It seems that yoga has become extremely trendy in the more recent years. Women and men alike are joining in, going to studios, watching videos at home, and searching Pinterest for helpful graphics. Yogis are making tons of money by just posting pictures on Instagram of them doing handstands on a beach at sunset; and clothing stores are profiting by selling expensive designer yoga-wear that wealthier adults will wear to class and brunch alike.
Often, I tend to write off these trends. What’s the big hype? There’s no way that meditation stuff will actually calm my constantly-wired brain down. I’ll never be flexible, so why bother? It’s not even a workout, right? Aren’t you just chanting om while trying to touch your toes?
I was wrong.
I started a trial membership at a studio near me at the beginning of February. I was curious about what the big deal was and the trial was a decent price. My back was killing me from sitting at my desk and I thought I’d give yoga a shot to see if maybe it could help (since all the morning news hosts raved about how great it was). I was instantly hooked. The studio is small and welcoming. I was greeted every day with a warm smile from one of the many volunteers running the front desk. There was beautiful music constantly playing, dim lighting, and herbal scents. The larger studio had a running fountain and a quote from Sonia Ricotti painted in large script on the wall:
“Accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be...”
Each class, my body was twisted into new, strange positions. I was learning how to connect with my breath and use the earth to help ground me - both physically and spiritually. Yoga was hard. I sweat a lot and often took more accommodating variations of poses because my body couldn’t do some of them yet. There was never any judgement, though. Everyone’s practice was vastly different and teachers were always offering suggestions. There was no pressure to do something that you weren’t ready for and I started to learn when to push myself and when to back off - a lesson I’d apply to both my asana (physical) practice and to my real life.
At work, I started to notice how I sat at my desk. I began to sit a little taller and roll my shoulders back. Instead of leaning forward and curving my already naturally-arched back, I sat back a bit more with a straighter spine. What used to feel extremely uncomfortable started to be something that my body craved. My back ached less; and when it did, I knew how to alleviate the pain.
I understood why everyone was doing yoga.
We live in a society that is constantly moving. Our brains jump from thought to thought - what am I having for dinner tonight? Do I need to go to the store? What time is my doctor’s appointment? I really need to get a haircut. I have so much work to do. I don’t have enough work to do. I have to get to the gym. Do I have time to run to CVS?
There’s a never-ending monologue in our heads that often seems like it’s trying to tear us apart. Yoga teaches us how to slow down and decide which thoughts are worth keeping and which we can let go. It’s much more than just a physical practice; through mindful breathing you learn how to become more in-touch with your body and your mind. You learn to recognize what your body is telling you and listen to it. Most importantly, in practicing yoga, you allow yourself to dedicate time to focusing on you and only you - something we often don’t do.
In case you missed it, last month the wonderful Angela Green (manager and co-owner of Honor Yoga Acro & Aerial studio in Pennington, NJ) came in and did a one-hour yoga class with the Women’s Professional Network in Prudence Hall. We practiced mindful breathing, strengthening poses, and “letting go of what was”. We talked about some of the benefits of yoga and how practicing yoga can be helpful in various aspects of your life.
There have been tons of studies on the effects of yoga on physical and mental health and the results are really, quite incredible. If you attended the event (or even if you didn’t!) and are interested in exploring the benefits of yoga, visit Yoga Journal’s 38 Health Benefits of Yoga, or check out just a few of the benefits mentioned in the article below:
Improves flexibility
Builds muscle strength
Improves posture
Prevents cartilage and joint breakdown
Protects your spine
Improves bone health
Increases blood flow
Boosts immunity
Increases heart rate (which helps with depression)
Decreases blood pressure
Regulates adrenal glands
Helps to improve mood
Encourages a healthy lifestyle
Improves focus
Improves balance
Regulates the nervous system
Improves sleep
Helps with digestion
Supports connective tissue
(If you’re interested, these two studies are fascinating: The Health Benefits of Yoga and Exercise: A Review of Comparison Studies and Hatha Yoga for Depression: Critical Review of the Evidence for Efficacy, Plausible Mechanisms of Action, and Directions for Future Research)
If you attended the event - how was your experience? Do you have any tips/tricks for beginners? Are you thinking of starting yoga? Comment/share below!
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