Do I have to be really flexible to do yoga? Some of those poses look completely impossible and make me feel like a failure before I even start!

One of the most powerful benefits of practicing yoga is that it can assist us with self chatter. It gives us the opportunity of accepting exactly where we are right now without judgement. This takes not only time but a lot of courage to attend a yoga class for the first time. The below paragraph will hopefully help you with this and also inspire you to give Yoga a go.

Our goals are all the same – to gain strength, flexibility and balance. And those “impossible-looking� postures - they can all be modified to suit where you're at, or the use of props can help too. Failure to successfully perform those “impossible postures� doesn't equate to failure at yoga. The journey and process is always more important and rewarding than the destination – that's why they call it yoga practice. Most people actually practice yoga to improve their flexibility. However because different people have different levels of strength AND flexibility, means that some people will begin yoga from a different starting place. Some people are naturally flexible however yoga is about much more than just being flexible. Lastly, Yoga is fun. It makes you smile, it makes you take life less seriously. You begin to enjoy where you body is in this moment, not where you think it should be.

What does NAMASTE mean?

The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra.. "Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means, "I bow to you."  I honour the divine spark in you. Another way to explain it is the light in me sees the light in you!

To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart charka, close the eyes, and bow the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart. This is an especially deep form of respect.

Namaste can be offered both at the beginning and at the end of class. Usually, it is done at the end of class because the mind is less active and the energy in the room is more peaceful. The teacher initiates Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect toward her students and her own teachers and in return invites the students to connect with their lineage, thereby allowing the truth to flow—the truth that we are all one when we live from the heart.