All my life people I have heard that you need to work out. I have had numerous gym memberships, tried to become runner, worked on cardio exercises, took intense workout classes, but I always come to the same conclusion: I hate cardio.
I grew up in household where working out is lifestyle. I can almost recite every P90x and Insanity workout tape known to man. My whole family loves them, but for some reason it never truly sparked my interest, no matter how hard I tried. I wanted to work out and feel the bliss everyone else did, but when I was doing the exercises that I have been taught ever since I was in elementary school gym class, I wasn’t happy after.
My life changed this summer though from working out. I began practicing yoga, and I feel I have finally found my bliss. I never thought that I would have found such a joy in working out, but yoga has helped me in all aspects of life. When practicing yoga, you are always doing your best. You are stretching your mind, as well as your muscles. According to Rachel Brathen, also known as yoga girl, “[Yoga] is called a practice because we’re never finished; it’s a continuous string of moments and movements and breaths that make up this life we choose to lead and it changes all the time.” Yoga has inspired so many people, just like it has me.
One of the biggest draws I had to yoga was that it wasn’t just about working out. It’s about letting yourself go into a place that may not be comfortable, but you push through it. It’s about feeling every emotion in your body and releasing them. It’s about loving your body and your mind, and letting yourself be free.
There is so much damaging stress that we all put on ourselves. Practicing yoga has let me relieve some of my stress and feel happy with myself again. We can all be hard on ourselves, but it’s important to take a step back every once and while and list our best qualities. Just listing one aspect of your life that makes you happy can make you feel more confident in yourself. Pointing out your flaws is easy, but trying to focus on strengths and what makes you beautiful inside and out, is what’s hard. Yoga has challenged me to do this every day and now you should challenge yourself by doing it too. You may find that you not only will be happy with who you are, but you will be happy with the choices you have made and the experiences you’ve had.
Every day you can practice yoga. Whether it’s doing an hour and half workout of intricate poses and moves or taking a few minutes of your day to work on your breathing and meditation, it benefits your body, your mind, and your soul. Always do what’s best for you and adjust your practice for how you’re feeling in that moment. The most important part is to just keep practicing, no matter what, never give up.
