Mobility > Flexibility

Shift this one thought and access acceptance and gratitude for the strength you are building in your mind and body

I get it. Many of the ways you see yoga advertised and taught have you feeling like the tinman.

I’ve heard so many people tell me they don’t have interest in yoga because they are not flexible. And, while yoga doesn’t have to be for everyone (here’s a post that digs deeper into this thought), I always think of this meme in those moments.

Modern depictions of yoga and the classes themselves focus on nailing a certain peak pose that is likely not accessible to most bodies. I think this is why it’s so easy to discredit your own ability to practice yoga by leaning into the “I’m not flexible” narrative.

Ancient teachings of yoga focused on breathing and using yoga to connect to the present. The poses were not an athletic competition to see who could hold an inversion the longest. Instead, the poses were another layer of the larger practice that allows us to slow down and notice who we are.

Don’t get me wrong, I love movement too. It’s extremely beneficial for my brain and body, and it is how I first accessed yoga. There is certainly a way to add in advanced asana (postures/movements) that allows us to practice dharana (focus) and pranayama (breath control) all while finding samadhi (bliss) in our expression.

However, the key point is a practice that is hyper-fixated on perfecting impressive poses misses the whole point of yoga. It’s not about the cool postures themselves, it’s about how moving our bodies gives us access to information, feelings, and gratitude for life.

As you approach your next movement practice, challenge yourself to focus less on being flexible and more on increasing mobility. Here’s the difference:

Flexibility = passive focus on extending muscles to fullest extent

Mobility = active practice to engage whole body range of motion for overall strength

This excerpt from Yogaworks, emphasizes the difference when applied to an asana practice.

Several people have told me that this one reframe changed their relationship to yoga!! I hope it continues to help people access movement.

Here are a few ways to focus on mobility in your next movement practice:

• Go back to basics - focus on grounding postures, sensing your body, and learning to check your own alignment

• Affirm yourself - rather than pre-emptively saying you can’t access a certain pose, be curious about the shape and the muscle movement and breathing that could take you in a certain direction

• Celebrate you body - express gratitude for the ways your body does move and how that supports you

5 Ways I Practiced Yoga Last Week

1. Svadhyaya (self study): I had the opportunity to reflect on some of my wants this week in an immersion course I’m taking.

2. Tapas (self discipline): I’ve made it to my 20th week of lifting at least three times each week.

3. Dharana (focus): In my practice on Saturday, I focused on finding engagement in my body through my core.

4. Pranayama (breathwork): I have quite a pile of grading to do, and I’m breathing through each page turn working to focus on one thing at a time.

5. Asana (movement): I joined two studio practices this week, one was a yin practice and the other was an all levels class.

5 Ways You Can Practice Yoga This Week

1. Svadhyaya (self study): Notice who capable you are of giving yourself what you want.

2. Tapas (self discipline): Commit to one minute of practice every day this week.

3. Dharana (focus): Find a point out in front of you and look there as you try the pranayama practice below.

4. Pranayama (breathwork): Use box breathing when things seem tense this week. Inhale and exhale for the same counts.

5. Asana (movement): Try any inversion this week, like legs up the wall, wheel, reverse table, or crow.

This week paid subscribers receive a gentle standing practice, seated practice, and an introduction to inversion practice. These practices help explore different styles of asana.