Am I Losing Flexibility?

Am I losing flexibility? This is a very real question I asked myself in yoga class yesterday when I could barely bend in half during a forward fold.

When I first started my Instagram account, appearing flexible was so important to me. I wanted to force my body into as many positions as possible to prove myself as an advanced yogi. My priorities were always physical advancement and I never put as much as an emphasis on how I was feeling mentally or on taking care of my body. 

Over the past few months I’ve taken a break from my physically advanced yoga practice and have been focusing more on modifying, not pushing myself too hard and figuring out what makes me feel good mentally and physically. This means I maybe haven’t been focusing on building flexibility and recently noticed that I have lost some.

When I realized this, I wanted to be mad at myself. I felt like I had let myself down and needed to get back to practicing ASAP. But after some reflection, I realized even though I’ve lost some flexibility, I’ve gained so much more! I’m regaining my purpose, loving myself more and doing things for me - not just to appear more flexible or “advanced” in yoga.

I am not defined by how far I can bend, how long I can hold a pose and what other people think of my body. I am so excited and inspired to get back into my full physical practice but for right now I’m just happy being exactly where I am!