- Yoga teaches me to listen to and be intently aware of my body. I am more attuned to my physical self and can adjust my practice, other workouts and general life activities accordingly.
- Yoga increases my physical strength and improves flexibility, through the use of my own body without the help of external weights, bands, props or other equipment. The fact that I can initiate these kinds of changes in my body, with my body, makes me feel empowered.
- Yoga has improved my balance, both physically and mentally. Not only is my body more centered in its physical space, but my psyche is better able to balance the various demands and priorities of daily life.
- Yoga has given me permission to slow down. So often, life pushes and pulls in so many directions, with a husband and three kids and housekeeping and friends and so on, that I feel harried and rushed. Yoga opens up a time of day when I purposefully introduce quiet, and gives me the ability to bring that quiet into my life anytime, even off the mat.
- Yoga constantly presents new challenges. Minute adjustments can always be made to a pose, offering further ways to stretch the body. Yoga challenges me mentally each time I explore a different aspect of yogic philosophy and analyze yogic principles.
- Yoga brings discipline into my life. Whether I feel like it or not, I carve out at least 60 minutes at the end of my day to practice. It teaches me to engage and focus, no matter what else is going on. As I flow through the same poses of the Ashtanga series, I can clear my mind and concentrate on the breath.
- Yoga invites ownership. Even though yoga comes from an ancient tradition, it has been filtered through the practice and teachings of many different gurus, each of whom has left his or her own fingerprint on yoga. You can find many different yoga styles: Ashtanga, Iyengar, Bikram, Anusara, Kripalu, etc. One of the beautiful things about yoga is that you can find a style that fits your needs and desires, and then modify as needed to make it your own.
- Yoga builds community. When you practice yoga on a regular basis in a class, you develop a relationship not only with the teacher, but also with the other students in the class. You share a bond, no matter what your ultimate goals or purposes are. Similarly, once you get involved in yoga, you enter into a larger community of yogis all over the country and the world.
- Yoga encourages acceptance. One of my favorite mantras that I learned from a teacher is, "If not today, tomorrow." Through yoga, we can learn to accept our bodies, ourselves, and our lives for what they are ... working to build and change and improve, but letting go of competition, judgment and criticism, replacing that with love and acceptance.
- Yoga makes me happy. That's important, right?
Today's workout:
65 min. easy run (6.75 mi)
80 min. yoga
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