6 ways to make Yoga more comfortable

Maybe you have heard or seen a bit about Yoga and for some reason it calls to you. You want to try it – you’ve heard all about the benefits – the calm, the stretching, how it makes you fitter and healthier. And then you try a class and you are shocked. The simple stretches don’t feel simple at all. In fact, they hurt! Don’t be put off! There are many ways that we can make Yoga more comfortable.

Yoga can be hard, especially at first. The good news is that, like most things, it does get easier the more that you practice.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to Yoga.  Each pose or movement is an opportunity for exploration of your physical and mental responses to these new and unusual movements that you are making.  

But it is important that we remember a few key guidelines when we are practicing, in order to make sure that this is a practice that we can continue comfortably for as long as possible. Here are my 5 ways to make Yoga more comfortable.

Never push into pain

Pain is a signal from the body to the brain and should be listened to during our yoga practice – listen to the responses from your body, what your body is telling you and be kind to yourself.  Show yourself no harm. When you are present with the sensations in the body you can decide what is best for you.

Learn to trust your instincts

When I guide a class, I will share my experience and ideas about how to access a pose but remember you don’t have to listen to and agree with everything I say.  This isn’t a dictatorship.  I cannot know how everything feels in your individual body.  Listen and trust yourself and your instincts.  

Practice noticing

Yoga is a practice of feeling and sensing into the body more.  Take note of emotions as they arise in your practice.  When things are hard, or not hard enough.  When we are not practicing something you enjoy, or you don’t know why we are doing it.  Maybe things are too quiet, too still?  Notice sensation in your body, the feedback that your body is giving you.  I invite you to approach these feelings with curiosity.  Notice them and use that information to guide how you practice on any given day.

Ask questions

There is no reason to judge yourself for finding something challenging.  There is no need to become frustrated, instead be curious and explore how you can make the pose work for you by adjusting yourself and trying new options.  Ask questions and we can explore the options together.

Don’t compare yourself to others

There are many reasons why you might find a pose challenging:  you may have had an injury which has affected the way you experience a pose.  It may simply be your down to your proportions or bone structure.  The flexibility of our tendons and ligaments, the strength of our muscles – these things won’t be the same for everyone so our experience of poses won’t be the same either.

Embrace props

There is a misconception that using props is cheating in some way. That if you use them you aren’t working hard enough or doing it properly. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Props are a wonderful way of learning more about your body. If the prop means that you get something out of the pose then surely it is better to use it than miss out entirely! Bolsters, chairs, blankets and blocks are all great tools to incorporate into your Yoga class. Whatever style you are practicing.

All sorts of factors can affect our ability to move comfortably, the good news is that there’re lots of things we can do to make Yoga more comfortable.

If you would like support to move more comfortably, then head over and join my Accessible Online Yoga Facebook Group and say Hi, I would love to hear from you!

Or you can join my Happy Healthy membership where we gather every week for live accessible yoga sessions.