You have likely heard about all of the hype surrounding yoga- allegedly, it is wonderful and can change your life. I was quite pleased to discover that this is true. I hope my thoughts on yoga can push you to try it, especially if you are in need of some at home workouts.
I entered yoga uneasily, wondering if I would be up to speed. After my first few classes, I let go of my nerves, and it was only then that I felt able to develop my practice. As I allowed myself to be aware and accepting of my body, I started to recognize more sensations through my body and understand the power of mindful thinking. Mindful thinking refers to thinking with an intention and sense of awareness about the current moment. When we think with intentions, we live with intentions, likely within a more present and engaged life.
In yoga, we meditate and allow discomforts and challenges to rise to the surface. We don’t escape the moment- we stay present. Yoga is empowering in that we learn that we do have the strength to overcome life despite challenges.
Meditation showed me that I was constantly feeling stressed because I was not giving myself ample time to be with myself and my thoughts alone. I was allowing the chaos around everyday life to pull me in directions all over the place. Like myself, many of us take ourselves out of the equation when everyday life speeds up.
We are so often on the go, with no time to stand still. Yoga allows us to own our time and gain a stronger sense of strength and self-confidence that comes with taking time to work on ourselves. By deeming our own space and time important, we give ourselves as individuals value.
Yoga pushes us to own our internal strength, which in turn builds our external confidence. Learning about mindfulness in yoga has led me to apply mindfulness throughout my life. I challenge myself to stay present when with friends and family, I check in with myself and try to release negative energy through writing and painting, and I urge myself to be kind and accepting to myself and always respect my boundaries. Yoga has taught me how to embrace my body, own my strength and weaknesses, and keep striving for more: this is empowerment.
As the world is in a vulnerable state, it is important to take the time to reduce stress. For those in quarantine, yoga can be a DIY workout! Currently, various studios are holding online yoga classes such as Bulldog Yoga, Sky Ting, and Daily Ritual.
“The body benefits from movement, and the mind benefits from stillness.” -Sakyong Mipham
Featured Image by Lucas Prezeta on Pixels.
Free to use, no attribution required.
Title Image Source
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
