I am a complete beginner. Can I attend your classes/retreats/trainings?
The short answer is -- absolutely!
According to the ancient text, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the definition of yoga is:
yogas chittas vrittis nirodhah
In plain english this means:
yoga is the cessation (or stopping) of the revolutions of the mind
Yoga is the stopping of the mind
Yoga is happening when the mind is not
Here in the west, yoga has become convoluted with physical exercise. Many graduate their yoga teacher training programs here in the west only to learn how to design 60-minute ass-kicking, booty building, core-tightening exercise sequences.
I mean, don't get me wrong -- exercise is fantastic and I am a huge fan personally.
However, let's not mix up the ancient spiritual path of yogic teachings as a means to reach enlightenment, with modern exercise classes. To do so is honestly is a huge disservice to what the ancient yogic system can really do to improve the quality of your life.
With that in mind -- yes, anyone can "do yoga" (although, eventually you may find that yoga isn't something you do, it becomes something you are, something you embody).
Yoga, as presented in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, offers an 8-limbed path (also known as ashtanga yoga) to enlightenment. You can think of these 8-limbs as a map or as a ladder to reach a place of true peace and harmony in your life.
The 8-limbs are:
Yamas - Ethical practices
Niyamas - Moral restraints and disciplines
Asana - Yoga postures (this is what most people equate yoga to in the west)
Pranayama - Controlling our life-force energy (prana) through regulated breathing exercises and breath awareness
Pratyahara - Sense withdrawal (If you smell pizza, do you lose the focus of your mind? Or can you control your senses?)
Dharana - Focused concentration of the mind on a single point of awareness (known as a dristhi); requires great mental effort
Dhyana - Absorption into the meditative state (effortless & cannot be forced); this state comes as a result of the effort given in the previous limbs
Samadhi/bliss/enlightenment - Inner peace <3
Given this brief intro into what yoga actually is (it is a system of living and existing, not an exercise) - then yes, absolutely anyone can practice yoga.
Oftentimes I hear students say,"I am not flexible enough to practice yoga."
My response is usually, "That is like saying you are too dirty to take a shower."
Flexibility is not the end goal of yoga, nor is it a pre-requisite. However, if you want to practice yoga, oftentimes you will find yourself taking some physical postures. The postures are designed to help move stagnant energy, unblock your chakras, open the nadis (energy channels) in the body, and build the strength & flexibility required to sit and meditate for long periods of time.
If you find yourself wanting to take a yoga class with movement (yoga postural practice), then simply start with what you can do. It does not matter if you can touch your toes. I am telling you -- it does not matter if you can touch your toes!
Physical capabilities do not equate to spiritual progress.
Think of Olympians, gymnasts and other athletes -- yes, they can do incredible things with their bodies. Yes, it requires a certain degree of mental fortitude to train one's body to do such things. HOWEVER, there are people who can hold handstands, do full splits and have six-packs that still lie, cheat, steal, and are not moral or ethical.
This is where yoga is different.
If we judged our spiritual practice by the capabilities of our bodies, that would be like saying children, the old and the disabled are incapable of being spiritually intuned or reaching enlightenment. This is absolutely untrue. In fact, I have found (and experienced personally) that people who struggle and have faced difficulties oftentimes develop deeper spiritual fortititude and development. They become kinder, more compassionate beings through their suffering --> this is how we enhance our progress on the spiritual path.
Truly spiritual people are less concerned with the physical/material world, and are more interested in the non-physical world, the spiritual world.
In short, so what does this all mean?
Yoga is for every human body. Yoga is for the spiritual seeker (people who find value beyond the material realm). Yoga is for people who are sincerely wanting a better, more peaceful and healthy life.
If you are a new to yoga -- start by noticing your breath. Start by ensuring each breath goes down into the diaphragm/lower abdomen/belly. Make sure you take deep breaths and feel your belly expand with each inhale, and feel your navel draw in towards your spine with the exhale.
Before we start trying to put our legs behind our head, let's make sure we can properly breathe. Step 1. Step 2 is to strive towards living with morality and to live consciously.
When you are ready to go deeper, then you can add the yoga postures.
Yoga postures are important for the reasons I mentioned earlier (they help move stuck energy). When yoga postures are practiced silently and with breath awareness, they open up our awareness to go deeper. The postures serve as a way to know yourself intimately -- your fears, your mental limitations, your baggages, etc. The postures are not designed to make. you look sexy. They're designed to make your insides sexy. Sometimes, we improve our physical appearance as a result -- but remember, it is never the goal.
Best of luck practicing, and be well ~ <3
Sara Syed Yoga
Cleveland, OH
9/17/2026
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