04/02/2026
CONVERSATION STARTER—Have you ever worried that you’re bad at yoga? Have you heard other students complain that no matter how hard they try, they just can’t get “good” at it?
As a teacher, this is something I’ve heard time and time again—and I’ve seen the shame and frustration that this belief causes.
But guess what? Yoga isn’t something you can be “good” or “bad” at. It’s a lifelong personal and spiritual practice with no end, not a ladder with rungs to climb or a sport that hands out medals.
Most of the time, when people talk about being bad at yoga, they’re really talking about being bad at poses. And sure, they may not be able to do the fancy or so-called “advanced” poses, and they may never get there. But guess what? That doesn’t actually mean they are bad at poses!
Once again, we need to reflect on the purpose of asana. Like yoga as a whole, there are no prizes for getting into a perfect Crow pose or balancing the longest in a headstand. Asana is simply one of the eight limbs of yoga, a tool to help us along our larger personal journey. And its worth is not measured by the poses you can or cannot do. The poses are morally neutral, they do not confer any kind of special yoga powers or magically move you three steps along in personal growth.
That said, you’re also not a “bad” yoga student if you struggle to maintain a meditation practice, or have a hard time understanding the concepts in the texts. That’s simply the point you’re at on your personal journey; it isn’t good or bad. It simply is.
In fact, I’d argue that one measure of progress might be the ability to let go of the idea of being “good” at yoga at all, since that’s simply another form of attachment. No matter what your practice looks like, it—and you—are worthy.
Have you ever worried that you’re bad at yoga or heard other people say they’re bad at yoga?
