When people ask me why yoga is so great, a million answers always come rushing into my head at once. Yoga is the perfect combination of exercising and healing your body and mind at the same time. My yoga journey started at the young age of 15, and four years later it was the best choice I have ever made. Not only have I seen the many physical benefits, but the mental ones as well.
First of all, let me address the fact that yoga is in fact a work out, and can be an extremely rigorous one at that. The common misconception about yoga is that it is boring or easy, and that is not the case. Yoga allows you to get a rigorous workout while still allowing yourself to relax. A flow sequence can get your heart pumping and allows you to get in your cardio for the day, while still stretching and strengthening your body. A good yoga class encompasses everything your body needs to keep healthy. For athletes or runners, yoga is crucial to stretch the muscles they are using every day. Though I was an athlete my whole high school career, believe it or not yoga actually kept me in better shape. My overall body feels stronger and healthier when I am practicing regularly. The number one excuse for why people do not do yoga is because they claim they are not flexible. Good news for you! You do not have to be flexible to do yoga! I could not touch my toes before I started and now I am extremely flexible. Yoga increases your overall balance and flexibility.
One of the best parts about yoga is that it is not competitive. In sports or in competitive working out routines like CrossFit, you always have to be the best. The constant expectations of having to be the best can be really exhausting and put strain on an individual. In yoga, none of that matters. Yoga is not a competition, but it is your own personal practice. The people in the class with you are not angry at you for not doing a pose, they aren't judging your formation, because all they are focused on is themselves, and that's so refreshing. Yoga was the first thing in my life that I did for me, because I liked it, because I wanted to, and without any pressure or judgement from anybody else. Everybody in a yoga class is so worried about themselves that they don't care that you just fell out of crow pose. What else can give you an amazing workout in a judgement free zone?
When I originally started yoga I only wanted the physical benefits because I was doing it to get in shape for sports. But my mind was blown when yoga began to not only transform my body but my mind. Yoga has given me something to look forward to when life is tough, and given me a place to escape to and seek comfort in. Yoga has taught me to be kind to myself as well as others, and that your practice is a journey and there is no such thing as perfection. On your mat, nothing else matters but your practice and the present moment. You no longer have to worry about that math test you failed, that fight with your parents, the deadline later on that week. Yoga is an opportunity to cleanse your mind and allow yourself a moment of relaxation in your chaotic life.
Step into a studio and I promise you that your perspective on life will change. You will see yourself, others, and the world differently. Sometimes we all need to escape our lives, and there is nothing more calming and comforting than yoga. It's difficult to find a routine that can benefit your body and your mind, but yoga truly masters it. The mental and physical benefits cannot be matched. Yoga shifted my mindset from one who didn't have much hope, to one that is happy, mindful, and free.
So to the people who ask me why I love yoga, I love yoga because I love myself. Yoga is good for your mind, body, and soul. I love yoga because it keeps my body healthy and my mind free of negative thoughts. I love yoga because when I feel as though my world is falling apart, it's there to catch me every time. If more people did yoga the world would be a better place, so what are you waiting for?