Can beginners do yoga?

A conception many people have of yoga is that it is only for the young and flexible. During my teacher training this past weekend, the teacher remarked that a popular yoga magazine was having difficulty finding cover models, apparently because they want to promote the very challenging poses as eye-catchers on the magazine. This also reminded me of a saying from Pattabhi Jois (passed down by his students) on the various series of Ashtanga Yoga: "First series - great benefit; second series - some benefit; advanced series - for demonstration only."

I believe that a qualified yoga teacher should be able to explain to students that yoga can and should be adapted to suit the needs of any student, regardless of their age or ability. Not only does yoga include practices such as pranayama (breathing) and meditation, that do not require a much physical prowess, but there are specific styles and types of classes (e.g. Restorative, Gentle, Chair Yoga) that apply the appropriate practices for a specific group or student.

Of course, it's still all yoga, and as they say, there are as many paths of yoga as there are people. So I say, find what works for you, seek the advice of someone you respect, and go with it. Some types of yoga may not be for everyone, but as David Swenson says, "it's for anyone!"