Yoga has taught me and continues to teach me acceptance, strength, positivity, and peace. I always look forward to how I feel when I am on my mat. Yoga can mean something different to everyone who practices it, but for me yoga will always be more than exercise. With yoga I have learned how to gain physical strength and flexibility, but I have also learned how to connect my mind and my body while exercising and I believe this is why I love and continue to love practicing yoga.
I originally started yoga as a way to get back into shape after having my two children. After I had kids for whatever reason my body no longer felt like my own, and I am so glad I discovered yoga because it has helped me to feel better and to become better connected to my mind, my inner strength and power.
For some individuals yoga is solely a form of exercise and for others yoga is so much more. For me, yoga is more! The main focus of most exercise rituals is to build strength and muscle, but yoga also builds a strong mind. Yoga has become a way for me to challenge myself physically as well as mentally, but it has also allowed me to develop contentment within myself.
Yoga is also about being mindful. In yoga you are taught to be present in each moment by focusing on your breath. Yoga teaches breathing as a way to push through difficult movements, poses, or emotions, and through breath we open ourselves to become more aware. This awareness I believe allows us to better understand who we are and our intentions. At the end of each practice I can’t help, but feel more grounded and to have the ability to look at life differently.
Through the focus and awareness we build into our yoga practice we are able to find acceptance, inner strength and to find peace within the turmoil of everyday life. Yoga guides our intentions and allows us to be more positive about ourselves and our lives. Though yoga we learn and through learning we grow.