Yoga has been around for centuries and its practice has been spreading across the globe since. Yoga relies on inner strength and puts a strong emphasis on self-awareness. Yoga not only improves your physical and mental health, it also encourages you to think deeper and broaden your vision of the world around you. As yoga has become more popular, many myths have come about that cause some beginners concerns.
The following article covers 5 of the most common myths associated with yoga. These misconceptions are exactly that: misunderstandings.
See the article below and be sure to share this with those individuals in your life that are hesitant to try yoga because they’ve heard of 1 or more of these myths.
How does it feel when you see your friends posting their handstands and single-arm balancing pictures on their social profiles? Though a mountain or picturesque beach background may spoil your mood and confidence, you must know it takes quality time to attain such balance.
Everyone comes with a different body shape. Most beginners back out because they fear what people will think about their body type. Their rigid bodies force them to accept their incapability.
Beginners must start with light exercises. With time, the body allows different postures.
2. Yoga is too time-consuming when you have a busy schedule
Time is not an issue. Your willpower to include yoga in your daily schedule depends on whether you are choosing a “Waste” or “Utilize” mentality.
A person with the “Waste” mentality thinks about sacrificing their precious time with the yogic practice. Their short-sighted attitude drags them to the same unproductive regime. Meanwhile, a person with the “Utilize” mentality thinks about utilizing the time by incorporating this discipline in their daily routine. They suppress their inner resistance to reap the long-term benefits.
According to University of Illinois research, a 20-minute yogic session helped participants process informational quickly when compared to the participants who were told to walk or jog on a treadmill for 20 minutes instead.
You don’t need to spend a lot of time. As you begin to get into the groove, you’ll find an inner desire to expand the practice.
3. Yoga causes pain
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Beginners feel pain during the initial stretch-outs. Don’t confuse this sweet pain with the pain caused by exertion.
Sometimes, the problem is not the asana (yogic pose), but the people who are performing them. They experience pain because there is something wrong with the alignment of their body.
Some poses require hard work. Before quitting, discuss the issue with your mentor. They will help you in differentiating the pain type.
4. I already go to the gym, so why should I practice yoga?
Preferring one practice over another is difficult, but you can’t achieve the benefits of yoga by only going to the gym.
Yoga keeps a strict check on your emotions. It calms down your fickle mind. The practitioner attains the body-mind balance to help unfold the limitless potential of the human mind.
By minimizing the mental stress, yoga also blocks the path of several diseases.
Most importantly, yoga brings more clarity by aligning thoughts with actions.
5. The best time to practice yoga is either morning or night
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If you have attended yoga classes, you must have heard this kind of statement from your trainer. They are not wrong because the best time to practice yoga is in the morning before the breakfast or in the early evening, around sunset.
Then, why is this a myth?
Real yoga goes beyond stretching and breathing exercises. In a yogic session, you train your body to attain a peace of mind; however, the true test comes when you apply that training in achieving work-life harmony.
You must practice the art of yoga for the whole day, be it in your workplace or at home.
