Inner balance is a mixture of physical and mental characteristics that you can achieve through sharpening certain skills. As cliché as it sounds, finding inner balance is an ongoing journey that never ends, and this journey is different for all of us.
There have been plenty of studies on how yoga reduces stress, anxiety and improves people’s overall mental health. Yoga forces you to take a moment and turn your attention inward. It focuses on breathwork, physical balance and feeling the body. These things encourage whoever is practicing yoga to pause all of the outside distractions and pay attention to how they are doing internally. After each workout, there is time for meditation which helps people find time to clean out their thoughts and relax, even if it’s only for five minutes.
Before I started doing yoga, I hadn’t found any kind of exercise that I enjoyed. At first, I tried it out of curiosity. I’d seen all of the TV shows and movies with “yoga moms” and thought it might be fun! The media was right; it was SO fun, not necessarily because it was a form of non-aerobic exercise, but because it made me consciously focus on things like balance and breathing. I’d never had to do that before, and it honestly made all the difference.
Beyond the actual practice of yoga, something that has been crucial to helping me find balance is the mindset it has given me. The phrases my instructors constantly repeat during class are tiny pieces of wisdom that I carry with me everywhere I go! My instructor would say, “First, find your balance, then advance,” about Eagle Pose, but one can definitely apply it outside of the studio. My instructors also repeat positive affirmations whenever we practice a new pose or doing a new set, which helped me realize the importance of positive self-talk. They tell me to be confident if they see me hesitate and to stay rooted when they see me wobble. Little mantras like that helped me get through the class and now help me get through difficult days.
The yoga mindset teaches mindfulness of your surroundings, yourself and your habits. This is an invaluable practice that releases tension, helps you focus on what’s working for you, what you need to let go of and forces you to introspect. I am an avid yoga lover: it has been the best habit I’ve picked up and I hope that more people get to realize its benefits.
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