THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF YOGA
HOW YOGA BRINGS BALANCE INTO LIFE
When did life get so busy? Many of us are struggling with stressful days and work seems to be omnipresent. There is a longing for inner rest and a certain balance in life. But how can we achieve this balance no matter the circumstances?
You might have guessed – the solution is yoga! And you probably heard this a thousand times, but I honestly can say that yoga has changed my life. It is tempting to say something cliché as ‘yoga made me a better person’, but it’s more about bringing you closer to your true nature and transforming you into your best self. How so?
Yoga is a holistic concept that involves body, mind and soul equally, and as soon as these are in balance it soon carries over into other aspects of your life. It allows you to get a glimpse of the joyful and free person you can be and makes you thankful and kind, to yourself and to others.
Sitting still on the mat in silence, you take a first deep breath and focus solely on breathing. Once you discovered the power of breath as a method to control a mind that is otherwise always running, you start to use it in your daily life, too. It helps to re-focus, it is grounding and gives you strength for the day. You see things more calmly, and even more so clearly.
Yoga practice will teach you to be kind to yourself and to take care of your body and soul. We always push ourselves to and over our limits and want to optimize everything we do. Through yoga you will achieve a new mindfulness, you will still challenge yourself but also trust your instinct about what is the right level for you today, and this will also affect how you make decisions in your life.
On the mat, everything is just about you and yoga, no past or future, no problems or sorrows play a role, and for an hour or two you focus solely on your practice and the moment. After a while you come to embrace it and start to live more in the present, to experience the eternity of the now.
After practicing yoga for a while you will be less stressed and anxious; you will still get angry but find that you can easily let it go. You begin to accept things you can’t change, without judging. Once your body and mind are in balance you might experience an unknown feeling of wholeness, where you are in sync with yourself and learn to listen to your body and to your heart, and notice what is going on before translating it into your personal needs. And once that loving, caring relationship with yourself is established you are ready for healthy and loving relationships with others.
Naturally a great side-effect is the positive impact Yoga has on your physical body. Through a regular workout you can gain strength and flexibility, the practice activates the cardiovascular system, builds up core muscles and strengthens your arms, legs – every part of the body is stretched and strengthened in a natural way, and the result is a body that is both strong and healthy.
Just like with other sports you have to find the style that fits your personality best to reach a sense of enjoyment during and after every practice. There are so many different yoga styles to choose, so trust me and give it a try. Maybe you become enlightened, maybe you just come to like the physical aspect of yoga; maybe it also changes your life, too, and maybe you realize that Yoga is nothing for you after all.
