This semester, I decided to give yoga a try. It has always been something that I have been meaning to pick up, but never seemed to find the time for. Last year I was a weekly attendee of spin class and absession that followed right after. It was fun, challenging, and relaxing at the same time. Although spin was fun, it didn’t really do anything for me, and I felt that I could live without it. So, when this semester rolled around, I decided to try yoga! I really enjoyed yoga and knew it was something that I would keep up with after I tried the first class. The yoga class that I attended was Hatha yoga, which is a little bit of everything! With all the stress of school taking a mentally and physical toll on me, I was so glad that I found this outlet where I can disconnect and destress for at least an hour of the day.
Here are a few reasons why I think everybody should try yoga:
It is a de-stressor
It gives you a great opportunity to unwind, relax, and release tension in your body that has built up. I know for me personally I always get awful neck and shoulder cramping because of carrying my bag around campus and looking down at my computer. Yoga always helps!
It lets you disconnect for a little
Now a day’s people are always on their phones, which makes them accessible with the click of a button. When you practice yoga, you isolate your mind and thoughts and allow yourself to be present in the moment, which we don’t really get to do especially as students who constantly have something on our plate.
There are many different forms that you can try
Personally, I prefer Hatha yoga. You get a little bit of everything and I like how there is a variety of movements that are involved rather than a more relaxed class focused on mindfulness. There is also Yin yoga which is more for relaxing and unwinding where you stay in poses for 3-5 minutes. And there is also hot yoga! I am a HUGE fan of hot yoga, the positions are challenging but they hurt in a good way. You sweat a lot in a heated yoga class, but I love this aspect of it because you get to release toxins and get to stretch and relax your muscles deeply. After I tried hot yoga for the first time, I truly felt amazing afterwards.
It increases circulatory health
While stretching all your muscles, not only are you increasing your flexibility, but you are helping your body move blood through itself. Last week in class we did a pose where we put our legs in the air and the instructor explained to us that this position helps in moving the blood from your legs to your body, which helps the digestive system and ultimately puts less strain on the body.