I often wonder what my body would be like without yoga…

As a hyper-mobile person, it could be forgiven to think that yoga should be easy for me, and that I should be naturally more flexible than most. But that’s a common misconception. Hyper-mobility doesn’t necessarily equate to flexibility. Sure…for some it does. But actually, it turns out it’s a spectrum. What used to be commonly known as ‘double jointed’ is now officially called Hyper-Mobility Spectrum Disorder. And it’s taken me several years to get my head around what that actually means for me, and how it relates to my yoga practice.

I’ve never been good at sports. I was always last picked for PE! And I’ve always hated exercise. Honestly…hate it. I don’t even like walking to my car! But one of the reasons I fell in love with yoga is because it actually isn’t really about exercise at all. The asanas (postures) are just one limb of Petanjali’s 8 limbs of yoga. But that’s a conversation for another day…

I guess what I’m saying is that yoga has never really felt like an exercise class to me, even before I knew anything about yoga philosophy. Something about it just felt organically right for my body. Sure, I started thinking it was the laziest way I could do exercise…but it turned into so much more.

Due to hyper-mobility, I get fatigued very easily, and my joints can hurt for days at a time after more strenuous or repetitive activities. For example, I was painting my house this weekend, and all the up and down the ladder movements have knackered my hips and knees. And even the use of the paint brush is giving my hand a few issues. I also know that when I get fatigued, I struggle to hold onto things and end up with butterfingers. It can really frustrate me at times.

There have even been even times when I’ve caused injury to myself during yoga. The teacher who taught me yoga for the first 10 years was an ex-gymnast and PE teacher, she was incredibly fit and flexible. Trying to keep up with her often left me feeling a bit battered. It’s only really in recent years that I’ve truly learned to listen to my body and not try and do what everyone else is doing, despite my banging on about it to my students for years! I rarely practice what I preach 🫣

But I frequently wonder what my body would have been like if I’d never discovered yoga? I can assure you I wouldn’t have found any other movement practice. I’d have been living a sedentary lifestyle for sure, and probably would have ceased up entirely by now. I know others with hyper-mobility who are quite immobile or even in wheelchairs. I once knew an ex Bluebell dancer whose body was so knackered she had the body of a 90 year old in her 50s, using a walker and wheelchair, mostly housebound. Could that have been my fate? And will yoga keep me in good shape and mobility for longer?

I certainly hope so.

What I do know is that I have to be careful. I have to listen to my body closely and honour how it’s feeling day to day, moment to moment. And truthfully, that’s what yoga is about. And that’s probably why it resonated with me right from the start. It keeps me limber and mobile, without the harsh repetitions or egocentric attitude towards competitive fitness.

To put it simply, it just makes me feel good.

Tell me about your yoga journey…