How Yoga Can Change Your Life

August 26th 2019

It’s crazy how one decision can change your whole being~

I just got home from my usual Monday night stretching and mobility yoga class and been thinking a lot about how yoga has shaped me as a person and I realized something. Yoga has changed my life far beyond just a physical asana practice and its impact has radiated outwards into all areas of my life. It has been about 5 years since I started getting into yoga and I wanted to share some of the ways I feel my life has been changed.

1. I physically feel better- I feel like I had to start with this one because it is the most expected change I have experienced as a result of my yoga practice. Thanks to yoga, I find that I am more comfortable sitting for long periods of time, I sleep better, and I wake up feeling better. By keeping to a regular stretching schedule, I find that my body just feels more aligned overall and I feel less sluggish throughout the day.
2. I have learned to better manage my anxiety- I am still not perfect at this and definitely have had some moments of weakness lately, but yoga has really helped substantially with managing my anxiety. I find it way easier to return to a calm space when I am feeling anxious and I am better equipped to handle panic attacks than I have been in the past. Through my breathing practice, I have shortened the time it takes to come out of bouts of anxiety.
3. I feel more confident- Yoga has done a lot to increase my confidence. I have never really felt super comfortable in my own skin but, through yoga, I have been finding it easier to take moments to appreciate my body for what it is and where it is at. I also think yoga has just increased my desire to be outgoing in social situations. I even went through teacher training which is something I never thought I would be confident to do.
4. I have become more spiritual- I have never really considered myself religious, but I do consider myself to be relatively spiritual and I feel that yoga has only heightened that. Yoga and the stories surrounding it have really challenged me to think in depth about thought-provoking concepts such as attachment, the ego, the concept of self, and the idea of a soul/body connection. Being challenged to think in this way has really opened my eyes to new ways of approaching life and my problems.
5. It has given me an outlet- Most of all, yoga has given me an outlet to express myself and relieve stress. Even just taking one class a week has done so much to restore me emotionally and physically when life gets tough. I am so happy to have found something that I feel connected to and genuinely good at.

Is there something you have done that has shaped you as a person? I would love to discuss in the comments!

Jess~