There's a lot more to yoga than the booty magnifying pants and heated workouts. Yoga is a practice. It is a practice to harmonize the mind, the body and the soul.
Despite the insanely flexible yogis you see on Instagram, there's no such thing as perfect -- especially in the yoga world. Many people these days on social media do it for the attention and reassurance of their bodies, which defeats the purpose of yoga. Every session is one practice closer to self-improvement, and every practice is one you should take with pride, no matter your flexibility challenges. When I see a yogi striking a pose on Instagram, my initial reaction is, Wow, I'm jealous of how in tune with her body she is. Not, Wow, why can't my butt look that good?
Actually, yoga should not be sprouting seeds of jealousy at all. In fact, namaste is usually spoken at the closure of a practice, when one soul recognizes another. After all, that's all we really are. Our bodies are merely vessels carrying our soul.
We should cherish each other's successes and strive to create our own success that way, and cherish and take care of the bodies we were given with.
Many millennials, like myself, seemed to have hopped on the yoga bandwagon these days, despite yoga being around for centuries. Why? Speaking as an avid overthinker, I have found myself turning to it in times of stress and ways of clearing my mind, rather than getting a work-out from it.
It's a perfect way to release your mind of your anxieties and escape whatever mood you're in. The point of yoga, essentially, is to lose yourself to the moment -- to the practice, to your body. There's no wrong way of doing it. Unless you're in the middle of a pose and find yourself thinking, Damn, I bet my butt looks so good right now I wish so-and-so could see me, then you are doing it wrong.
Because yoga has such a powerful affect on the mind, body and soul you truly can choose what you want out of your practice depending on your mood- that's what's so beautiful about it.
Below are my favorite poses to help get me out of my moods and back into spirits.
Child's Pose.
What is normally a resting pose between other poses, Child's Pose increases blood circulation to your head and lengthens your spine. This go-to pose is for whenever you feel the need to just take a breath, ground yourself, and be still.
Downward Dog.
Alright ladies, listen up. This is one of the most standard, stereotypical poses out there, but for good reason. If done properly, which really isn't too difficult, it provides a variety of benefits- including the relief of our monthly visitor. The inverted position calms your brain and relieves stress, even mild depression in some cases. It additionally energizes the body, getting you out of whatever funk you may be in to pump you up for some other poses and activities.
Mountain Pose.
Feeling small, inferior or hunched even? Mountain Pose is the one to do. It's easy, but actually really effective. Simply lifting your arms into the air with poise and strength will have you feeling confident again in seconds. Hell, you'll feel like an Olympic gymnast after you've just killed a floor routine.
Warrior Pose.
This one is guaranteed to make you feel fierce if you're feeling blah. How can you not feel like a warrior, with your neck craned, poised back, strengthened core and arms? You can kick it up a notch, making it as intensive as you want with different variations.
Tree Pose.
When everything in your life seems to be going crazy and spinning out of control, ground yourself with this tree pose. By requiring you to balance, breathe, and focus, you'll feel stabilized and more in control of the chaos engulfing you.
Supported Shoulder Stand.
Feeling confused or at a loss? Turning upside down with your legs held straight into the air allows the blood flow to circulate more throughout your body, and gives you the energy to see things from a different perspective.
Cobra.
Inhale the good, exhale the bad. Open up your chest, feel the air flow through your lungs. This one is pretty self explanatory. And the name is pretty bad-ass.
Crow.
Put your balance and shoulders to the test here and feel like a master Yogi. Even if you manage to hold the position for a few seconds, you're going to feel empowered and proud of yourself, and challenged to try again and harder next time to hang a few seconds longer.
Eagle.
While twisting your arms and legs in this position may feel awkward, it is also just what you need to get you out of your comfort zone and embrace the oddness of the pose. Weird is good, one of my favorite mottos for life and this pose does it justice.
Corpse Pose (Savasana).
When all else fails, resort to this meditational state. While it is the easiest on your body, it can be found to be the most challenging for your mind. To simply let go of everything and ease into a state of calm absentmindedness is a lot harder than you think. (Try it right now -- I dare you.) FYI: Many people fall asleep. Sometimes, all you need is a little cat nap to do the trick.
So get your face down, booty up and yogi on.
