Do you think you need to be flexible, young, thin, or experienced to begin yoga? You don’t. In this 30-minute episode, Bertena shares her personal story of starting yoga in her forties while navigating health challenges, being told she was too sick to enter a yoga teacher training, and continuing her path with White Crow Yoga and Mary Irby. She explains why flexibility is not a requirement, how yoga can include chair, bed, and floor options, and what a gentle first step can look like. This welcoming introduction is for beginners, plus-size students, people over 40, and anyone who has wondered whether yoga has room for them.
“I’m not flexible enough for yoga” is something many people tell themselves before they ever try a class. Bertena understands that hesitation. She began yoga in her forties with health challenges and questions about whether she would belong. When she was told she was too sick to enter a teacher training, the experience strengthened her commitment to creating a more welcoming and inclusive approach to yoga.
In this episode, Bertena shares how her own journey shaped the teacher she is today. She talks about why flexibility is not an entrance test, why a chair or a supported position can be part of a meaningful yoga practice, and how students can ask for the options and support they need. She also guides listeners through a short awareness practice that can be done seated, in bed, or in another comfortable position.
You can begin yoga with the body and life you have today. You are welcome to move, rest, listen, or simply get curious.
In this episode, we explore:
- Beginning yoga in your forties and learning to trust your own path
- The experience of being told you are “too sick” for yoga teacher training
- Why flexibility, body size, and age are not measures of belonging
- How chair, bed, and floor options can make yoga more accessible
- Questions to ask when looking for a beginner-friendly yoga class
- A gentle awareness practice for noticing support and making choices
- What inclusive yoga teaching means to Bertena
Reflection questions from the episode:
What have you believed you needed to change before you could begin yoga? What would help you feel welcome and supported in a class? What is one small beginning you could make this week?
About Bertena
Bertena Varney is an inclusive yoga facilitator, meditation teacher, and founder of Rose Temple Yoga School. Her teaching welcomes students to explore yoga with options for different bodies and abilities, including chair, bed, and floor practices.
Explore 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 program and request information at bertena.org/en/yoga-teacher-training.
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