Breaking the Biggest Myths about Yoga
Women Fitness:
Many people believe yoga is only about flexibility or advanced poses. What are the five biggest misconceptions about yoga that you would like to dispel?
Tara Stiles:
Ahh, I love this. There are so many misconceptions about yoga, but they exist because they’re many people’s experiences. It doesn’t have to be that way.
The top one, I think, so many of us hear is, “I’m not flexible.” I love that one because it’s an easy fix. If you can’t touch your toes, just bend your knees.
There are so many others, like: “I can’t be calm,” “I don’t have good balance,” or “I’m not a vegetarian.”
One of the great things about yoga is that when you practice, you feel better. And when you feel better, you become more calm, find more balance, eat more plants, and so on. Things improve because you feel like improving, not because you are forcing yourself to do something good for you.
Tara Stiles on The Transformative Power of Softness
Women Fitness:
Your teaching philosophy emphasizes ease over force. How can this principle help people not only in yoga but also in everyday life?
Tara Stiles:
When you focus on ease and softness, you let go of the tension and keep the effort. So much more becomes possible, and you feel more connected along the way.
We are addicted to stress as a sign of success, but with practice in ditching the No Pain, No Gain mindset, we can achieve so much more with less tension.
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This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President of womenfitness.net, and should not be reproduced, copied, or hosted in part or in full anywhere without express permission.
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