How Yoga Helps: Please Do Share
Open any yoga magazine or even the health section of any newspaper, and you will read about the many benefits of yoga: Less stress, greater flexibility, lower blood pressure, deeper sleep, faster recovery time, and so many things.
In short, there are numerous ways how yoga helps. Even then, it can all seem quite theoretical or even beyond what we think we can achieve.
Sometimes we all need to hear stories, anecdotes, or even a word or phrase from people in our local community to inspire us to keep going. You may feel that your experience is insignificant, but by sharing it you may open a whole new avenue of hope and inspiration for someone else.
In my own life, yoga has helped blow away a dark cloud of an inferiority complex that seemed to always loom over or even envelop me. It has also granted me a greater sense of belonging, allowing a much more positive outlook in life – both individually and collectively. There is still a ways to go – but at least the journey is en route and not stalled!
I will gladly share more about the above as well as other ways yoga has helped.
Please take a moment to share how your yoga practice has helped you – in any way, no matter how small or big.
Remember…
It’s a real challenge to put into words how Yoga has helped me turn my self view around and see myself differently. But I’ll attempt to sum it up in this synopsis.
Yoga is a physical discipline that helps me transpose my day to day frustration and difficulties into opportunities. Doing Yoga literally supports me emotionally allowing much more mental flexibility, allowing me to reduce stressful anxiety. I’m finding that the more I work on my yoga practice, the more relaxed I am and that in turn allows my creativity more freedom to be productive; and that makes me a much happier person in general.
For me, yoga is about, well… me. It is a time just for myself, one of the few uninterrupted stretches where I can focus on my mind and body. As a new student, I find a certain joy in some of the poses. When does a middle-aged adult man get to feel the security and comfort of a child pose, that near fetal position that must have been one of the most joyous of our lives? How often in our daily lives can we assume a position that makes us feel warrior-like, strong and invincible? How often do we use 100% of our concentration – even for a few moments – to balance? Having a guide and a specific time to engage in yoga allows me to experience parts of my body and mind that I rarely come into contact with. It is not so much about stretching and power and form and movement to me as it is a re-acquaintance of myself.
Yoga opened up the channels of my body and mind that had become blocked by years of unhealthy stress and anxiety. When I began my yogic journey some ten years ago, my body was riddled with physical pain and my mind was clogged with a million different things “I had to do”. I had lost my sense of self and was existing and acting on what I thought others expected of me. Once I started to heal the physical self, mental health followed. Yoga pervades my life, not just when I am in class, but throughout my day. The voice of my teacher runs through my mind as I perform my daily tasks giving me courage and discipline.
It is hard to know where to begin in describing how much Yoga has helped me in all aspects of my life. I have been practicing on and off for 11 years but it wasn’t until I started a regular practice 9 months ago that I really began to notice changes. Physically I feel so much better and have much more strength & flexibility now. I had been suffering from plantar fasciitis before starting a consistent Yoga practice and now it has completely resolved on its own. I have also lost weight (10 lbs.!) and have tightened up all over, which I am very happy about after having 3 children. More important, however, may be the calmness and peace of mind I have attained through Yoga. I know it is the Yoga and not just the exercise as I have worked out my whole life. Somehow the tenets of Yoga have permeated every aspect of my being, from “being in the moment” and not worrying about the future so much to also even affecting what I choose to eat. Although I still get impatient and angry sometimes I appreciate the tranquility Yoga has brought me.
I’ve been practicing yoga for much of my adult life, and more seriously the past three years as i have begun teaching yoga to middle school and high school students. Yoga is the frame for my life. My yoga practice has enabled me to be more fully aware of the subtle changes in mood and attitude that occur throughout a normal day, and this awareness allows me to see myself as if from a distance, and to be more in control of all that I do and say and feel. I get more done because mediation helps me to be more focused. I feel better physically, mentally and emotionally, and am more relaxed and peaceful. Namaste.
Yoga is very hard for me. I struggle to accomplish the poses. My body is
getting older every day and my arthritis doesn’t help. But without yoga I feel
even older. It has shown me that I can still stay fit. I can still remain
positive and I accomplish what I can in each class. And what I accomplish is
good for my body and my mind. Thanks Satyam for bringing this wonderful
experience into my life. I’ll always treasure my yoga classes.
Yoga has brought to me the balance I had been seeking for my spirit,mind,and body. For my spirit and mind yoga truely was the missing puzzle piece. It brought everything together. As for my body.Yoga has even given back my muscles strength and flexability that once was constant for the athelete. Tensions of my neck and back are gone and bouts with IBS are just about a thing of the past. Yoga is such a good over all function for the whole person that i try to encourage all to start, no matter the size,age, or state of grace they are in. Yoga can be a lifeline of sorts. When we regain our breath, there is nothing one cannot do. If you dont truely get it, try yoga for 8 weeks 2-3 times a week, then stop. Then see how your body and your mind feels. That was my eye opener.
Blessings, peace to all always.
After studying many religions and ways of life,I’ve come to love the Buddhist and yoga philosophies. I find yoga poses to be relaxing because they bring one into the moment. Being present by focusing on the work stops my silly worries.When one is not worried one is free to live a fuller life.Meditation and long savasanas have been equally helpful in my life. They have showed me ways to forgive,to love and to have compassion.