Yoga is not only beneficial to the body, but most importantly, to the mind and soul...
Recently being stressed over many circumstances that have come about in my life, I am not afraid to say that it has been tremendously difficult to overcome some of them. Without a doubt, I am aware that many people deal with certain situations in life that can tear one down, making it seem almost impossible to live the everyday life without thinking about such stresses and problems. Some can make one reach a point that the mind and soul are overwhelmed, exhausted to the point that the body becomes exhausted physically without intention. I realized my blog is heavily dedicated to all things fashion and beauty, but what are both of these things really when the body and mind are not feeling at their best. We are nothing without our health and well-being. Our bodies and minds need more attention than our physicality and what we look like on the exterior. If we feel good, we look good in the end so I thought I speak about what has helped me not only physically to keep in shape, but mentally and emotionally as well.
With means not readily available to me to help alleviate some of the agitating mental and physical annoyances that I deal with, not just currently, but on a constant basis, an outlet to express oneself and relieve feelings of stress can successfully be done through the art of Yoga. Many might believe that in order to take a course in Yoga, you need to fork out a grand amount for a good session. This is definitely not true. Although I do have access to Yoga classes through my college, Yoga can be fully practiced and wellness achieved in the comfort of your own home.
The benefits of Yoga are numerous, as the picture shown below displays. Yoga helps free the mind of negative thoughts and energy. It helps detoxify the body of any existing weaknesses as well as preventing future ailments, due to health or emotional barriers.
I've learned so much through the art of Yoga that I can speak about it for days on end. Having the urge to always having wanted to take a Yoga course, now that I have done so, I feel fulfillment not only through the physical changes in my body, but emotionally and mentally. I feel physically stronger in ways I did not feel before, being able to twist and bend with the different postures in Yoga.
Mentally and physically, one becomes much stronger and able to control the mind and thoughts more eloquently. I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. I'm no stranger to the sudden onset of spurts of anger or sadness or a lack of motivation to keep me through the day. Most recently is when I've experienced sudden panic attacks, due to certain circumstances that have happened in my life. While it does certainly help to discharge those feelings through crying or indulging in nice things here and there, we need to regain strength in the mind and spirit. Although it sounds like something a guru or shaman might say, that is exactly what one needs to do. Self-love and the love of one's mind, body, and spirit is crucial in the recovery from whatever has "drowned" you or has given one a lack of confidence/motivation.
I bring up the practice and art of Yoga because I know what it feels like to be in dire help to feel whole and sure of oneself again. Whether it be break-ups, deteriorating health, lack of confidence or body issues, Yoga is that outlet that has helped me achieve wholeness and love for my body and mind again. Not only does Yoga make you self-aware of what your body can do, but also self-aware of your weaknesses. Yes, weaknesses. In order to reach that higher destination you wish to be at or overcome obstacles in your life, you need to be aware of what's halting you from getting there. Once you have become aware of what's becoming or is a barrier, you can take the steps to break that barrier and prevent them from reoccurring.
Yoga is about discipline and there are 8 stages of Yoga: abstentions (the no's), observances (the do's), postures (what makes your body ache/physically fit), life force control/breath (what we need to survive, ex. sun, water, air, and food), sense withdrawal, concentration (learning to concentrate on breathing/positives in life), meditation (ANYONE can meditate and through meditation, you become aware of the surroundings in your mind and soul), and contemplation (the place which is your bliss/where you can connect to the universe, this is where we want to be because we are in a state of tranquility/at ease with ourselves). Although Yoga can be heavily concentrated on the physical aspects, it is more important to focus on the mental and spiritual aspects because it is then you can realize where you and your mind can be at peace.
Above are a variety of poses that I have performed in my class. They can range in difficulty, but with constant practice, devotion, and dedication, Yoga can become secondary nature. Emphasis is placed on the breathing with each pose, depending where pressure is placed and what the main aim of the pose is.
Along with constant practice of Yoga, I have decided to become a vegetarian. So although one can just say they want to become a vegetarian, vegan, or whatever one chooses to become, I have opened my mind to not only become well mentally, but physically. With proper nutrition and detoxification of the body, I believe wellness of health can be more easily achieved, ridding the body and mind of negative and uncleanly materials. I will do a separate post on what it takes to become a dedicated vegetarian as I am starting my own journey of whole well-being without complications along the way that can intervene with a healthy lifestyle. I will focus on what I will choose to eat, manage what I eat, and update on my progress of being a vegetarian and incorporating Yoga into my journey.
Although very lengthy, I wholeheartedly believe many can benefit greatly with just focusing on Yoga. Many opt for gyms or pricey diet plans that in the end, are not only demanding on the body and schedule of one's time, but also demanding on your wallet. Yoga only requires some essential and crucial aspects of life: devotion, a bit of your time, and positivity in all aspects of your life. Violence, verbal, physical, and intellectual violence is one that many, including myself, need to eliminate immediately. Intellectual violence can be extremely harmful and is one that we encounter on a daily basis. Having a lack of self-confidence, poisonous thoughts, and self-faults (one's downfalls or weaknesses) can not only permeate through our souls, but contaminate those around us and who we hang around. By acknowledging our weaknesses and eliminate any form of violence we possess, we can radiate positivity towards ourselves and others. Loving ourselves and being positive can not only help us fully manifest wondrous feelings within our mind and soul, but help us gain positivity among others and create a continuous chain of love and happiness, something we lack in modern society.
A simple smile can change one's day. A simple gesture of love and happiness can overcome personal self-struggle dilemmas. A healthy diet and a healthy amount of Yoga practice never hurt anyone. By incorporating a few simple concepts into your life, I (and my Yoga instructor) can fully guarantee you'll not only see physical changes in your body immediately, but feel much more positive and alleviated from your worries in an instant. I encourage all who read this article to give Yoga a chance, whether it be 10 minutes a day or four times a week (with whatever time allotted you have) and take a step to feel better about your life, about everything.
Remember, Yoga isn't about the destination, but about the journey that gets you to where you want to be...Healthy, happy, and living life to the fullest...
This is my personal journey with Yoga and hopefully you can begin yours to start a more positive and healthy lifestyle.
Pictures courtesy of Google