I’ve met a lot of people who have tried doing yoga and then told me it just didn’t work for them, they got hurt, or “It’s really just stretching isn’t it?”. In most cases they haven’t done it more than a couple of times, taken a random yoga class, maybe not even with a certified teacher, or just done some poses by themselves on the floor at home.

Yoga has become quite popular (which is a good thing) so there are now many offers and solutions available out there (which might or might not be a bad thing).

But firstly, yoga is more than the physical practice of getting into the poses. It’s a mindset (mindfulness), intention (to surrender, love, be kind, etc.), a breath exercise (self-awareness), and a full body experience for mind, body, and spirit (increased awareness). Putting all of these together you get a powerful tool for personal growth and transformation.

But, you might miss this, if you think that it is only about stretching. People often get this wrong, it is not how flexible you are, that determines how “Yogic” you are. Let’s be honest, a really flexible person, able to do all the “advanced” yoga poses, can be a total douchebag focused only on competition and comparison – which is not very “Yogic”.

Being able to do poses is not enough.

Yoga is all about examining the imbalances of life physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, it is about being willing to step up and be present, to experience whatever turns up in your practice, and just sit with it. It is about bringing awareness to the mind, body, and spirit, staying present in the moment, locating imbalances and blocked energy, accepting (without judgment), and working to correct it.

The many aspects of yoga are interconnected, they all exist within the process of doing yoga and interact and influence each other. When we practice, we not only work on the physical body, but we also work on our mind and spirit.  

Let me give you an example, looking purely at the body for a bit and how an imbalance in the body can have a much greater impact than just causing pain. If a joint is out of balance, it is usually because some muscles in the body are too tight and others are too loose. Once this happens it affects you on many levels.

An imbalance can occur in connection with acute injuries, or over many years due to unfortunate habits and unconscious bodily defense strategies. Imbalanced in the physical body can cause you pain and discomfort, but some don’t, and you might not even notice them, but they will all affect how you feel and will likely affect your posture.

Poor posture directly affects your mood, energy, mental state, and emotions. An improved posture is part of the focus on the physical side of yoga – just like stretching is. If you have a good posture, you will experience greater freedom and a better flow of energy in the body.

A good posture that comes from increased body awareness and mindfulness will give you a feeling of being in balance and a sense of freedom in your body, whereas a bad posture will leave you with a feeling of limitation and stagnation.

The transformative power of yoga has the potential to transform your life, but the transformation is not about how often you practice yoga, but how you practice yoga. We do not use the body to enter the poses but use the poses to enter the body.

The poses themselves carry the potential for transformation, but it is you who must create that potential by being mindful and practicing with intention – and not just do some stretching. Then you’ll get to experience the power of yoga.