International Yoga Day 2025: Expert Debunks Myths About Yoga
In today's hyper-connected fast-paced world, yoga is often seen as a luxury. Social media doesn't help with the narrative where it's easy to get intimidated by impossibly bendy yoga poses. The biggest barrier to starting yoga isn't physical limitation; it's the myths and misconceptions suggesting that yoga is reserved for a select few. But yoga is much more than that, it is a timeless, inclusive practice, deeply rooted in Indian tradition. It helps harmonize the mind, body, and breath. Let's shatter some illusions and discover the inclusive practice that yoga truly is.
Debunking the yoga myths
1. Yoga is too slow or boring
People often point out that yoga is slow and boring and hence they don't want to start something like this. They also complain that it's not fast paced to affect the required body parts. The truth is that yoga offers a wide spectrum -from calming practices to dynamic power flows. For some people, yoga is an energizing workout and for others, it's a meditative pause in chaos.
2. You need to be flexible for Yoga
Yoga is not done by people who are flexible, rather yoga is done by people who want to achieve flexibility. Yoga is the journey to gradually move from your starting point to pushing the limits. The key here is patience, consistency, and compassion.
3. Yoga isn't a real workout
Such myths generally stem from observing only one facet of this diverse discipline. Yoga can be physically demanding as any other gym workout session. Dynamic styles like Ashtanga and Power Yoga build serious strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness. Holding poses challenges muscles in ways that traditional weightlifting often misses, creating functional strength that translates to everyday activities. Moreover, yoga helps your most important muscle - the heart- while also focusing on your mental health.
(Arpan Kushwaha is a Yoga expert at Cult)
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