Week 1: You Don’t Have to Be Flexible to Begin Yoga

Do you think you need to be flexible, young, thin, or experienced to begin yoga? You don’t. Yoga can meet you where you are, with the body and life you have today. In this personal 30-minute episode, Bertena shares how she began yoga in her forties while navigating health challenges, what it felt like to be told she was too sick to enter a yoga teacher training, and how continuing her studies shaped her path as an inclusive yoga teacher. Together, we’ll explore why flexibility is not an entrance test, how chair, bed, and floor options can make yoga more accessible, and what to look for in a welcoming beginner yoga class. Bertena also guides you through a short awareness practice that you can do seated, in bed, or in another comfortable position. Whether you’re new to yoga, over 40, plus-size, living with limited mobility, or simply unsure whether yoga is for you, you are welcome here. Listen, watch, move, rest, or take away one small idea that feels right for you. In this video: 00:00 Welcome and why this conversation matters 02:00 Bertena’s beginning yoga story 07:00 Flexibility is not an entrance requirement 12:00 Feeling welcome in a yoga class 17:00 A gentle awareness practice 22:00 Finding a beginner-friendly way to start 26:00 Reflection questions and teacher training invitation Rose Temple Yoga School Bertena’s 200-hour inclusive yoga teacher training begins in person on January 17, 2027, which is also the cutoff date for joining this cohort. Learn more about the training and request information here: https://www.bertena.org/en/yoga-teach... Continue learning with Bertena: Substack: https://bertena.substack.com Spiritual Sanctuary podcast: https://www.bertena.org/en/podcast YouTube channel:    / @thespiritualsanctuary11   About Bertena: Bertena Varney is an inclusive yoga facilitator, meditation teacher, and founder of Rose Temple Yoga School. Her approach welcomes different bodies and abilities, with chair, bed, and floor options. Tags: inclusive yoga, yoga for beginners, yoga for people who are not flexible, yoga after 40, yoga for every body, plus-size yoga, gentle yoga, chair yoga, yoga for limited mobility, inclusive yoga teacher training, Rose Temple Yoga School, Bertena Varney Hashtags: #InclusiveYoga #YogaForBeginners #YogaAfter40 #YogaForEveryBody #RoseTempleYogaSchool