‘Yoga’s too pretentious’ - 5 Yoga Myths BUSTED
Ever mentioned to someone that you’re off to yoga and felt their eyebrows raise in nothing short of judgement?!
Yeah, same.
It’s because yoga has a bit of a reputation…
Amongst us yogis, of course, yoga’s reputation is for being the best thing in the world, ever.
But for the uninitiated, there are some unfounded things about yoga that keeeeep being believed. Even though they’re unfounded.
So, we’re here to set the record straight. We’re bustin’ myths, so that next time you get that eyeroll-response, you can whip out the link to this blog post and make the world a more factual place.
Myth #1 / ‘Yoga is only for flexible people’
We’d bet our last clean pair of yoga pants that you’ve definitely heard this one before.
You: ‘I’m off to yoga this evening, I love it! You should try it sometime!’
Them: ‘Haha, imagine. I can’t even touch my toes, I definitely can’t do yoga.’
You: ‘But you don’t need to be flexible to do yoga. It’s about so much more than funny poses and long stretches. You should give it a try.’
Them: ‘Yeah, no. I’m not flexible enough.’
And rinse and repeat for the next person you mention yoga to.
Right?!
But here’s the thing: yoga is for everybody. Flexible or inflexible, small or big, strong or weak, practicing yoga isn’t exclusive to people with athletic, toned bodies.
Whether you can touch your toes or not, yoga welcomes you with open arms.
If you’re not flexible, yoga is one of the best ways to increase your strength and flexibility in a no-judgement, low-pressure, low-intensity environment. What matters is that you try - you remain present, you tune into your body’s abilities and you enjoy the mental and physical health benefits yoga has to offer.
So, no: you do NOT need to be flexible to do yoga. Myth busted.
Myth #2 / ‘Yoga is pretentious’
Ah, this myth gets us every time.
The thought is that yoga is for the upper-class, the yummy-mummies, the toned, athletic-looking people with bodies that would feel right at home in a fitness magazine. It’s cult-like, spiritual and the reserve of people who have time (and money) to spare.
But that couldn’t be more wrong.
We’ll repeat ourselves again: yoga is for everybody.
Yoga doesn’t care who you are, how many bedrooms your home has, or what 4x4 you drive. It doesn’t care whether you’re wearing last season’s Lululemon or an Aldi special buy. It doesn’t care if you turn up with a fresh balayage or last night’s eyeliner on.
It just doesn’t care.
And at Fold, neither do we.
One of our core missions is to de-pretentious-ify (definitely a word) yoga and bring it to people who don’t think they’re ‘yoga people’.
We’re not yoga-evangelists. We won’t shove yoga down your throat or judge you for not knowing your vinyasa from your kundalini.
And, to be honest, the vast majority of the yogi-world is just like that: non-pretentious people who’ve found something they love to do. That’s it.
So, no: yoga is NOT pretentious. Myth busted.
Myth #3 / ‘Yoga isn’t a proper workout’
Is yoga really a workout? Is it really exercise? Is it really going to help you tone up, lose weight, increase your strength?
Yes, yes, and probably.
Yoga IS a workout. No matter what your crossfit-obsessed neighbour insists, yoga is a form of exercise - and spending half an hour to an hour contorting your body into various different shapes whilst also focusing on your breathing definitely counts as a workout.
Whether yoga will help you reach your fitness goals though largely depends on what those goals actually are.
If, like your crossfit neighbour, your goal is to be able to do 700 chin-ups in a row and then jump straight into 350 burpees then lift a 30lb weight with your pinky finger, yoga alone probably isn’t going to get you there.
If your goal is to improve flexibility, increase your muscular strength and stretch your muscles for recovery, yoga is definitely going to help you reach your goals.
While a slow flow might not burn 1000 calories in a single session, it does aid in muscle recovery and does still get your body moving.
(And, side note: have you seen how intense a Power Yoga class can be?! If that’s not a ‘proper workout’, nothing is.)
Yoga’s a great accompaniment to more intense workouts, too. For runners, weightlifters, HIIT-ers - yoga is an ideal side-project to keep your muscles limber and lean when you’re not training.
So, yes: yoga IS a proper workout. Myth busted.
Myth #4 / ‘Yoga’s too religious’
Religious? Yoga?
No. It’s not.
Contrary to what some people might believe, there’s not some mysterious, mystical church-like altar behind the doors of a yoga studio.
It’s just a room. With walls. And ceilings. And mats.
There’s no sacrificial lamb, no prayer, no chanting of witchcraft mantras.
It’s not a religion. Or a cult. Definitely not a cult…
The reason some people have this impression of yoga is because there is definitely an element of spirituality in the practice of yoga.
Yoga has its roots in spiritual practice, formed from the belief that physical movement combined with breathwork can unlock a level of mindfulness and self-awareness that other activities can’t.
But that’s spirituality, not religion.
And it’s not a vital part of practicing yoga.
Let’s be repetitive again: yoga is for everybody. Yoga can be a spiritual practice, if you’re that way inclined. Or it can be a purely physical practice. Or it can be a mixture of both.
You can take the parts you want, and leave the parts you don’t want. It’s entirely up to you.
But even if you do find some spirituality in practicing yoga, that still doesn’t make yoga a ‘religious’ practice.
A trusty Google search reassures us that there is definitely a difference between spirituality and religion.
Religion is a range of social-cultural systems, including designated behaviours and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organisations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural, transcendental and spiritual elements (according to Wikipedia).
While spirituality is a subjective experience … incorporating personal growth or transformation, usually in a context separate from organised religious institutions (again, according to Wikipedia).
Religion = organised system of religious beliefs about the worship of God or the supernatural.
Spirituality = a personal practice to connect to something larger than yourself.
So, no: yoga is NOT religious. Myth busted.
Myth #5 / ‘Yoga is calming’
Okay, this one might ruffle some yogi-feathers.
Because surely the goal of yoga is to be calm, right? It’s a practice that focuses on breathing and moving, so you’ll definitely end every class feeling serene and peaceful, right?
Well, sometimes.
The thing is, calmness and serenity isn’t the goal of yoga. It’s often a by-product, definitely. But it’s not the goal.
Yoga is about deepening your relationship with yourself, and that’s sometimes a challenging thing - and far from the bliss-like serenity you might be expecting.
Slow flows do help your body to relax and the emphasis on breathwork and stillness definitely does leave most yogis feeling calmer than when they arrived - but don’t be surprised if you leave class feeling energized, raring to go and excited for the rest of your day, not feeling sleepy and ready for bed.
The point of yoga is to energise your mind and body, not deplete it of energy. Slow flows and relaxing classes energise your mind in a calming way, but the goal is still to elevate your mind out of your conscious worries and allow your subconscious mind to take the reins.
So, no: yoga is NOT (always) calming. Myth busted.
Yoga is whatever the heck you want it to be
Brace yourself, we’re about to repeat ourselves for one last time: yoga is for everybody.
Not only does that mean you don’t have to fit a certain body type or shape or gender to enjoy yoga; it also means you can take from it whatever you want.
If you want a workout, head to a Power Yoga class and feel the burn.
If you want to relax, head to a Yin Yoga class and focus on breathwork.
If you want to work on your mental health and mindfulness, yoga will help with that.
If you want to touch your toes for the first time since you were a teenage, yoga will help with that.
If you want to be able to contort yourself into an Instagram-worthy pretzel shape, yoga will help with that.
If you want a safe social space to meet new people, head to any yoga class and you’ll find the loveliest bunch of people we ever met.
Yoga can be whatever you want it to be - and that’s why we welcome anyone and everyone to FOLD to give it a go!