So what’s so wonderful about practicing yoga? 🤣
Since I began practicing yoga in 2001, it has continued to become increasingly popular—and for good reason. Not only does it offer physical benefits such as increased flexibility and strength, but it also provides each individual the chance to feel more empowered in the ebb and flow of daily life.
According to Harvard Medical School, practicing yoga has been shown to improve mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and increase overall well-being. One study found that practicing yoga for just six weeks resulted in significant improvements in mood and overall quality of life (Khalsa, S. B. S. et al., 2006).
But how you might ask?
Over the last two decades, I have seen that yoga, specifically therapeutic yoga, offers individuals a framework to develop the skills of mindfulness and moment-to-moment awareness. This helps alleviate feelings of the daily overwhelm and the sense of being a victim to life’s challenges. Daily, I observe that the practice of yoga also encourages individuals to listen to their intuition, to turn inwards and make choices that serve them best, both on and off the mat.
Timothy McCall, MD, a medical doctor, author, and yoga teacher, explains:
"Yoga can empower you to take control of your own health in a way that no other approach can." (2014)
This means that individuals can navigate their own mental and physical well-being journey with curiosity through the regular practice of asana (postures), pranayama (breath), and dhyana (meditation). I am fortunate to witness this transformation throughout my community and private sessions. It is a role I do not take lightly and I feel incredibly privileged to be doing.Â
As a C-IAYT Therapist, what stands out the most for me is that yoga helps us connect to our deeper selves—the part that it hard to sense but that remains unaffected by the ups and downs of daily life. Also called the cosmic “I” or what the soul, Eastern practices have been curious about for thousands of years.
Just like the practice of yoga, life has its ups and downs, twists and turns. By learning to Be, just Be, as we are each day, we begin to accept and flow with the natural course of life.
This practice nurtures resilience and a deep sense of inner strength. By consistently showing up, whether in class or at home, we give ourselves time to strengthen our physical and mental well-being.
Practicing yoga can initially have an impact on the body and breath, but further down the journey, one may start to notice the long lasting affects it can have on the mind. By empowering individuals to take control of their own health, to feel safe/at home within their bodies, yoga supports us in living more wholehearted lives.
Om Shanti (May you go in peace),
McCall, T. (2014). Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing. Bantam.
