Imagine a tranquil place that thankfully sets aside a whole hour of relaxation for you. All stress is wiped away and worries disappear for euphoric “me time.” This was me, last Saturday morning, half awake heading to a yoga class that quite frankly, I have not gone to in almost a year.
I am an avid exerciser, but when it comes to yoga, I never think to take this time for myself. But let me tell you, that one hour was pure bliss. Here are some reasons I have fallen in love with yoga, and how you can too:
-
You are forced to check in with your body. When the instructor tells the class to focus on the weight of your body onto your mat, you feel it. You realize just how much stress your body takes on in any given week. You also come to contemplate how many thoughts run through your head, and you are suddenly allowed to clear them. Wow, what a game changer. You have entered a state of relaxation.
-
You push your body to a certain limit. Yoga for some is extremely challenging, aka me, and for some yogi’s who do this on a regular basis, it can still be difficult for them as well. Even if you exercise 6 days a week, doing yoga is a different kind of vigorous exercise. And yes, at first, you may feel totally inflexible, but hey it gets better from here.
-
Breathing, breathing, breathing. Wow, who knew that checking in on your breathing and shifting from movement to movement would be a great workout. Suddenly I’m covered in sweat within the first 15 minutes. But man, I sure loved it. Breathing in the nose and out the mouth releases all that tension from a long week.
-
Child’s pose is my hero. I love how yoga never forces you to stay in a certain pose if you are uncomfortable or find it too exhausting. Yoga is all about how your body feels in that given moment. When you start to feel like you need a breather, child’s pose is always there to bring you back to center. I could lay here all day, happily.
-
I thrive in these last 5 minutes of Shavasana. Shavasana, a term I just learned, is usually done at the end of a yoga sesh where you lay down and calm the mind and soul. After 45 minutes of tough, but enjoyable poses, these last few minutes feel much needed. My mind empties and my body melts into the floor and I wish it could last an hour. Suddenly the class is over and I instantly feel a surge of utter happiness (yay endorphins!) and thank myself for taking time to let my body fully unwind.
Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash