Yoga can offer countless physical benefits but people often wonder how “stretching your muscles” can benefit your every day life mentally. “How can exercising bring me a better peace of mind?”, they say.. Here are just a few lessons your practice can teach you:
1.) Yoga teaches you how to explore your edge. It shows you to leave fear at the door and always do your best while honoring your body.
2.) Stay present and accept all circumstances.. as well as where you are at in your life journey. (this can also apply to respecting the journey of those around me, even if it doesn’t correlate with yours)3.) BE PATIENT! When practicing more advanced postures, yoga can be the greatest teacher of patience. You must release any image of what you think you should look like and take baby steps to build up endurance and strength.
4.) Release anything that is no longer serving you. Bringing awareness to the breath can help you look at every exhale as an opportunity to release & surrender.
5.) Enjoy the journey/process because there is never a destination.. You are always learning and unlearning.
6.) It feels good to be vulnerable. More importantly, it’s okay to feel uncomfortable on your mat! Yoga can show you that sometimes in life we have to step out of our comfort zone in order to progress. (Actually, MOST times in life.)
7.) The breath can really take you places. Focusing on your breath deeply can bring your attention from your mind into your heart center. It can allow you to re-access a situation in a calmer matter.
8.) The importance of setting an intention before starting your day. Something we often do before beginning a practice, applying this to your daily morning routine can help make your day a little bit more meaningful and purposeful to you.
9.) The only thing/person that can make me feel limited, is yourself.
10.) The ego goes way beyond the “know-it-all” attitude we tend to associate the word with. We are all victims of the ego, but don’t fully realize the severity until we are faced with our thoughts during a slow practice or meditation. Yoga can teach you to slowly peel away layers of the ego, and discover your authentic self.