6 reasons I practice yoga
Yoga came into my life semi-recently. I wasn’t a born yogi or a naturally spiritual person. I was burnt out, lazy, and in need of some physical exercise. I was working with a wonderful health coach at the time (shout out to Nati!), who introduced me to Yoga with Adrienne. My first dip into the yoga community was her 30-day “Home” series that I practiced in my living room. I went to a couple of yoga classes at a studio near my house but was overwhelmed by the flexibility and ease with which most of the people in the class moved. I would go home discouraged and think to myself, “What the fuck am I doing?”. But then the pandemic hit, and I was forced to practice at home. So I did. I made it a routine. I thought it would give me the opportunity to learn the moves so I could go back to a studio and show those flexy people, “I fit in here too!” And then I started to notice changes.
I carried myself more proudly and lightly. I started to fall in love with my body and how it moved. I noticed I was calmer and knew how to self-soothe when I got stressed. I had more loving thoughts and less self-deprecating ones. My body ached less, and I started to understand what my body was needing and craving.
So why do I keep practicing yoga?
It helps me fall in love with my body
I always put a mirror close by to where I’m practicing. Sometimes I love to look at myself. How my body twists and turns. Other times all I want to do is look away. In the day-to-day, I find beauty in how I hold my poses. But as the days turn to months, I notice how much more I look into the mirror. And that I look at myself with more affection. The way my tummy rolls shift when I do a twist or the way my calf muscles show when I’m holding a lunge. I’ve started to look. Not from a place of negativity or judgment but from a place of love, contentment, and awe.
It makes me set aside time for myself
Discipline is hard. Take it from me. I can hardly keep up with one hobby, let alone the 50 I constantly juggle. But it’s shown me what it’s like to commit. To show up for a practice that makes me grow. Whether it’s 30 minutes or 2 hours, every day, I make myself show up. Some days I can barely move, and I’ll just do a meditation (to me, that’s yoga). On other days I’ll do a 90-minute sweat session. But every day, I practice. I turn off my phone, light a candle, and drop in. It’s my sacred time. And my moment to ask myself, “How am I, really? What do I need? And how can I best care for myself right now?”
It brings me to a supportive community
The people of yoga felt intimidating to me at first. But the minute I started to dive into the community, I realized they were the most kind-hearted people I had ever met. They cared about my growth, helped me love myself, and wanted to uplift me. Never have I met such supportive people as I have in the yoga communities. Within seconds of meeting someone, you can start talking about what you’re battling or your personal achievements, and people are invested in hearing you out and helping you grow. It’s a community in which I’ve found solace and that I can always retreat to for inspiration, space, and a loving presence.
It humbles me
Yoga is one of the movement sports with the least props. All you need is a mat (and sometimes not even that). Yoga reminds me of the beauty that comes from having nothing but yourself. Of stillness. Quiet. On the mat, I trust that I have everything I need. I let my mind, heart, and gut take the center stage. I step off the mat, and I remember that I am just a person. And that we are all the same. All we want is love and care. To be honored for who we are. To live from a place of truth and joy. It’s a reminder that inside, we are all the same.
I stand taller
I literally stand taller after my practice. My pose is better. My back is happier, and my shoulders are relaxed. I crouch less. Or maybe I don’t, but I notice when I am crouching and self-correct. Yoga has given me the vocabulary to understand how little shifts in your body can create a massive trickle-down effect. A little adjustment and your internal world changes. What happens if I move this a little to the right or stretch my finger’s a bit more? And when I roll up my mat at the end of the practice, I gain a few centimeters I never knew I had lost.
It quiets my mind and changes my thoughts
Everyone finds stillness differently. Some find it running, others making art. I find it practicing yoga. There’s a moment towards the middle of my flow where I’m not thinking. I’m just existing. But it wasn’t always this way. The moment of stillness came with practice. And from there, I could notice the thoughts that would pop up. At first, they were harsh. So I started introducing positive affirmations purposefully and intentionally. Now, when I’m in a tough pose, the words that pop into my head are “I am strong” or “I can do this.” And if I can’t, I know trying is getting me closer. Take that - negative thoughts!
But seriously, negative thoughts do arise. Meditation and yoga make you aware of them. You notice them and can choose to interact with them. My teachers and my practice have shown me that they do not control me, I control them. And with that, I am slowly changing the thought processes occurring inside my head and, subsequently, how I move and exist in the world.
This all might sound silly or slightly esoteric. And that’s okay. Give the practice a go, and see how you respond to it. Change won’t come overnight, but you’ll notice changes. And I’ll be here to support you through them.
