Why You Need To Practise Yoga Now

If someone told me three years ago that I would grow to love yoga and practise it every day, I’d have thought they were ridiculous. I had already tried yoga a few times and instead of feeling relaxed and in tune with my body, I felt stressed, uncomfortable and sore. However, one morning I decided to give it another try.  I found this video by @yogawithkassandra on YouTube and really enjoyed it. I practised with this video every morning for about three weeks. Then I decided to experiment with other yoga styles and I haven’t looked back since.

Why I Love Yoga

Yoga is known to have several health benefits, many of which are explained in this article on Yoga Journal. I’m going to share the biggest benefits I’ve personally experienced in my two and a half years of practice.

1. It helps me refocus

Yoga is a great way to feel centered. I often use affirmations as I practise and they’re amazing in helping me set my intention for the day ahead. As soon as I wake up in the morning, my mind erupts with a million and one thoughts. One of the most important aspects of yoga is breathing. When I set aside 10-20 minutes to breathe and meditate, I feel so much better. 

2. It provides relief

Yoga also stretches muscles and increases flexibility. Right when I wake up in the morning, or after a long day of sitting or standing in an awkward position, my muscles ache and feel stiff. Yoga helps me alleviate the aches and stiffness. My range of motion has increased significantly since practising. The more I practise, the more flexible I become and the deeper the stretch for my joints and muscles.

3. It fosters gratitude

Finally, the most important reason I love yoga is that it helps me appreciate my body. It’s so easy to be critical of our bodies and compare them to others’. But what we fail to realize is that our bodies work so hard everyday to keep us alive. I feel the strength of my muscles and the breadth of my lungs every time I practise yoga. It keeps me incredibly grateful for what my body can do and does on a daily basis.

If you’re curious about yoga, or would like to start practising, I highly recommend checking out Kassandra’s blog and YouTube channel. She’s clear, encouraging, and offers a variety of content for yoga beginners. Don’t be intimidated by the poses or feel pressure to be at a certain level right away. Take it step by step and listen to your mind and body as you do.

Read about other effective ways to feel more content with your life in this post.