4 Yoga Poses I Can't Stand

4 yoga poses I can’t stand

It’s OK, the pressure is off. Move on! Gritting your teeth and doing yoga poses that hurt or don’t fit your body doesn’t make you a #spiritualgangster.

The good news is you’re allowed to not like yoga poses. I recently highlighted four yoga poses (lotus, reclined hero, binding the hands in side angle and twisted lunge) that for various reasons I don’t like. Check them out here on IG. While I was doing them I though of a few others too! After 17 years of practicing yoga asana I think it’s safe to say all is not coming.

It doesn’t have to be complex or look like a circus act to be effective. Simple things WORK. And, there’s always another way in, another pose or move that can get you there. But adapting poses is for another post.. this is to highlight the unliked!

What’s your favorite pose to dislike? Tell me!

Give yourself the same support and comforts you’d want a dear loved one to have.

The IG post made for a lively conversation and In the comments a few people asked about variations for child’s pose, tabletop, and twisted lunge. Check them out here. The thing with variations or adapting poses is that the few variations a teacher may offer still aren’t guaranteed to work for everyone.

Two things are clear.

1. One size yoga pose alignment does not come close to fit all.

2. Fostering an environment that allows us to get creative in how we support ourself on the mat, teachers and practitioners alike, is uber important.

I hear teachers concern of disrupting the flow of class and I use to worry about that too, but what use is flow if people can’t access it to begin with?

If the nifty alternative doesn’t work, you’re not SOL. Just because one option doesn’t solve the issue doesn’t mean there isn’t another way in. Teachers don’t have all the answers. The skill is to encourage folks to feel autonomous and empowered enough to explore within the shape. How a teacher holds the space can effect all of this. It could mean a big shift for some, but consider the inclusion that gets to happen.

Want more sincere and interesting movement?