Why Is Yoga So Hard？

Is yoga difficult for beginners?

Yes, both physically and mentally.  After my first yoga session, I have decided it just was not gonna happen. I personally can not even get close to any sort of form. I do not see any reason why I should embarrass myself at a yoga class or pay. 

For some reason, I finally decided to give it a try because I already paid my membership and the studio refuse to refund for giving up, I really love yoga wear. And if it really takes 9 to12 months to see results.

Why is yoga so hard? Because 1, 2, 3

1. Yoga is so hard because it challenges your flexibility

One of the greatest challenges in yoga practice is achieving the flexibility required for various asanas. According to wikipedia, flexibility refers to the range of motion around a joint, which plays a crucial role in doing yoga. Yogis are required to stretch and extend muscles in various ways, this is very challenging for beginners.

At the same time, both age and inactivity make us stiff. If you live a sedentary lifestyle for the passing years of mostly sitting at a desk, then yes, yoga is hard to do. Our body is built to move, stillness will change your body and make it harder to get flexible again.

2. Yoga is so hard because it tests your strength

Apart from flexibility, doing yoga demands strength from various body parts, including your upper body, core, and lower body. If you just start practice yoga, this strength requirement can make yoga seem difficult. If you practice yoga regularly, it will help you build strength.

Also, building strength through yoga has many benefits, such as improving posture, lowering the risk of injury, and boosting overall physical performance.

Upper Body Strength

Asanas like downward facing dog pose require upper body strength. You’ll need to engage your arms, shoulders, and back muscles to practice this pose correctly. Its can help tone and strengthen your upper body muscles, improving your posture and lowering the risk of injury.

Abdominal Strength

Doing yoga require core strength to maintain stability. A strong core improves your balance, supports your spine, and prevents lower back pain.

Lower Body Strength

Poses like mountain pose demand lower body strength. Using leg and hip muscles will help you practice these poses well.

3. Yoga is so hard because you have to learn breath control in yoga practice

As a matter of fact, most of us are not used to breathing with our full lungs because of lengthy periods of sedentary lifestyle, this creates extra struggle in yoga practice. Beginners who start yoga often find they need to re-learn breathing and struggle with breaking their old breathing patterns.

Yoga is a transformational practice, do not be hard on yourself

When you set expectation for something, it completely takes the joy out of it. Take myself as an example, I made this mistake at the beginning phase of my yoga practice, which makes the first sessions very miserable for me. By learning to let go of my expectations. I started to sense the joy of yoga. Yoga will teach you a lot about your body – what parts of your body need more attention, what tendencies you have etc.

I still think yoga is very hard to practice, but I am totally enjoy this sweating workout.

So hard as it is, I’ll keep practicing.

From “Why is yoga so difficult?” to “What is yoga trying to teach me?”

One of the most significant reward I get from practicing yoga is the process that yoga taught me to go inward so that we can learn about the depths of ourselves. 

The shift of perspective from why yoga is so hard to I love yoga is a major turning point for most yogis. We then become student of ourselves. The journey of yoga practice taught us to look at things with curiosity, understanding, and discovery. The journey is also a process of how we become fully accept of ourselves, and the light of how we will become in future.