Why It’s Never Too Late to Start Practicing Yoga

I first took up yoga after college. At the time, I didn’t live within walking distance of the gym that I belonged to, but there was a yoga studio nearby. So, reluctantly, I stopped in at the most athletic class offered (at this time, I could barely touch my toes!).

To my complete and utter shock, I loved it. All I could think was, “What is this amazing thing that makes me feel so awesome, and how did I not know about it sooner?” I signed up for that studio’s three-month unlimited deal for new members and went every day. Now my goal is to help people feel as amazing as I do every time I practice yoga.

It is never the wrong time to connect back to yourself—and that is what yoga does. In Sanskrit, the term yoga actually means “to yoke” or to unite. Your yoga practice is all about self-discovery (or, in many cases, re-discovery). You are your own laboratory; yoga simply gives you the tools to explore. And as someone who now teaches yoga for a living, I see people of all ages (I have some clients who started in their 60s!) reap the benefits of yoga. Besides the physical benefits of improved flexibility, increased strength, weight loss, and stress relief, yoga also helps you clear your mind and help you be at ease with yourself.

I’ve learned that, for the most part, who you are on your mat mirrors who you tend to be off-mat: If you push and struggle to achieve tough poses, you probably push and struggle to achieve goals in all aspects of your life. But the nature of yoga helps you to figure out how to relax and allow things to happen more naturally. It may seem counter-intuitive, but sometimes letting go leads to more flexibility, strength, and capability in even the most difficult scenarios of life.

If you can breathe, you can do yoga. There’s no wrong time to bring ease into your life. If your yoga path includes lots of movement that makes you sweat and feel ridiculously happy as a result—awesome! If your yoga path comprises gentle, therapeutic poses that allow your body to open and feel great—awesome! If your yoga is to focus on your breathing to alleviate anxiety or stress—awesome! Regardless of the yoga path you choose, the outcome is always the same: finding ease. It is never too late to discover, or rediscover, that.