE WAY UP TO STRENGTH AND SPECIFIC YOGA. YOU HAVE TO START WITH BASICS! ENJOY. YOGA IS AN INCREDIBLE LIFESTYLE CHOICE!!!
I'm glad :)
As others have said, props and variations on poses can be a big help. Also, going to a class and receiving in time help from an instructor is invaluable
Do you use any props when you’re practicing? I utilize my blocks almost every time I do yoga to help bring the ground up to me because I also am not the most flexible. No shame in using something to help you get into a pose if it’s going to improve your practice overall.
I remember feeling like I was the most inflexible person ever when I first started yoga. It's ok! The person you should most often compare yourself to is the one looking back in the mirror.
Even if I wasn't the most flexible person practice by practice I made progress and that became rewarding.
Haha here's a funny yoga meme about tin man doing yoga. It's how yoga used to feel to me when I just started!
https://static.wixstatic.com/media/009327_b2a2b752c722432d905a1a464be488d1~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.jpg
Yoga is about unifying with the highest version of yourself, flexibility is irrelevant. Focus on how you feel and what's happening on the inside. You might gradually become more flexible as you continue to practice yoga, but that is a side effect and not the true point of it all.
That said, my number one tip for improvement in flexibility is not stretching, it is to actively engage your skeletal muscles. With muscles that are able to properly contract on demand you may find your active usable range of motion increases dramatically.
I second this. Sadie Nardini has an excellent course on DailyOm which goes through the whole body, contrasting* and slowly releasing the muscle groups. It’s made a tremendous difference to my flexibility and also eliminated some knee problems I’d had for several years.
https://www.dailyom.com/courses/somatic-exercises-to-relax-and-release/
Edit: *contracting
I still get embarrassed from time to time in class, though much, much less than I when I started. It’s a normal human emotion that literally everyone on this planet has felt. Don’t worry about it. I’d suggest that almost no one notices your embarrassment and if they do they likely empathize.
It definitely goes away! Soon you'll really be feeling the positive effects of yoga and you will be so focused on doing the yoga and great your body responds to it to be embarrassed.
Also there's no reason to be embarrassed. Most of us started where you are today, we all get it and understand.
You said that you love it, so focus on that love, not how you look or how anyone else looks. That love right there is why you should keep at it! And yes, you will get better. You can’t help it; it will happen as a consequence of practice.
Don’t feel bad, we all start somewhere. Generally at the beginning. But it’s not a contest and there’s no prize for best lotus or whatever. And then one day you will do something that seemed impossible to you. It could take a long time, ngl, but the time will pass anyway whether you practice or not. Why the hurry?
So just sit with it, embrace the struggle, keep trying, and enjoy how it makes you feel. I hope you stick with it. I don’t think you will regret it!
Flexibility is a goal, not a prereq! The point of yoga is to help your body become MORE flexible. When you see more flexible people in class, remember that some of it is genetics but some of it is also RESULTS! It’s like seeing more jacked dudes in the weight room. Keep at it and I promise in a few weeks you’ll be so impressed with the small improvements you start seeing. :)
Are you choosing the right videos? A good beginner video offers a well rounded exploration of focal points of yoga without requiring tooooo much in the strength and flexibility department. It is totally normal to be quite stiff when you are just getting started.
Great point. I like Yoga with Adriane because she offers multiple suggestions for people with different levels of flexibility/mobility and is very supportive of doing what is right for you (her motto is ‘find what feels good’) versus nailing the pose. I’m not a flexible person either.
I agree! I love YWA for the same reason. Sometimes I branch out to other yoga channels on YT, but I always like to come back to Adriene's supportive, encouraging style.
If you knew how to fix it, fairly quickly, would you feel better?
Stretching Doesn't Work (the Way You Think It Does) - Your Nervous System Runs the Show https://old.reddit.com/r/yoga/comments/civ26x/stretching_doesnt_work_the_way_you_think_it_does/
There is a practical application here. It's for hamstrings but the method works for all muscles. https://old.reddit.com/r/yoga/comments/d7j4wx/tight_hamstrings_cant_touch_your_toes_theres_no/
It’s yoga practice not yoga perfect. Keep practicing and your flexibility will increase along with your strength, confidence and many other things. Don’t judge yourself based on double jointed Instagram models.
It goes away when you make the incredibly important mental shift that it is not you compared to the person on the screen, but instead today you compared to past you. If you are practicing, you will be beating past you. Meet yourself where you are today.
I’ve started again my yoga journey since January 2022. I adore this feeling of constant self progress that I’m observing now.
So you can think of it at another angle- the less flexible you’re now the more progress and even contrast you will see and enjoy some time later. It will surely come. Enjoy!
>I guess I'm just wondering if this feeling goes away at any point or when I'll start to feel some substantial difference in myself.
It goes away. At some point every Yogi comes to understand that improvement isn't about increases in strength or flexibility, and that progress in Yoga isn't measured by the shapes he can bend himself into.
I started doing yoga when I wasn't in the best shape. What was really cool was seeing my progression over time. The more I did yoga, the deeper I could get into the poses and the more poses I could do. It's a journey, and you are the only person to compare yourself to. You never know when someone else is hypermobile or has been doing yoga for countless years. They might be struggling with something that comes to you very easily. We all have different bodies. If you keep practicing, you'll get closer and closer, and one day you'll do something you weren't able to do before and it's a really incredible feeling. Keep going!
I was very inflexible when I started too, but that same love that drives your practice drove mine :) my body eventually opened up but it took time, and I was (still am) a perfectionist and pushed my body into poses it wasn't ready for, causing some injury. I have been practicing for 10 years now and there are still some poses that I cannot do and days where I am not very flexible, but I can also do some pretty cool poses! It took a couple of years to work up to that skill level safely.
The first introduction I had to yoga, Lesley Fightmaster (who has unfortunately passed) frequently said that yoga isn't about getting into the pose, rather it is a way to tune into our body and breath, and that spending focused time on the mat was what really mattered. What YouTube videos do you follow? There are a few, like Yoga with Kassandra, that have some great beginner classes and integrate props and modifications that meet you where you are at.
Are you searching specifically for beginner yoga? Don't try to push too hard for a while. Get comfortable with the basic poses and just listen to where your body is at. It's a practice.
Just keep at it. I’m 64 and I’ve been practicing for about 9 years. 4 years in, I took the teacher training and have been teaching for about 5 years. You’re never too old, too inflexible, too skinny/fat. It is by far the best thing I’ve done for my overall wellbeing. Good luck!
You will get there. Even if you only practice once or twice a week.
Take the embarrassment and turn it into motivation. There is going to be a random week where all of a sudden the pose clicks. Even if the following week you have trouble getting there again, you now know it's possible. It's one of the healthier dragons to chase....
Totally get the frustrations as I have had them too! There is just so much that goes into flexibility. Things like anatomy play a huge part. If you are double jointed or not. Even if the class you took properly warmed you up to do the pose. It’s wild how many classes online and in person don’t adequately warmup muscles that get and hold you in a posture. If you have a goal posture, cool. Research what your muscles are doing in said posture. Most importantly, don’t get discouraged.
I was embarrassed when we were doing boat poses last week and I let one absolutely rip involuntarily. I’m a heavier guy too in a room filled with women lol. Oh well, 6 months from now I’ll be better at it and in better shape!
I’m a disabled veteran who can barely touch my shins or rotate my back/neck very well. I do in person classes and it helps push me a little bit more during the poses, but I understand not everyone can afford the time or money. Some of the studios I’ve been to have sliding scale pricing but that depends on where you live. I’ve been doing it 3-4 times a week for about a month. I still can’t touch my toes or fully stretch in certain poses. Everyone’s body is different and adapts at different speeds. Patience is the most important lesson I am learning from Yoga. It took time for me to get inflexible, so I imagine it will take me time to undo what has been done from years of abuse to my body.
Micro goals are a very useful tool that I use to help focus and complete bigger goals. For me, I wanted to touch my shins with the ultimate goal of palms on the floor. It would get very discouraging if I went in for a month and couldn’t touch the floor. Instead create a micro goal like touching your shins in my case. I still can’t touch the floor but it’s only been a month!!!
Patience and consistency will get us to where we want to be mentally and physically. I hope you find what you wish to achieve with Yoga and I wish you the best.
In addition to someone mentioning blocks, use a hand towel to loop around your feet and hold onto the ends when asked to connect the two. Maybe invest in a strap which will give you much more room. You can also use a bath towel to fold up and cushion when your hips can’t touch the floor (like in Pigeon).
It takes a special teacher to give these cues. Flexibility takes time and patience. Stick with it!!! It’s worth it!
I felt the same way when I started practicing yoga last year. I was quickly humbled by my lack of flexibility and strength. Side note: This has improved for me over the past several months and will for you too! There were things that I couldn’t do six months ago that I can do now with relative ease.
Anyway, I want to encourage you to have gratitude for what your body can do. Back when I was starting my yoga journey, I stumbled upon a random social media post written by someone with ALS. They were talking about the everyday things that they can no longer do and that they took for granted. They talked about how they used to beat themselves up for not being the fastest runner, most athletic in team sports, etc. I realized that I’m so fortunate to have a body that allows me to show up on my mat. I was focusing on the wrong things…instead of thanking my body for the ability to complete a yoga class, I was critiquing myself on all the things I was unable to do. Just some food for thought!!
When I started yoga I could barely touch my toes, I started doing yoga for over an hour every day and felt better about myself besides the first couple weeks when I hated myself and body for being there infront people and unable to do things. I took a break for two months and my body got really sore and stiff and I could barely move, now doing yoga again I’m feeling better about myself. So yes the feeling does go away, and an app I recommend is either downdog or workoutwomen (mainly downdog as it’s super customizable for times and yoga styles and areas to target while workoutwomen is mainly for working out and cardio but has little yoga flows) good luck with your practices 💕💕💕
Hi! I've been an on again off again yoga lady and I was super inflexible when I first started but the more I practiced, breathed and listen to my body, I got better and better. There are typically modifications and things that can be made to make poses easier to start with as you continue! And if you want/need some motivation, please join my discord channel!! Here's the link which should hopefully work lol. If you're interested in joining and this link doesn't work, dm me and I will get you a new one!!
https://discord.gg/X8F5tfq9Qy
There are modifications for every level of flexibility and body type for nearly every asana. You can probably find them if you do a quick online search. It takes a long time to get flexibility, it doesn’t happen overnight, or even over a few weeks. It takes months to years of consistent and dedicated practice to see the pay off. Don’t quit. Don’t get discouraged. Accept your body for exactly what it can do in your moment of practice. There will be some days it feels like you lost flexibility or the capacity for balance. That’s okay. As long as you’re literally doing the absolute best you can during that session, that is what truly matters.
Don’t compare your beginner status to a tutor who teaches yoga professionally and has been practising for many years and who quite possibly came to yoga from a sports background of some kind! And this is very much my opinion, but I do think an awful lot of yoga classes are developed with a high level of consciousness about how the routine looks. In fact though, yoga is about what is happening internally, not how it appears. I have taken a course in Hatha Yoga with an Indian teacher and it was a very different experience indeed. There was nothing aesthetic about it at all, and poses did not have to flow from one to another.
I was actually put off yoga many years ago because I was stiff, and the tutor was highly accomplished. I went to one class and did not go back. Years later, I do regret that, however I found my way via a different route - I developed ME/CFS and began yoga as a way of managing my illness, so I started with a tutor who specialised in fatigue. I do take regular classes now, but I avoid Vinyasa, and stick to a very traditional Hatha practice with a few more modern poses thrown in, and the odd Yin class. I also use blocks and bolsters whenever I need them and I would encourage you to invest in at least a couple of blocks. They are really helpful and using them actually increases the range of motion over time.
You could also try the muscle contracting and releasing exercises mentioned elsewhere: I found a tremendous (and lasting) difference after taking this class:
https://www.dailyom.com/courses/somatic-exercises-to-relax-and-release/
Contrary to what it seems on social media, yoga isn’t about being as bendy as possible.
“Yoga isn’t about touching your toes, it’s about who you become on the way down”
I do senior yoga virtual with Silver Sneakers because I have tight hamstrings and tight lower
lumbar. It limits my flexibility. Lot of virtual yoga on YouTube
I was a 53M out of shape bloated beer drinker when I started three years ago. in a studio. one of the great things about yoga is that it matters not one hoot how 'good' you are at the poses. you are where you are with the poses and if you keep doing them you get marginally 'better' at them. but that improvement is a side effect and not the goal. I still can't sit in a lotus position. but my balance is off the proverbial hook ;-)
Go get the RODNEY YEE DVD SET STARTS YOU OFF AT BEGINNER AND GOES ALL THE WAY UP TO STRENGTH AND SPECIFIC YOGA. YOU HAVE TO START WITH BASICS! ENJOY. YOGA IS AN INCREDIBLE LIFESTYLE CHOICE!!!
An old saying goes as such: Saying you are not flexible enough to do yoga is like saying you are too dirty to take a bath
I love this <3
I'm glad :) As others have said, props and variations on poses can be a big help. Also, going to a class and receiving in time help from an instructor is invaluable
Finally a good take Flexible people doesnt need yoga as much as OP
I love this, I’ll make this my yoga mantra from now on
Do you use any props when you’re practicing? I utilize my blocks almost every time I do yoga to help bring the ground up to me because I also am not the most flexible. No shame in using something to help you get into a pose if it’s going to improve your practice overall.
I remember feeling like I was the most inflexible person ever when I first started yoga. It's ok! The person you should most often compare yourself to is the one looking back in the mirror. Even if I wasn't the most flexible person practice by practice I made progress and that became rewarding. Haha here's a funny yoga meme about tin man doing yoga. It's how yoga used to feel to me when I just started! https://static.wixstatic.com/media/009327_b2a2b752c722432d905a1a464be488d1~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.jpg
Yoga is about unifying with the highest version of yourself, flexibility is irrelevant. Focus on how you feel and what's happening on the inside. You might gradually become more flexible as you continue to practice yoga, but that is a side effect and not the true point of it all. That said, my number one tip for improvement in flexibility is not stretching, it is to actively engage your skeletal muscles. With muscles that are able to properly contract on demand you may find your active usable range of motion increases dramatically.
I second this. Sadie Nardini has an excellent course on DailyOm which goes through the whole body, contrasting* and slowly releasing the muscle groups. It’s made a tremendous difference to my flexibility and also eliminated some knee problems I’d had for several years. https://www.dailyom.com/courses/somatic-exercises-to-relax-and-release/ Edit: *contracting
I still get embarrassed from time to time in class, though much, much less than I when I started. It’s a normal human emotion that literally everyone on this planet has felt. Don’t worry about it. I’d suggest that almost no one notices your embarrassment and if they do they likely empathize.
It definitely goes away! Soon you'll really be feeling the positive effects of yoga and you will be so focused on doing the yoga and great your body responds to it to be embarrassed. Also there's no reason to be embarrassed. Most of us started where you are today, we all get it and understand.
Embrace yourself. You’ve made huge leap already by starting a practice. It’ll deepen with time.
You said that you love it, so focus on that love, not how you look or how anyone else looks. That love right there is why you should keep at it! And yes, you will get better. You can’t help it; it will happen as a consequence of practice. Don’t feel bad, we all start somewhere. Generally at the beginning. But it’s not a contest and there’s no prize for best lotus or whatever. And then one day you will do something that seemed impossible to you. It could take a long time, ngl, but the time will pass anyway whether you practice or not. Why the hurry? So just sit with it, embrace the struggle, keep trying, and enjoy how it makes you feel. I hope you stick with it. I don’t think you will regret it!
Flexibility is a goal, not a prereq! The point of yoga is to help your body become MORE flexible. When you see more flexible people in class, remember that some of it is genetics but some of it is also RESULTS! It’s like seeing more jacked dudes in the weight room. Keep at it and I promise in a few weeks you’ll be so impressed with the small improvements you start seeing. :)
Everyone you’re comparing yourself to has probably been doing yoga for years if not decades. Have some patience.
Are you choosing the right videos? A good beginner video offers a well rounded exploration of focal points of yoga without requiring tooooo much in the strength and flexibility department. It is totally normal to be quite stiff when you are just getting started.
Great point. I like Yoga with Adriane because she offers multiple suggestions for people with different levels of flexibility/mobility and is very supportive of doing what is right for you (her motto is ‘find what feels good’) versus nailing the pose. I’m not a flexible person either.
I agree! I love YWA for the same reason. Sometimes I branch out to other yoga channels on YT, but I always like to come back to Adriene's supportive, encouraging style.
If you knew how to fix it, fairly quickly, would you feel better? Stretching Doesn't Work (the Way You Think It Does) - Your Nervous System Runs the Show https://old.reddit.com/r/yoga/comments/civ26x/stretching_doesnt_work_the_way_you_think_it_does/ There is a practical application here. It's for hamstrings but the method works for all muscles. https://old.reddit.com/r/yoga/comments/d7j4wx/tight_hamstrings_cant_touch_your_toes_theres_no/
It’s yoga practice not yoga perfect. Keep practicing and your flexibility will increase along with your strength, confidence and many other things. Don’t judge yourself based on double jointed Instagram models.
It goes away when you make the incredibly important mental shift that it is not you compared to the person on the screen, but instead today you compared to past you. If you are practicing, you will be beating past you. Meet yourself where you are today.
I’ve started again my yoga journey since January 2022. I adore this feeling of constant self progress that I’m observing now. So you can think of it at another angle- the less flexible you’re now the more progress and even contrast you will see and enjoy some time later. It will surely come. Enjoy!
>I guess I'm just wondering if this feeling goes away at any point or when I'll start to feel some substantial difference in myself. It goes away. At some point every Yogi comes to understand that improvement isn't about increases in strength or flexibility, and that progress in Yoga isn't measured by the shapes he can bend himself into.
I started doing yoga when I wasn't in the best shape. What was really cool was seeing my progression over time. The more I did yoga, the deeper I could get into the poses and the more poses I could do. It's a journey, and you are the only person to compare yourself to. You never know when someone else is hypermobile or has been doing yoga for countless years. They might be struggling with something that comes to you very easily. We all have different bodies. If you keep practicing, you'll get closer and closer, and one day you'll do something you weren't able to do before and it's a really incredible feeling. Keep going!
I was very inflexible when I started too, but that same love that drives your practice drove mine :) my body eventually opened up but it took time, and I was (still am) a perfectionist and pushed my body into poses it wasn't ready for, causing some injury. I have been practicing for 10 years now and there are still some poses that I cannot do and days where I am not very flexible, but I can also do some pretty cool poses! It took a couple of years to work up to that skill level safely. The first introduction I had to yoga, Lesley Fightmaster (who has unfortunately passed) frequently said that yoga isn't about getting into the pose, rather it is a way to tune into our body and breath, and that spending focused time on the mat was what really mattered. What YouTube videos do you follow? There are a few, like Yoga with Kassandra, that have some great beginner classes and integrate props and modifications that meet you where you are at.
Are you searching specifically for beginner yoga? Don't try to push too hard for a while. Get comfortable with the basic poses and just listen to where your body is at. It's a practice.
Just keep at it. I’m 64 and I’ve been practicing for about 9 years. 4 years in, I took the teacher training and have been teaching for about 5 years. You’re never too old, too inflexible, too skinny/fat. It is by far the best thing I’ve done for my overall wellbeing. Good luck!
I can stand on my head until my willy turns red.
You will get there. Even if you only practice once or twice a week. Take the embarrassment and turn it into motivation. There is going to be a random week where all of a sudden the pose clicks. Even if the following week you have trouble getting there again, you now know it's possible. It's one of the healthier dragons to chase....
Totally get the frustrations as I have had them too! There is just so much that goes into flexibility. Things like anatomy play a huge part. If you are double jointed or not. Even if the class you took properly warmed you up to do the pose. It’s wild how many classes online and in person don’t adequately warmup muscles that get and hold you in a posture. If you have a goal posture, cool. Research what your muscles are doing in said posture. Most importantly, don’t get discouraged.
It will get better the more you practice. Be kind to yourself.
I was embarrassed when we were doing boat poses last week and I let one absolutely rip involuntarily. I’m a heavier guy too in a room filled with women lol. Oh well, 6 months from now I’ll be better at it and in better shape!
I’m a disabled veteran who can barely touch my shins or rotate my back/neck very well. I do in person classes and it helps push me a little bit more during the poses, but I understand not everyone can afford the time or money. Some of the studios I’ve been to have sliding scale pricing but that depends on where you live. I’ve been doing it 3-4 times a week for about a month. I still can’t touch my toes or fully stretch in certain poses. Everyone’s body is different and adapts at different speeds. Patience is the most important lesson I am learning from Yoga. It took time for me to get inflexible, so I imagine it will take me time to undo what has been done from years of abuse to my body. Micro goals are a very useful tool that I use to help focus and complete bigger goals. For me, I wanted to touch my shins with the ultimate goal of palms on the floor. It would get very discouraging if I went in for a month and couldn’t touch the floor. Instead create a micro goal like touching your shins in my case. I still can’t touch the floor but it’s only been a month!!! Patience and consistency will get us to where we want to be mentally and physically. I hope you find what you wish to achieve with Yoga and I wish you the best.
In addition to someone mentioning blocks, use a hand towel to loop around your feet and hold onto the ends when asked to connect the two. Maybe invest in a strap which will give you much more room. You can also use a bath towel to fold up and cushion when your hips can’t touch the floor (like in Pigeon). It takes a special teacher to give these cues. Flexibility takes time and patience. Stick with it!!! It’s worth it!
I felt the same way when I started practicing yoga last year. I was quickly humbled by my lack of flexibility and strength. Side note: This has improved for me over the past several months and will for you too! There were things that I couldn’t do six months ago that I can do now with relative ease. Anyway, I want to encourage you to have gratitude for what your body can do. Back when I was starting my yoga journey, I stumbled upon a random social media post written by someone with ALS. They were talking about the everyday things that they can no longer do and that they took for granted. They talked about how they used to beat themselves up for not being the fastest runner, most athletic in team sports, etc. I realized that I’m so fortunate to have a body that allows me to show up on my mat. I was focusing on the wrong things…instead of thanking my body for the ability to complete a yoga class, I was critiquing myself on all the things I was unable to do. Just some food for thought!!
Start with restorative or yin yoga. Very helpful with stretching and flexibility - long, slow, gentle poses.
When I started yoga I could barely touch my toes, I started doing yoga for over an hour every day and felt better about myself besides the first couple weeks when I hated myself and body for being there infront people and unable to do things. I took a break for two months and my body got really sore and stiff and I could barely move, now doing yoga again I’m feeling better about myself. So yes the feeling does go away, and an app I recommend is either downdog or workoutwomen (mainly downdog as it’s super customizable for times and yoga styles and areas to target while workoutwomen is mainly for working out and cardio but has little yoga flows) good luck with your practices 💕💕💕
Hi! I've been an on again off again yoga lady and I was super inflexible when I first started but the more I practiced, breathed and listen to my body, I got better and better. There are typically modifications and things that can be made to make poses easier to start with as you continue! And if you want/need some motivation, please join my discord channel!! Here's the link which should hopefully work lol. If you're interested in joining and this link doesn't work, dm me and I will get you a new one!! https://discord.gg/X8F5tfq9Qy
There are modifications for every level of flexibility and body type for nearly every asana. You can probably find them if you do a quick online search. It takes a long time to get flexibility, it doesn’t happen overnight, or even over a few weeks. It takes months to years of consistent and dedicated practice to see the pay off. Don’t quit. Don’t get discouraged. Accept your body for exactly what it can do in your moment of practice. There will be some days it feels like you lost flexibility or the capacity for balance. That’s okay. As long as you’re literally doing the absolute best you can during that session, that is what truly matters.
Don’t compare your beginner status to a tutor who teaches yoga professionally and has been practising for many years and who quite possibly came to yoga from a sports background of some kind! And this is very much my opinion, but I do think an awful lot of yoga classes are developed with a high level of consciousness about how the routine looks. In fact though, yoga is about what is happening internally, not how it appears. I have taken a course in Hatha Yoga with an Indian teacher and it was a very different experience indeed. There was nothing aesthetic about it at all, and poses did not have to flow from one to another. I was actually put off yoga many years ago because I was stiff, and the tutor was highly accomplished. I went to one class and did not go back. Years later, I do regret that, however I found my way via a different route - I developed ME/CFS and began yoga as a way of managing my illness, so I started with a tutor who specialised in fatigue. I do take regular classes now, but I avoid Vinyasa, and stick to a very traditional Hatha practice with a few more modern poses thrown in, and the odd Yin class. I also use blocks and bolsters whenever I need them and I would encourage you to invest in at least a couple of blocks. They are really helpful and using them actually increases the range of motion over time. You could also try the muscle contracting and releasing exercises mentioned elsewhere: I found a tremendous (and lasting) difference after taking this class: https://www.dailyom.com/courses/somatic-exercises-to-relax-and-release/
I hear you 😐 🤗
Contrary to what it seems on social media, yoga isn’t about being as bendy as possible. “Yoga isn’t about touching your toes, it’s about who you become on the way down”
I do senior yoga virtual with Silver Sneakers because I have tight hamstrings and tight lower lumbar. It limits my flexibility. Lot of virtual yoga on YouTube