Yoga does not just change the way we see things. It transforms the person who sees. - B.K.S. Iyengar
I love doing yoga. I started doing Yoga in January of 2020 and have continued doing it since. Before the pandemic, I lived a pretty mobile lifestyle which didn't always yield me the opportunities to go to the gym so I really leaned into workouts that I could keep up with no matter where I was and for free. Through doing yoga I've learned so much and gained so much appreciation for myself mentally, physically, and emotionally. While doing yoga, I've learned beyond my own physical endurance and in this Leisure Issue I'm sharing how yoga can improve both the mind and the body.
Before beginning my yoga journey, I was running around EVERYWHERE. I felt that I never knew what I was doing and was always going through the motions. Through doing yoga I was able to slow down and really just take a couple seconds to reflect, relax, and tune into the needs and desires of my heart.
When doing yoga, I've found that some positions came easily to me while some positions not so much. Instead of getting discouraged or focusing on the wow I'm never going to get this, I remind myself I will get there eventually. There's no race when it comes to your body and doing yoga has allowed me to remember that.
"I will continuously reach new limits"
Affirming yourself and celebrating your wins is HUGE! A lot of yoga is really focused on core and while that can be tough, saying things to myself like "you're strong" or "you're capable" really empower me to keep moving forward.
I feel that the start of one's yoga journey usually involves them wanting to be more flexible physically, however, that can really transcend towards being flexible mentally and in my personal and professional life. I've learned that sometimes you really just need to go with the flow rather than trying to be so rigid. Focus on what feels good and what really aligns with what your body needs.
I have fallen more accepting and appreciative of my body by doing yoga. It's through yoga that I'm able to really see how strong I've become and have become really impressed and really loving of myself and my abilities. I've done so many different workouts before that sometimes felt really hard to maintain and keep up with which often times left me feeling bad for myself or having numerous negative thoughts about myself. Because I've fallen in love with doing yoga, I feel a lot more confident about my body not because of what it looks like but because of what is has been able to do.
Doing yoga forces you to go at your own pace, not rushing the movements, so that you can feel and begin to understand your mental and emotional self. If you're looking to unlock new things within yourself, consider giving yoga a try.
Article by: Ademusoyo Awosika-Olumo
Ademusoyo is a Software Engineer, Digital Consultant, Content Creator, and Notion Ambassador.
