

This isn’t to say that you can’t weave mindfulness into performing arts or that people don’t focus on aesthetics or athletics in yoga, but the goals of each practice are usually different. A yoga teacher is more of a guide than a coach, encouraging you to explore what feels good rather than training you to “perform” your best. Gymnastics and other physical performing arts involve aesthetics and competition, while yoga promotes stepping out of that competitive mindset and embracing the journey. The way you mentally approach both yoga and gymnastics is also different. Gymnastics involves a competitive mindset, while yoga encourages you to let go.
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The barrier to entry is much lower when all you need for yoga is a willing mind and a space to practice. Yoga also tends to be a more approachable and accessible practice for all ages and activity levels. That’s why it’s called a yoga practice - it’s focused on helping you gain deeper flexibility and strength, not on how well you can do the poses. yoga is all about the flow and working through a sequence to steadily arrive at each peak pose.ĭespite the fancy poses you might see, it’s not even necessary to have advanced levels of flexibility and strength to practice yoga. While both are physical practices that involve some of the same movements and skills - such as splits, handstands, deep backbends, etc. Gymnastics Gymnastics is about athletics and aesthetics, while yoga is about the journey. With so many #yoga posts on Instagram showing expert-level handbalancing, airborne acro tricks, and impressive feats of strength and flexibility, one might wonder - what’s the difference between yoga and gymnastics?
