For a long time, yoga has intimidated me to the point of being afraid to try it. I have attempted almost every form of exercise. I have tried swimming, walking, pilates, running, weightlifting, biking, etc. I fell in love with each and every one, however, yoga has taught me valuable lessons about myself and my body. Two months ago, I decided to try yoga because I wanted to improve my flexibility, so I challenged my mom and I to try it for a week and see what would happen. We ended up enjoying it so much that we look forward to our nightly yoga sessions. It has improved my mind, body, and spirit quite literally. Here are a few changes I saw:
- Flexibility
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I already consider myself a pretty flexible person, so I was surprised by how much my flexibility improved. I am able to do a forward fold and sit in a split with no issues. I additionally, have additionally seen some changes in my back and chest flexibility. I saw these changes by doing Puppy Pose and Cobra. The poses that have helped the most with my leg flexibility were Archer’s Pose and the Warrior poses. After long walks or runs, I no longer get sore because of the amount of stretching and flexibility exercises I am doing.
- Sleep
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My sleep has improved immensely because of my nightly yoga sessions. I have noticed that my body is more tired at night, as well as my mind. Along with yoga, I meditate beforehand. The Lotus position and the Corpse allow me to become more in tune with my body. I relax my muscles and my mind, which helps me sleep better. By doing poses like Warrior I, Three-Legged Dog, and Boat Pose, which require a lot of concentration and strength, these exercises make my body tired at night and help me fall asleep faster.
- Strength
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This might be the most beneficial result I have seen since starting yoga. I have struggled my entire life with gaining muscle in my arms. I played soccer for the majority of my life, so I have always had great legs and ab strength. My arms, however, were not the same. During my first yoga sessions, I found it difficult to stay in downward dog. After a couple of weeks, I can successfully hold my body weight up for extended amounts of time with the help of yoga. My goal is to be able to do a full push-up in the future!
- Prana
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Prana is considered the vital energy source of the body. I learned about Prana from Yoga With Adriene on YouTube. This is where I learned how to breathe; quite literally, she leads her viewers through breathing exercises that focus on manipulating the body and mind. By engaging in Prana, I have unintentionally benefited my sleep and mental health. It might seem silly at first, but you should give it a try. Namaste.
- Balance
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Balance is an additional benefit I saw from doing yoga. My balance has improved substantially. Before, I could barely stand on one foot for more than a couple of moments without grabbing onto something or stumbling. Initially, this was very discouraging. The poses that particularly helped me with my balance were Bird Dog, Dancer, Lord of the Dance, and Warrior III.