I was the stiffest person in every yoga class I took for two years. And usually I won that award without a single competitor coming even remotely close to my super-tight hamstrings. I found my way to yoga after a childhood of sports everyday, followed by years of competitive Judo. And though I was no Arnold Schwarzenegger, I was muscularly dense. When Yoga practice took hold inside me, and the desire to progress in the poses, to open my body, grew strong, I was convinced that – since many people had told me this – in order for me to become flexible, I would have to lose muscle mass.

Jump ahead 15 years. While I’ve not turned into a bendy yogi – not a thing like those uber flexi girls that look like they were born into a circus family - my body is much more open than before, and postures that I’d assumed I would never be able to do are regular parts of my daily practice. Six months ago I reviewed what I’ve accomplished in my study of asana. And it’s a lot. Those who knew me years ago are impressed with the changes. Yet my personal review also showed me that the increased flexibility came at the expense of muscle. And now, having dove into the world of strength training (more on this in a bit), I know that it doesn’t have to.

Much has been written about the benefits of resistance (strength) training. It’s well worth looking into – for general health, metabolism and youthening. I was astounded to find the linkage of one of my favorite subjects – we can call it anti-aging for convenience sake…or youthening…or even better, physical immortality – to resistance training, and delighted to see how well it’s documented scientifically.

A friend who’s a fitness buff, and who became dedicated to yoga a few years ago, struggles with oscillations between the gym and the shala (yoga school). Her big question is - how to get the benefits of both? Specifically, how to get the tremendous benefits of resistance training (be that body building with weight training or body weight exercises) while still progressively deepening her yoga practice. Being a scientist, she researched the literature and documented reports.

The results she found (until now) were adamantly conclusive. It can’t be done, these reports said - they are mutually exclusive endeavors. What you do in the gym will set back your yoga practice, and what you do in the shala will undermine your strength training.

I disagree. Not only in theory - also from personal experience - I can conclusively say it’s not true. I’m proof. While it may be true that the challenge of increasing flexibility for someone with large amounts of muscle mass may be tremendous, it can be done. And for someone with less muscle than they would like, they can build it without harm to their flexibility. In fact, the added strength is an asset to their flexibility.

Resistance training involves taking muscle fibers out of their comfort zone, taking them beyond what they think they can do to train them that they have a higher potential. Each time you do this – and then allow time for recovery and rebuilding – the muscle fiber becomes bigger and stronger. It’s the same process we undertake with yoga. And although there are manifold benefits from the physical part of us reaching a higher potential, the greater benefit comes from that process as metaphor. Just like there are benefits in standing on one’s head. Yet a far better benefit comes from learning we can do something we previously thought we couldn’t.

Now, each time I lift some weight – whether it’s my own body, a bag of sand or a dumbbell – I do so with the express purpose of realizing more of my potential. The term bodybuilding fits better than lifting weights. Within each session, I somehow top whatever I did in the previous session, either with more sets, a slower movement, a heavier weight or more repetitions. My body has come to expect more from me. And so have I. When we expect more from someone or something, the usual result is that we get more.

While I’m still no Arnold Schwarzenegger and still not the bendiest branch in the yoga room, neither is it my goal to be either of those. I have been amazed to see how quickly and efficiently my body has responded to the increased demands. Muscles have grown rapidly. My shape has changed noticeably in the last 6 months. More importantly I feel better than ever. That I look better is a welcome side benefit.

The body – like all systems – craves balance, and will always find it given the right conditions. Greater strength – which results in greater stability – allows the body more flexibility.

My experiment has clearly shown me that not only is muscle mass not a detriment to flexibility, it’s a boon to it. My own yoga practice has continued to develop with the addition of strength training. I practice asana in the mornings like usual, then 3-5 days a week I invest an hour or less on resistance training. Another 4 days a week I walk in the afternoons. Stay tuned for an upcoming article with more specific training details and the skinny on the nutritional aspect of strength building.

The question I frequently ask – ‘how good can it get?’ – keeps revealing more and more delightful answers. Greater joy in the body may contribute to greater joy in every aspect of our lives. And it’s ten times more likely when we approach all we do with the smiling potential of ‘may this create more love and joy in the world.’