Maybe you’ve stood at the back of a class, or hesitated outside a yoga studio and turned around, thinking “that’s not for me”. Usually a myth about yoga is behind that feeling, and these myths keep more people off the mat than anything else. None of them holds up when you look closely. Do you need to be flexible for yoga? No, and that’s the first myth below.
Let’s go through them one by one, so you can walk into your first class feeling ready.
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“I’m not flexible enough”: do you need to be flexible for yoga?
This is the myth we hear most, and it gets things the wrong way round. You do not need to be flexible to start yoga. Flexibility looks different for every body, and it comes from practising, the same way strength and balance do. Very few people can fold forward and put their hands flat on the floor when they first start, and that is completely fine.
At our shala in Sanur, every class is open to all levels. Our teachers help each student modify the poses so they can practise safely and comfortably. If you have tight hamstrings or a stiff back, that is simply where you begin, not a reason to stay away.
"Yoga is not really exercise"
Anyone who has held a Vinyasa flow through a full sun salutation sequence, or stayed steady in a Hatha standing pose for several breaths, knows this one is not true either. Yoga builds strength, balance, and stamina, and styles vary widely in intensity, from the dynamic, heat-building movement of Vinyasa to the passive, deep-tissue work of Yin. Research backs this up too: a review summarised by the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health found that yoga improved balance in most of the studies of healthy adults it looked at.
Our daily yoga classes run at least four times a day, every day, across nine styles, so there is a real range between gentle and demanding, and plenty of room to find what your body needs on a given morning.
"You have to be young and fit to start"
Walk into any class in Sanur and you will see practitioners well past their twenties, and well past their first year of practice, moving with more ease than anyone might expect. Age and current fitness level have very little to do with whether yoga is right for you. What matters is a willingness to show up and work with the body you have today.
"Yoga is only for certain people"
Scroll through social media and you might think yoga is only for people who look a certain way. Walk into a real yoga studio and you quickly see that’s not true. Yoga is for everyone, whatever you look like, wherever you’re from, and whether or not you’ve practised before.
We mean it when we say everyone is welcome on the mat. Every student is treated with respect in our classes and programs, so anyone who comes to the studio can feel at home during their practice.
"I could never quiet my mind"
Many people think yoga asks you to empty your mind completely. It doesn’t. The aim is not a mind free of thoughts.
Meditation and pranayama (breathing practices) are part of many yoga classes, and both are about noticing when your mind wanders and gently bringing your attention back to the breath, again and again, without judging yourself.
If sitting still feels hard right now, try a moving style such as Hatha Flow or Mandala Flow, where your breath follows the movement of your body. As you get more comfortable with yoga, sitting still usually gets easier too.
Come exactly as you are
Every yoga myth above points to the same idea: yoga was never meant to be exclusive, and the version of it that feels intimidating from the outside rarely resembles what actually happens in the room. In Sanur, our shala sits right on the beach, and the atmosphere is closer to a welcome than a test. No reservation is needed for a drop-in class. You arrive 20-30 minutes early, borrow a mat if you need one, and take the practice at your own pace.
If you have been putting off your first class near Sanur because of one of these myths, this week is a good time to change that. Browse our class schedule and pick whichever style speaks to you.
FAQ
Do you need to be flexible for yoga? No. Flexibility develops through regular practice. Every class at Power of Now Oasis is open to all levels, with modifications offered so beginners and experienced students can practise safely side by side.
Is yoga actually good exercise? Yes, depending on the style. Dynamic styles like Vinyasa build heat, strength, and stamina, while gentler styles like Yin and Restorative focus on deep stretching and recovery. Most students combine a mix of both across the week.
Am I too old, or not fit enough, to try yoga? No. Yoga is practised by people across every age and fitness level, and classes are designed to be modified to the individual, not the other way around.
Do I need any experience before my first class? No experience is required for any of our drop-in classes. Simply arrive about 20-30 minutes early and let the teacher know it is your first time, so they can point out any options for beginners.
Ready to see for yourself? Get in touch with our team and we will help you find the right class to start with, or come find us on the beach in Sanur whenever you are ready.
