Am I too stiff for yoga?

When people tell us they would like to try yoga but cannot touch their toes, we take it as a sign they are exactly the right person to start. Most of our students began stiff. Flexibility comes from practice; it is not something you need beforehand.

In the beginners’ course and the first weeks of Mysore-style practice, nobody is asked to fold flat or put a leg behind the head. You learn to breathe evenly while moving, and you go into each posture only as far as the breath stays smooth. In forward bends, that may mean bending your knees a lot. In seated postures, it may mean sitting on a folded blanket. Our props are there for this, and teachers will show you how to use them.

Stiffness also changes how you should practise. Never force a posture by pulling with your arms or pushing through pain in the knees or lower back. A sensation of stretch in a muscle is normal; a sharp or pinching feeling in a joint means stop and ask. Tell the teacher about any old injury, surgery or back problem before your first class, so we can suggest changes.

In our experience, people who start stiff often build a steadier practice than those who start flexible, because they learn patience early. Expect small changes over months, not weeks. After three or four months of practising four mornings a week, most students notice they bend more easily, but each body is different, and the practice is worth doing whether or not that happens.