If you're not flexible enough to do yoga, GREAT.
If you're REALLY flexible for yoga, GREAT.

Real-Talk: Flexibility isn't the point, though.

Hold up. Before you "unfriend" me and this course, let me tell you something that may help you out. Flexibility a kick-ass benefit, yes. One of MANY.

But, Yoga historically didn't have Facebook Live to broadcast multi-hour meditations.

Nor did it have an Instagram feed to bare everyone's Asanas at the top of our algorithm feed.

Somewhere along the way, the breath work, philosophy and personal practice of yoga got buried as social media grew in popularity. What we see (at least in the American and in some parts of Europe and Asia now) is a growing trend of perfectly-executed representations of the physical part of the practice.

Yes, it can be really visually stunning to see a hyper-flexible human with edgy-looking leggings, sculpted abs or slender limbs perching a handstand on top of a cliff in an exotic land. (I myself was guilty of perching my Crow Pose at various beaches around the world).

Don't let that define what Yoga is to you.

If you believe that it's all about being flexible and having the expensive-ass leggings in order to attain enlightenment, you will get stuck and be frustrated.

So, what is the point then? What is Yoga really about?

• It's about being able to remain as peaceful as possible when something turns out differently than you had envisioned. (Or doesn't happen at all at that moment)
• It's about applying the breathing techniques to keep your heart rate low when someone says some offensive shit to you.
• It's about being so intuitive and mindful about the present moment, whether it's doing your job, starting up your business, doing your chores, driving your car or savoring every morsel of food on your plate.
• It's about gaining that proprioception, interoception, that true skill of understanding the relationship of your right foot to your left shoulder. That art of really knowing your body from an intimate place when technology and long work hours have been taking that art away.

Wait, is Yoga not physical at all then? I love getting a good sweat in though.

Part of it is definitely physical. This course shows you all these poses for one reason and one reason only:

It's showing you all the ways you can effectively "touch" every single part of your body in a safe manner until you can feel it for yourself. These instructions help you keep your body active and keep it toned so you can continue to take care of everything else in your life.

So, yes. Strength and Health are solid goals. But, it's not just for your Body. It's for your Mind. Because you can work out as hard as you want, but if you're stressed AF you will hinder your body from the inside out.

Everything that you do on your mat during the 1% of your day is practice for the remaining 99% of your life.

Forcing yourself to achieve headstand and ignoring the signs that your body is tapped out? Where else in your life do you force things to happen and having it blow up in your face?

Feeling inadequate because you're practicing a seated forward fold, and the person next to you can touch their toes (while you can't)? Where else in your life do you compare yourself to someone else without realizing the journey they had to go through to get there?

You definitely don't have to agree with everything I'm sharing here. I encourage you to question this, experiment, and see what parts of my teaching vibe with you (and what doesn't).

Welcome to Rogue Yogi's Course for Beginners.

Let's begin.