How Yoga Can Change Your Life

Many of us are familiar with yoga as a form of exercise that includes breathing, various positions, and stretching. But yoga actually has its roots in India, where it was developed thousands of years ago as a spiritual discipline to advance human wellbeing. The Sanskrit root yuj, which means to connect or combine, is where the word “yoga” comes from. In essence, yoga aims to harmonies the mind, body, and spirit as a means of overcoming suffering—something I believe we could all benefit from, don’t you?

Without fully appreciating the practice, I used to view yoga as merely an exercise, which is perhaps why maintaining a regular yoga regimen never really took. Years of regular yoga practice have now allowed me to notice a change in my mental sharpness, suppleness, and physical stamina. Even though every practice is different, going to my mat gives me the ability to focus inside, which enables me to make positive adjustments in my life off the mat as well.

Here are some points which can change your life by practicing Yoga:

• I live a life that is more purposeful

Most yoga instructors advise students to set an intention for their day’s practice and for themselves at the start of each class. Depending on how you want to feel as you go through the flow, this might be a word, a phrase, or just a feeling. Setting an intention and returning to it throughout the session, in my experience, has helped me feel more rooted in my practice. Setting intentions may be a potent way to frame each day and give it more meaning, as I’ve done in my life off the mat.

• Acquired the ability to breathe

One thing we both have the ability to regulate and don’t have to think about is our breath. Pranayama, or breath management through various methods, is an ancient yoga practice. We engage the “rest and digest” mode of our parasympathetic nervous system when we intentionally focus on our breathing. During my yoga lessons, I’ve found that taking the time to sit quietly and focus on my breathing has helped me feel less stressed and anxious. With all of the distractions in daily life, it can be beneficial to pause and breathe occasionally, even for just a minute.

• Be Better at appreciating the right now.

“There is no haste” is one of my favorite mantras that I picked up from yoga. How frequently do you find yourself rushing from one duty to the next, after all? Or being so absorbed in your work that you fail to see how quickly time is passing? Yoga emphasises mindfully slowing down and finding calm in each moment. When I do yoga, I make the conscious decision to be in the moment during every pose and to sit with my emotions. Although I wouldn’t say I am always fully present, I can say with certainty that incorporating this way of thinking into my daily life has helped me savor moments, no matter how unremarkable they may seem.

• Abandon a little of your perfectionism.

I prefer to think of myself as a “recovering perfectionist” since I’ve been actively working to let go of my preconceived notions about how my life should be or how experiences should be. Yoga practice on a regular basis has been really important in this. I feel strong in some stances and like a crumpled pretzel in others. Focus on how you feel, not how you believe it should look, as one of my instructors advised. I’ve gained space for grace in other parts of my life by committing to a regular yoga practice to become more in tune with my body and mind and to let go of preconceived preconceptions. Both poses and every event of your life do not need to be flawless.

• More in touch with your feelings

We keep our problems in our tissues, or our hips are the rubbish drawers of the body, are two sayings from the yoga instructors I’ve had. It turns out that trauma and other intense emotions can be preserved in the body, as appealing as those sentences may seem. Even the study of how doing yoga might aid in the healing of trauma has increased. Speaking from personal experience, a lot of lessons or flows may cause distressing emotions. I discovered that letting my emotions to take up space as I sit with them, as opposed to over thinking or overreacting, helps me process my feelings more effectively.

• “Perfect Balance” does not exist

Such an elusive idea is balance. I had the impression that if I could only allocate my energy equally among all areas of my life, I would subsequently have healthy skin, more free time, stronger friendships, and a successful profession. But not everything in life will be perfectly balanced all the time, much as when you fall out of Tree Pose. I was able to accept this reality and focus my energies where it was most needed thanks to yoga. I have been able to strengthen my core and mind, increase my body awareness, and handle many aspects of my life off the mat by routinely practicing balancing poses.

• Have more faith in ability to overcome challenges 

I’ve been able to consider the alternative stories I’ve been telling myself in my day-to-day life by identifying where my thoughts were limiting me. In actuality, I’ve been able to overcome obstacles in life and will do so in the future. The tale you tell yourself in your head is not who you really are. It’s critical to have confidence in oneself and to understand that one may always alter one’s own story. You are capable of doing challenging tasks, such as mastering a headstand or having a challenging conversation.

• I’m better at paying attention to my body

I had sciatica pain, tight hips, and tense hamstrings when I first started doing yoga. It goes without saying that I felt incredibly cut off from my physical body. I started to gradually fix this disconnect as my muscles got stronger and I become more flexible. I am now pleased to report that I am no longer suffering from sciatica, but there have been other changes as well. I’ve learnt to pay attention to what my body requires. You deserve to pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you because, in my opinion, yoga is a continuous self-study.