Yoga claims to benefit both the mind and body. It is well known that yoga can help increase flexibility and relieve stress. It also helps with posture, bone health, spine health and almost any other physical ailments. The fluid postures that are coordinated with the breath are easy on the joints while increasing muscle tone. Focusing on the breath also helps the individual de-stress and refocus on the things that matter.
Similar to exercise, you need a regular practice to get all these benefits. I have sporadically done yoga for the past few years, but I just recently finished Yoga with Adriene's "30 Days of Yoga." Thirty days straight of yoga. These are some things I learned.
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You will gain flexibility.
I am one the least flexible people alive, I have never been able to do the splits and I hate stretching post workout. But at the end of thirty days, I am able to dig deeper into my forward fold and my heels almost touch the ground in my downward dog. This takes time but you will see your body adapt to daily yoga.
Believe in yourself so you can push yourself.
Sometimes poses can be scary. Balancing poses, shoulder or head stands or even simple poses that require a lot of strength, like plank can be intimidating to a newbie. Yoga is about believing that you can do something and then doing it. Poses can be challenging but as you complete each day, you are gaining strength and confidence, so go for it.
Take it slow.
It's important to push yourself but it's also important to slow down. It is exciting when you reach and stretch further than you could before. It's great to meet goals but yoga is about patience. You won't be a pro after one session. Getting frustrated and falling are all part of the practice. So embrace what you can do and look forward the more advanced pose
Breath is everything.
When I first started out, slowing down the breath and matching it to movements was impossible. Your mind wanders as you try to keep up with the next pose and breathing is the last thing on your mind. It's annoying to have to remember to breathe, but breathing right can actually help you go deeper and stretch farther. Coordinated calm breathing helps you stay calm even in challenging poses. Focusing on breathing distracts you from the potential fear of the pose and gives you a chance to sink in.
Rest.
After breathing, resting in savasana or corpse pose was the most difficult part. After the practice was over, the last thing I wanted to do is relax and just lay there. This is the most important part of the practice. Not only does it give you body a chance to soak up all the benefits, you also practice taking a break mentally. This is hard in our busy world. Taking a moment to just let everything go for a even a full minute is the most challenging thing I faced in these thirty days. I finally learned to embrace the me time that yoga gave me.
Have fun.
Don't get hung up on being the perfect yogi who does complicated practices. It's okay to fall, to laugh, or to talk to friends during yoga. Find a class and a teacher you love or find a Youtube channel you love. Yoga is what you make it, so find what feels good and stick with it.
