thoughtsfromasagittarius

[thoughtsfromasagittarius]

The power of trying yoga + its immediate impact on your body and mind

It is an interesting thing to try something new and instantly fall in love with it. The feeling of overjoyment, excitement and discovery overcomes you instantly and simultaneously. You have no thought of leaving such emotion. It brings a new sense of comfort and peace. My experience trying yoga can be described as the feeling above, a feeling that can not be forgotten. 

Before trying yoga, I was like many others who were skeptical of trying it. I have known about the practice of yoga for a long time but allowed the stereotypes of yoga to keep me from trying it. Stereotypes such as “yoga is only for skinny, young and flexible women” and is a “fancy form of stretching” prevented me from discovering a practice that is good for my health. Laura Finch, a yoga instructor and blogger of Yogakali shares the common myths surrounding yoga and debunks them in her blog post 6 Common Myths and Stereotypes About Yoga Debunked. 

Many of those myths are often reinforced subconsciously in our minds when we scroll through our social media platforms, causing us to have a certain picture of the ideal being who can practice yoga. Laura Finch shares a common stereotype that is fueled by social media which is that “yoga is’t manly enough”. Pictures of women doing intricate yoga poses often crowds the screen of the health and wellness tab on Instagram. Such images exclude the diverse group of yoga practitioners that look like you and me. 

I am here to tell you that there is no ideal being, yoga is open for everyone and anyone. As Laura Finch puts it, “Yoga welcomes everyone to make them happier, healthier, and stronger.” 

As someone with an active disability that interferes constantly with the balance of my body and mind, I have often felt like I did not belong in the realm of  yoga. I have often thought to myself I have no balance and no knowledge of yoga poses, so how can I possibly join. I am glad I broke away from such toxic thoughts that prevented me from living life with an open mind. Since I have changed my mindset, I have tried new things that make my body and mind feel good in a healthy way.

After practicing yoga for two weeks I felt an impact on my physical body almost immediately. My disease was becoming dormant, slowly reaching the sweet bliss of remission. I felt my breathing, focus, and balance improve, and that was only the beginning. 

Dr. Catherine Woodyard, author of “Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life” shares the multiple benefits of practicing yoga. Through her studies, postures in yoga have helped treat health conditions through the reduction of emotional, physiological and spiritual pain in people. Many postures of yoga that promote focusing on a person’s individual breathing and sense of self, have demonstrated to reduce stress, anxiety, chronic pain and promote healing. Dr. Catharine emphasizes that yoga helps lower your heart rate, blood pressure,  and cortisol levels, allowing increased blood flow to your vital organs.

Other than enhancing muscular strength and flexibility too, yoga is wonderful to the mind. According to Woodyard’s studies, yoga helps achieve the tranquility of the mind and create a sense of well-being. This allows feelings of relaxation, self-confidence and optimism to flourish in one’s mind. 

I can testify to those facts and would love to share that ever since I began yoga and have remained consistent with it, I have felt the positive impacts on my mind and body. I am happy to say that I am feeling better with my disease and developed an optimistic outlook in my life that I once lost the first day I was diagnosed with my disease. I have also become stronger mentally and physically, with a more balanced body and mind. I hope my testimony inspires you to try yoga for yourself and that it opens you to a new world of holistic healing.