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> I don't need to stretch to be able to do proper yoga. I just need to unlock the full potential of my body
After 3 years of yoga my conclusion is stretching is what you have to do at first to be able to do the stances properly. If you only ever go to classes as if it was sports you may not get beyond this stage because you're just following instructions made for these group sessions.
So far every stance or position I've learned can be turned into an isometric strength building exercise by pressing "against the stretch" or by activating the parts of your body you would use to pull the stretch. It then turns into a 2-way strength exercise instead. I think this is how physical yoga is meant to be practiced, it's a "hidden" element of each stance.
I also read you're supposed to add the mula banda (root lock) to stances, but this is rarely taught because it's too difficult to explain in the way yoga classes are usually performed.
I no longer stretch, because the stretches have turned into isometric strength training.