One afternoon, I was chillin' on my bed, and doing the usual mental planning of what type of pizza I wanted to eat that night. At that moment my friend texted me and asked me to come with her to a yoga class. Since my favorite pizza joint was right next door, and my jeans had been a little tight that day, I figured I'd hop into a downward dog for a couple minutes. Little did I know that it would become an integral part of my lifestyle.
The Environment
From the moment I walked into the yoga studio, I was greeted with some of the friendliest people. They were warm and open, and at first I thought this was some type of game. They can't actually be that nice. But after going to the same studio for over a year, I can verify that they truly are. And I have become one of them now too. One of the most important parts is the loving, supportive, and nurturing environment that the yoga studio provides. Just being there, surrounded by amazing people makes me want to be a better person. That's why I've made it an integral part of my lifestyle.
The Practice
When I first went, I was looking to lose a couple of pounds. I wanted that lean, healthy look the yogis of the world showed off on my Instagram feed. And for the first three months that's what this meant for me. But then I started taking more "zen" classes, and I really discovered the power behind yoga. It isn't magic, it's a lot of hard work. It's a shift in perspective. It's about loving others and truly appreciating other humans and their potential. And it's about self-reflection. Yoga is about YOUR practice. Your practice, your breath, your posture is the only one that matters. It taught me to stop focusing so much on what others were doing, and to focus on improving what you can do. This is not meant to be selfish. It's meant to be self-healing and self-loving, in a positive way.
For all Age
Once I got hooked on yoga, I told all my friends about it. It isn't some secret thing I discovered and wanted to keep secret. I wanted the whole world to know about this. I even brought my 50+ dad to the yoga studio, and the loved it! This isn't something that you can only do when you are "young and alive". Yoga practice is exactly what it says in the name. It is a practice that is meant to be practiced through your whole life. You keep practicing it because there is acknowledgement that you can always grow and learn more. (Check out this amazing 93 year old woman who still practices!)
Yoga has taught me to calm my mind, and to focus on my actions, and how I can improve what is going on around me. For that, I am very grateful, and hope you get a chance to try it out too.