The 5 Reasons I Practice Yoga

I have been practicing yoga on and off for 15 years. It’s a form of movement that I always come back to because it is a movement practice that totally prioritizes the mind-body connection. Have you been thinking of starting a yoga practice but are not sure what all the hype is about? Are you afraid that it’s not for you? Let me tell you, it is.

Here are the five reasons I do yoga every week:

1. 1. It reminds me how to breathe. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? I mean we never actually forget how to breathe but we do forget how to breathe deeply and fully. It’s so easy as we move about our day to forget to pause and make sure we’re really filling our lungs with air. Breathing serves many purposes, including providing oxygen to our body, but our lungs are also part of our body’s natural regulation system. Breathing helps us manage pressure in our body, it signals to our brain whether we need more or less stress hormones to be released and it helps us regulate our temperature. In yoga, the primary focus is on breathing fully and deeply using as many of your forgotten muscles as possible. If I’m able to breathe that way on the mat, I’m more likely to remember how to breathe that way in my day-to-day life as well.
   2. It doesn’t just stretch my muscles, it stretches the fascia. Fascia? WTF is that? Fasica are these thick sheets of tissue that actually lie over top of our muscles and help our muscles glide along more smoothly. Fascia is like a container for all our muscles, bones and organs. In a body that is able to move freely and is flexible and supple, the fascia is strong but also soft and pliable. If, however, we have chronic muscle tension and difficulty stretching, then often our fascia is tight and restricted. Yoga is one way that allows for the fascia to gently soften. Holding poses for at least 30 seconds and maintaining a deep breathing pattern throughout the pose, allows the collagen fibers of the fascia to slowly open up and create more space. As a result, the body has a more functional and longer lasting flexibility. This is why yoga helps with chronic pain and muscle injury, not to mention core stability.
   3. There are pretty tea lights everywhere and soft music in the background: I am not even kidding, this is one of the main attractions for me. My yoga studio keeps the lights low and allows the soft glow of candles to illuminate the space. The instructor chooses calm, rhythmic music to play while they guide us through the poses. It is sooooo relaxing. This is where the movement of the body and mind intersect. I could do yoga at home in my living room for a lot less money, buuuut going to the studio makes me feel like I’m pampering myself. This energetic shift matters just as much for the physical body as it does for the emotional body. You can’t actually allow your fascia to relax, unless you let your mind relax too. Being in a soothing environment coaxes your muscles and fascia to take different shapes and it also cultivates an adaptability in your mind. Your mind is willing to surrender to the discomfort of the poses because it feels safe and cared for. If I’m going to engage in movement, I want it to nurture allll of me.
   4. It requires that I sit with my anxiety. Mindfully moving through the poses in yoga requires a certain level of both physical and mental discomfort. Life is all about enduring discomfort. Off that mat, I can choose to disengage from my surroundings or choose to distract myself from my discomfort with my shiny phone or by binge watching 10 episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. On the mat, I can’t do that, I have to gently allow myself to experience the discomfort. I have to try to witness my racing heart, my nausea and my get the fuck outta here impulses and try to breathe through them. I have to create safety for myself in my body and in my emotions. Learning to cultivate self compassion and resilience to discomfort is so important for our mental and physical health.
   5. I’m lazy. Plain and simple, unless I sign up for a weekly yoga class, I won’t actually move in this really nourishing way. Like many of you reading this, I’m a nurturer and a healer by nature. It is a constant struggle to make sure that I prioritize my own self care. Having an instructor who is waiting for me and expecting me to the be there is just the kind of external accountability I need.

There are many more reasons why yoga is amazing and am certainly no expert. I also recognize that white, thin, able bodies have become the face of yoga when that is very far from the origins of a yogic practice. So please do check out these websites for inclusive and expansive perspectives on yoga:

http://jessamynstanley.com/

http://www.blackgirlinom.com/

https://diannebondyyoga.com/

Finally, even though one of my preferred methods of movement is yoga, if yoga doesn’t resonate, I hope you look for a movement practice that is meaningful to you. Look for a practice that meets some of the criteria I discussed above. Try to find a practice that allows you to nurture both your physical and emotional body. When you find meaningful reasons to move, you’re more likely to stick with and that is most important because consistent movement is medicine.