Why Should You Practice Yoga?

Well, everyone knows that is yoga is "good" for you. But is this actually true? In my honest opinion: YES! Yoga is amazing. I practice yoga daily, and it makes a huge difference in my humor, my anxiety levels, my sleep and even in my toilet schedule (I swear!).

I even decided I want to be a yoga teacher in the future so I can help other people feel like this too. I took a yoga course online that qualifies me to teach but being honest, it did not prepare me enough to teach in person. My plan is to attend some workshops and study more so I can truly help others in a professional way. The course was still an awesome way to learn more about the yoga practice and especially about the theory, which is even more amazing in my opinion. If I could go back in time, I would have done more research about online courses before signing up for one. I went with the cheapest one so I got what I paid for (but if you are looking for a teacher training course, I would suggest this one).

After years of practice and immersion into the yoga world, these are the 5 biggest reasons why I think you should give yoga a try:

1. It's not a competitive practice and it fits everyone!

This is my favorite part about it! A lot of people believe yoga has to do with being very flexible and balancing your body weight on your head, but this is not what it's all about. As a matter of fact, you can be a real and experienced yogi without being able to touch your toes. It's all about taking time for yourself, breathing deeply and focus on being present. The meaning of the word Yoga is union, and I like to say it's the union of breath, mind and body. As I combine simple movements with my breath, I clear my mind. This is the real yoga. When you practice a sequence of asanas (poses), you prepare your body and mind for a relaxing state that facilitates the meditation process and your practice should be aligned with your limits and what you feel comfortable doing.

2. It improves heart health and sleep

When you practice breathing exercises, meditation and relaxation, you reduce blood pressure and artery-damaging inflammation, which can improve your cardiovascular health and your sleep (you can read more about it in this Harvard Medical School post). The regular practice can also lead to less daily stress and even a better diet. After I started studying the yoga theory, I reduced my meat and processed food consumption and started eating more anti-inflammatory foods. In a few months I felt a bigger change in my body and energy levels, and it motivated me to keep doing it. In my case, stress and sleep go hand in hand. If I don't sleep well the night before, my day just feels so long and stressful! But if I sleep well, I feel more calm and patient during the day, and I can see things with more clarity. At work, people would constantly ask me what was my secret to remain calm in some stressful situations and my answer was one: yoga.

3. It boosts metabolism

It's well known that cardiovascular exercises like running, walking or aerobic boost your metabolism and help you burn calories. Some more active yoga practices like ashtanga vinyasa, power yoga and hot yoga can also be listed as high intensity exercises that will obviously accelerate metabolism. But in this posts I'm talking about beginner's yoga. Slow paced and simple movements yoga. And yes! It still boost your metabolism even without breaking a sweat. Even simple yoga moves can stimulate and strengthen endocrine organs, which can increase or restore metabolism and burn more calories.

4. It builds self confidence

A regular yoga practice opens a connection with your inner self. It's all about self- awareness and talking to yourself in a kind and supportive manner. I grew up being extremely self conscious, and it has ruined so many opportunities and moments in my life. I used to put everyone else before me in my list of priorities, which lead me to believe I was not enough. Every time I practice, I thank myself for taking the time in the day to focus on my physical and mental health. Sometimes we focus so much on work, or making sure other people are okay and we forget to take care of ourselves. But you matter! As a matter of fact, if you really want to be better at work or with your loved ones, you have to put yourself first. Since I started practicing yoga daily, I feel like I'm doing something so good for myself. I lost weight, feel happier, and I have more energy throughout the day. As I gained flexibility and strength in my late 20s I feel like I'm actually getting better as I age and it feels like I can do anything if I really commit to it! The more you love yourself, the more you want to take care of yourself and you want to nourish your body with better foods, your mind with better content and your life with more positive and good experiences. It becomes easier to say no to the things you don't want and to genuinely help others, because you want to. Happiness is contagious, and I've noticed the happier I am, the happier my family is too. I've never felt as confident as I do now.

5. It makes you stronger

Yoga can make you physically and mentally stronger. If you opt to challenge yourself with balancing poses, you will build core strength as well as arm and leg strength. By incorporating meditation and breathing exercises, also known as pranayamas in yoga, to your routine, you tend to have less negative thoughts and a healthier mind. Seeing things with clarity and being more alert, in my opinion, are the main characteristics of a strong mind. In yoga, a mind that can't see things with clarity is called a distracted mind, meaning that you're not connected with yourself and looking for happiness in the wrong things. A distracted mind will usually lead to anxiety and depression, and the best way to return to yourself is to meditate and unite with the divine through a yoga practice.

Hope these 5 reasons have inspired yourself to get on a yoga mat and try a yoga class. If you don't feel like going to an in person class, or if it would be easier to do it at home you can always search for videos on YouTube. My suggestion, in case you've never tried yoga before, is to type "yoga for beginner" or "pranayama for beginner" in the search bar. You can also read books like this one to learn poses and breathing exercises or, in case you want to learn more about theory also, light on yoga is the Bible of modern yoga and will cover basically everything you need to know.

The light in me honors the light in you.

With love,

Natalia

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