Have you guys noticed that the most flexible people always go at the front in a yoga class or workshop? The ones with tight hamstrings, big bellies, or those who simply don't feel flexible enough lay their mats right at the back.
Surely we could name an endless number of amazing human beings like the Dalai Lama, Obama, Mandela, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Marie Curie, Stephen Hawking....etc, etc. that have not precisely been known for putting their legs around their necks or resting in full paschimottanasana.
So, I wonder if flexibility is not over rated in the yoga world?
We all know that strength and flexibility are an important combination, just like power and wisdom go hand in hand. But what type of flexibility should we put more emphasis on? The one that allows us to do impressive back bends or flexibility in our minds?
There is real gain in keeping our mind open to see the world from disparate points of view. We are often only able to see life from where we stand and, without noticing, we become "stuck" in our own ways. We become old when we get stiff, but not stiff only in our bodies. We only become truly old when we get stuck in our story and unable to add new colours to the painting of our lives.
