Yoga and stuff

So I jumped to the yoga bandwagon... Once again.

During my years in Leipzig, I developed loads of things (bad habits being the majority). But what I was most proud of was my everyday yoga practice. I got in quite a good shape very quickly, but I´m not gonna lie, it wasn´t an easy journey. Yoga looks easy when you´re looking at someone practicing it. You´re laughing your ass off when the person starts sweating like a mad dog but when you actually dare and give it a try, you change your mind quickly.

The practice itself isn´t only about getting into all those crazy pretzel shapes, I would say that the most important thing is regular breathing and the general posture you have to achieve; head over the heart, heart over the pelvis. Sounds easy, right? Well it´s not. I bet that if you tried it now, you wouldn´t get it right. The posture is a workout in itself, because you engage every muscle in your body. Even the ones you had no idea existed. I am a curvy girl and when I attepmted to do the practice for the first time, I was dead. The ne next morning was a purgatory; getting out of bed was almost impossible because every inch of my body hurt.  But once I got into it and found out how to breathe, it got better. Never easier, though. And that is the beauty of doing yoga – it´s a challenge and to get through a session, you have to overcome it.

Yoga comes with many benefits. The first one is the fact that a regular practice improves your health condition. It´s a workout, but a different one; you basically train with what you´ve got. Instead of using all the gear and machines in the gym, you use your own weight. So if one of the assanas (the postures) is too much, your body will tell you exactly what to do. The important thing is to learn them gradually, not to do them by force. So what if you can´t reach your toes? That´s okay, you will get there with practice.

Another benefit I find useful is the yoga for your brain. When you get used to it, you will find that you don´t have to engage all your attention into what you´re doing. Suddenly, the regular breathing becomes a normal thing and the order of the assanas seems somewhat automatic. And that´s the right time for the brain yoga; shut your mind down, listen to the silence or to the calm and quiet voice of your yogi  and stop thinking about everyday problems. There´s no better time for it; a benefit for your body will slowly become a benefit for your brain, too.

When I started with yoga, I never though I would think of it as a form of relax. I had a four-month pause due to some health problems so I had to get through the muscle pain one more time. But now, when I actually know what I´m doing, I look forward to it. Yes, there´s a little bit of pain here and there and yes, I am in no way a professional. But it´s a challenge I´ve set my mind to and what is more, it makes me feel great. And what would our life be withouth the things that make us feel good? 😊

Until next time,

Čauko, Lenka.