When I first started yoga, I found that I felt more at peace after each class. I left each class with a "yoga glow". I was addicted to the feel good state that yoga produced. I had no idea that by practicing yoga, I was improving my physical body, my emotional state, and deepening my spiritual connection.
Yoga is based on postures or "asanas" that are either held for many breaths or flowed through with breath to movement. Each posture assists in opening chakras (energy centers) that are aligned along your spinal column. The opening of these chakras is what produces the balancing of your mind, body, and spirit. With your breath, you are moving the flow of energy (also known as Prana or Qi) throughout your body.
When you are holding different postures, different muscle groups are activated. This produces an increase in strength, muscle tone, and a lengthening of the muscle fibers. Many of the postures require you to hold your own body weight in new ways which helps to develop muscle memory. My balance significantly improved with yoga. I suddenly could balance my entire body on just my hands in Crow Pose, or balance on one leg while pulling the other one behind me towards my head in Dancers Pose. I even discovered how to balance on my forearms and head to do a Headstand!
I use to find that after working out at the gym I would have stiffness in my joints. Once I began a yoga practice, I stopped experiencing this joint pain. I improved my joint mobility along with my flexibility. I used to gauge my flexibility on being able to touch my toes. I now know that I can touch my toes, wrap my arms behind my legs and bring my entire torso against my legs in a Forward Fold all thanks to yoga. Back pain that once plagued me on a daily basis, evaporated into thin air as I practiced back strengthening postures.
Yoga focuses most importantly on the breath. When you are focusing deeply on your inhale and exhale, your mind is calm and clear. You are mindfully practicing yoga breath to breath. You are living in the moment, in the now. Ugayi breath (yogic breath) has helped to increase my lung capacity. I found that when I did other forms of aerobic activity, the evolution of my Ugayi breath helped me to get through more strenuous activities without feeling shortness of breath. Ugayi breath also helped me to be a better Healing Touch Practitioner as I was better able to cultivate universal energy to use during treatments.
The stress reduction and relaxation that yoga produces is truly an amazing benefit. Focusing on the here and now during a yoga class, stops you from thinking about all the troubles you have in your life. Even if the stress relief is for just one hour, thats an hour of well-being your body needs and deserves. At the end of each yoga class, your body rests flat on the floor in Savasana. You have 2-5 minutes of quiet, blissful, serenity where your mind can go blank and retreat to a meditative state. My spiritual connection to something greater than myself has deepened to a level I never knew was possible.
At the beginning of each yoga class, the instructor will usually ask that you to set an intention. An intention is a goal, dedication, or purpose that you aim to achieve from your yoga practice. This can be an intention you set for yourself or for someone else you know. Depending on how I feel each day, my intentions can differ greatly. Somedays my intention is to maintain balance. Balance in my personal life, in my day to day activities, and in my physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual state. Other times, my intention is to spread love, peace, and happiness to those around me and in the world. Setting an intention for my yoga practice helps me to focus and dedicate my moving meditation to something important in my life.
I've learned countless lessons during my yoga classes. The most important is that this is my yoga PRACTICE, not yoga perfect. It's ok if I can't figure out that arm-balance or inversion. I can always try again later. I may fall out of a balancing posture, but that just means I need to honor my body where it is that day. Non-judgment and acceptance are common themes in a yoga room. When I am on my mat, I am improving my mind, body and spirit and that's all that matters. By showing up, I have already accomplished so much that day.
Yoga has given me so many beautiful benefits, I can't help but dedicate my love to my yoga practice. Yoga has helped me to become a better person, connect with a community of like-minded, peaceful yogis, and given me the tools to live a healthy, happy life full of gratitude.
Are you ready to start your yoga practice?
No comments:
Post a Comment