I have been doing yoga for a few years now and I have fallen head over heels in love with it. I actually cannot do it enough. My practice has benefitted my body and mind in so many ways, keeping my joints and muscles healthy as well as my brain. However, I have also noticed lessons from yoga have bled into other aspects of my life. Yoga has become more than an exercise. It has become a life practice.

1. There is no such thing as perfect.

Do you ever go to a yoga class and the person next to you has a “perfect” forward fold? Same. But, as I have continued to practice yoga over the past few years, I have learned that “perfect” doesn’t matter. Just because the other person can do a full handstand or finished school before you or has a job that pays more, doesn’t mean anything they have is better than yours, let alone perfect. You are doing what is perfect for you in your yoga practice and in your life and that may look different from what someone else’s perfect.

2. Listen to your body, mind, and soul.

In yoga, you need to listen to your body and tailor your practice to what it is saying. That is why your forward fold might look different from another person’s. Same goes for the rest of your life. If you want to find your perfect life, you need to listen to your needs. Maybe you need to take longer to finish school or your career passion doesn’t pay enough as another’s. That’s okay as long as you are listening to and fulfilling your needs.

3. Take time for yourself.

Your yoga practice is your time. However long and however often you decided to practice, that time is spent responding to your needs. That time is essential. Having some time for yourself every day or every week is important. It gives you a chance to check in with your body, mind, soul and find your perfect. You can take time for yourself is ways other than yoga too, such a writing, hiking, or maybe even napping. Just make sure you are taking that time to focus on only your internal needs, not school or work or friends or anything else that might be bothering you.

4. Balance is essential.

Just like you need balance to perform a headstand or tree pose, you need balance throughout your life. Even parts of work, school, personal time, and a social life is imperative to maintaining your perfect life. Without balance, just like you would with a headstand, you will collapse (physically and metaphorically). Obviously, this can be extremely difficult, but, just as it is with yoga, practice makes perfect.

5. Be purposeful.

It is so easy to just do things without a specific purpose. But in yoga, you should go into practice with an intention and every pose should respond to your needs. You never want to just do a pose while not thinking about each part of your body being affected. The same goes for life. It can be fun to just do things that are spontaneous or don’t mean much, but you want to make sure the majority of your life is filled with purposeful action. When you shop or go to work or school, go with intention.

Don't forget what you learn from yoga once you leave the mat. Let those lessons bleed into every corner of your life and make it better. Yoga isn't just an exercise; it's a lifestyle.