Yoga For Flexibility And Stiffness: Notes And Articles From Flametree
Yoga for flexibility: the short version
Think you’re too stiff for yoga? You don’t have to be flexible to start. Flexibility is what yoga builds, not what it needs. This page gathers everything Flametree has written on yoga for flexibility, stiff hamstrings, tight hips and joints that feel older than you are. Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is sometimes called modern classical yoga, and it’s the style we teach at Flametree. Props let a stiff body do the real pose from day one.
Yoga for flexibility in short form
- Too stiff to start: why stiffness is the reason to begin.
- Forward bends: why they feel so hard, and how to ease in.
- Fascia: what it is and how poses work on it.
- Hips and shoulders: the usual tight spots.
- Holding poses: why the pose begins when you want to leave.
- Classes: gentle and beginner classes, studio or LIVE online.
- First class free: for newcomers, plus a half price pass.
This page is one of the topic hubs in Yoga Notes From Flametree.
Why are some people so much stiffer than others?
Partly your build, and partly what you have done every day for years. Long hours sitting, driving or doing one sport all leave their mark on the hips, hamstrings and shoulders.
The good news is that stiffness is not fixed. With regular practice and good props, hamstrings, hips and shoulders do lengthen over time.
Reaching for the feet with straight legs and a long spine.
How do props help a stiff body?
A belt, a block or a chair brings the floor closer, so you can keep the shape of the pose without forcing. You get the benefit of the real pose, and the range grows over time.
The seated forward bend article goes into this in detail.
A belt brings the foot within reach in Supta Padangusthasana II.
Start here: the main yoga for flexibility articles
These are the owner pages. Each answers one main question in depth.
- Yoga for stiff guys, or anyone, the place to begin.
- Seated Forward Bend: Why It Feels So Hard, And How To Surrender Into It.
- Men in Darwin: think you’re too stiff for yoga?
- In my forties and stiff as a board.
- How To Break Up Fascia With Yoga.
- How Long To Hold Yoga Poses? Why The Pose Begins When You Want To Leave.
- Cow Face Pose: Are Your Arms Too Short For Yoga, Or Is Your Chest Closed?
- Upavistha Konasana: Why This Wide Seated Pose Is Worth Learning After 40.
- Backbend Yoga: The Energy, Uplift And Calm Of Opening The Chest.
- Yoga For Arthritis: What The Research Shows, And How To Protect Sore Joints.
- Better mind body connections: why straight legs matter.
Yoga Notes on flexibility and stiffness
- Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana): Props, Ropes And Fear Of Dropping Back
- Triangle Pose (Trikonasana): Why It Feels Hard, And How Props Help
- Wide Angle Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana): Steps And Props
- How To Break Up Fascia With Yoga
More notes are being added. You can also browse every Yoga Note in one list.
Classes for stiff bodies
- Gentle yoga, in the studio or LIVE online.
- Beginner class options.
- The beginner timetable.
Try a class, however stiff you are
Your first class is free if you’re new to Flametree. New students, and anyone who has been away three months or more, can also get a half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, to use online, in the studio, or both.
For the studio, check the beginner timetable and just come along. For a LIVE online class, go to our online class list, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.
Questions about this flexibility page
What will I find on the Flametree flexibility page?
You will find every Flametree article and Yoga Note on flexibility, grouped so you can start with the main articles and then read the shorter notes. Each link goes to one page that answers one question, so you are not reading the same thing twice.
Which Flametree article on flexibility should I read first?
Start with the article on yoga for stiff guys, or anyone. Then read the seated forward bend article, which shows how props help.
Are Flametree’s flexibility notes only for people in Darwin?
No. They are written in Darwin, from our teaching at Woolner and Coolalinga, but the poses apply anywhere, and classes are also taught LIVE online, so you can join from anywhere in Australia.
How often are new flexibility notes added?
New Yoga Notes are published in batches of about twenty, and this page is updated each time a note on this topic goes live. Older Flametree blog articles stay linked here too.
Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in Darwin, at Woolner and Coolalinga, and LIVE online anywhere.
General information only, not medical advice. Talk to your yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and your doctor if you wish, before changing what you do.
