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 offers each individual the chance to gain a sense of feeling more empowered in the face of 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).
Over the last two decades I seen that yoga, specifically therapeutic yoga, teaches individuals to be present in the moment and focus on the breath. This helps to alleviate feelings of daily overwhelm and anxiety. I see daily that the practice of therapeutic yoga also encourages individuals to listen to their bodies and make choices that serve them best, both on and off the mat.
Timothy McCall, MD, is a medical doctor, author and yoga teacher who explains here:
"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 take their health and well-being into their own hands by practicing yoga regularly. I am fortunate to witness this throughout both my community and private classes and sessions.
But I think what stands out the most for me as a C-IAYT Therapist and teacher, specific to the practice therapeutic yoga, is that yoga teaches individuals to embrace the ebb and flow of daily life, rather than resist it’s challenges. Just like the practice of yoga itself, life has its ups and downs, twists and turns. By learning to accept and work with the natural flow of life, individuals can feel more empowered and in control.
It offers each of us a practice that helps to build resilience and inner strength. Through the act of literally turning up, whether in class or at home, we give ourselves time to strengthen our physical and mental well-being.
Practicing yoga, specifically therapeutic yoga, can have a profound impact on both the mind and body. By empowering individuals to take control of their own health and embrace the ebb and flow of daily life, yoga can support individuals in living a more fulfilling and balanced life.
Om Shanti
(May you go in peace)
Heather
💙
McCall, T. (2014). Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing. Bantam.
