Yoga does not develop flexibility… It only shows how flexible your body is. That is my conclusion after doing beginner exercises for the past six months. I still cannot properly do the exercises even after religiously following and struggling with the poses after those six months. Surely by now it would have develop some flexibility for my body but unfortunately it has not. At this point IMO some of the poses which require some upper body strength goes out the window if this part of your body is weak like mine. I also had a shoulder injury making it impossible to bend my left arm all the way in my back up to my shoulders. I have decided to develop my upper body strength first by doing strength-training exercises with weights in the gym and will see how it goes after a year or so. I find that most of the basic stretching exercises are similar to yoga, but these stretching exercises are more tolerant of how you execute them unlike the need for correct and proper alignment in yoga. I guess, I am just venting my frustration and disappointment with all the hype about yoga.
I am sorry you have not had a good time with yoga.
In my experience yoga has absolutely without a doubt improved my flexibility, balance and posture as well as my stress management, concentration, diet, lifestyle choices etc.
Perhaps you should try a different teacher who can show you how to do the Asanas in a safe and effective way for your body.
I find that my clients all need different variations of asanas and different sequences of asanas to suit their different body types, different goals, different abilities etc…
There are asanas which will improve your strength if taught/done correctly.
Doing strength exercises in a gym if taught/done correctly will also improve your strength but without a good stretching or yoga asana program will not help your flexibility.
If stretching exercises are done with little attention to alignment and/or technique then it is very [B]unlikely[/B] that the stretches will be[B] effective[/B] or [B]safe.[/B] You may do yourself more harm than good.
Doing any kind of strength building exercises or any kind of stretching without good technique/alignment will not be effective or safe…
Find yourself a well qualified and experienced teacher so that you can work in a safe and effective way for your body type to achieve your personal goals.
Good luck.
Alison
Yoga drastically affects my flexibility and strength. I’ve used it to heal neck spasms, knee problems, and most recently my SI joint.
Are you studying with a teacher? Or are you trying to do it with a book?
There are never guarantees that yoga will increase your flexibility. Much depends on your anatomy, your mindset and whether or not you are actually doing the asanas correctly. An example: You will not gain hamstring flexibility if you come into Uttanasana (standing forward bend) with bent knees. The legs need to remain straight and if your fingers are dangling, you need a block to rest them on. This simple modification will allow the hamstrings to stretch. Another example is coming into Paschimottansana with a rounded back. Straight back and hinging from hips will not only encourage a good hamstring stretch, but will protect your back from injury.
While weight lifting can be a good compliment to any exercise routine including an asana practice, you are contracting the muscles, building bulk. Yoga is about balance. Strength, flexibility and stamina. Try to maintain your practice while weight lifting.
A good yoga teacher can assess your flexility and suggest modifications that will assist you in gaining the flexibility you’re after.
And a final thought. In our asana practice, we need to “let go”. Most try too hard allowing their desire to gain flexibility become the only thing they think about. Don’t try so hard. When you are in a pose, feel what is going on in your body. Use your breath to help you relax and focus. Visualize what is actually happening to the muscles you are stretching. Breathe and let go. You may just surprise yourself!
I’ll try for five points here.
The first is that we are each our own Petri dish. If something isn’t working for you then it isn’t working FOR YOU. If it is working for you then it is working, FOR YOU. Nothing works unilaterally for everyone.
Second, what is built up in the living over multiple decades is not abated in six months.
Third, a student who is not taught how to place their mind or consciousness in the doing will have their body snap right back to where it was, much like a rubber band.
Fourth, a student who continues a method of living which fosters tension will not see results associated with the absence or reduction of tension. In other words a person who is not resting properly, not eating properly, not thinking properly, not dealing properly with latent emotions, that student will not have a body of ease despite the most prolific asana practice under the sun. It simply isn’t robust enough to negate what that student is writing into their cells.
Fifth, in the practice of yoga alignment always precedes strengthening. Why? Because strengthening without alignment further etches unwholesome musculo-skeletal patterns into the physical body. Such a student may be able to lift an ox but would not be able to digest a salad.
Yoga definitely helps with flexibility but you need to (1) have proper alignment, (2) not push too far past your limitations, and (3) let go.
Letting go is important. Are you tensing up in your poses? Are you practicing proper breathing? I find that I am able to go deeper in my poses if I clear my mind, breathe deeply, and let go of anything holding me back in the pose. You can’t go straight from 0 to 100 without many stops in between. It takes time and it doesn’t happen overnight. I simply noticed one day that my forehead touched my knee effortlessly. I can’t even tell you how long it took but when my body was ready it happened.
Also, you may not gain full flexibility in all poses due to personal anatomy. I know some poses came easily to me even in the beginning. Others I feel may take a very long time (if ever).
Finally, flexibility does not prove you are good at yoga. Perfect asanas do not prove you are good at yoga. Yoga is much more deeper than that. Yoga is personal. Yoga is life.
working on your flexibility will make you stronger, by being more flexible you have more control. More control makes you stronger
I am 155 pounds and can easily manhandle people and situations like big waves allot easier from me being flexible than I could by being strong
yoga is about having control of yourself and control is strength and power at the same time. in your body yes. But the best part of yoga is having mental control this will give you the strength your looking for.
nothing in life will happen with a half ass effort your strength flexibility and power need to be developed over time