Unpopular Opinion!

I love Pilates! I probably don’t need to tell you that. It makes my body feel good, it makes me feel strong, it gives me confidence, it helps my posture, and has improved my flexibility and balance just to name a few of the many reasons I love Pilates! I could go on and on but I won’t.

I don’t really like Yoga. That’s an unpopular opinion but hear me out. I’ve tried time and time again to like Yoga. I have wanted to get from yoga what others do. I want that experience and feeling but it’s not there for me. While living in Nashville I made a concerted effort to embrace yoga. I went regularly and never was there a time I didn’t dread it. The difference is yoga does not make my body feel good. I often feel as if I have strained muscles afterward and I do not get the good endorphins I’m seeking from class. I can and do acknowledge that yoga is excellent and life-changing for many just as Pilates is for others. I support my friends who do Yoga and I’m proud of my friends who teach it. It’s just not for me. The two can coexist in harmony.

Why am I telling you this? We are in a volatile time where opinions have become divisive. Differing opinions are breaking relationships. The problem for me here is we should each be entitled to our own opinions AND be able to respect the opinions of others. We each have our own lenses that we view the world through and our own small worlds as well. I suspect my hips are not designed for Yoga so no amount of practice is going to change my bone structure. I don’t believe yoga is stupid because it doesn’t work for me. I wish it did.

My wish is we could approach our differing opinions with this understanding that our needs and concerns are different and therefore our opinions will be as well and that’s okay. Opinions are not by definition right or wrong. They are personal. I don’t need to bash yoga to prove that Pilates is good. They can both be good. And you can not like Pilates and I can still like you! So whether you love Pilates or Yoga or hold different views on the world than I do - I will respect you and I hope you can respect me, too!