At the beginning of class, many yoga teachers ask us to set an intention or remember why we came to class. Why do I do yoga? Bottom line: It makes me feel good. The physical and emotional benefits of breathing and stretching simply feel great to me in an immediate way. With yoga, the stress and tension releases from the muscles, and the body produces all those feel-good biochemicals (serotonin and endorphins).
I often arrive at class simply wanting some stress relief and relaxation. Sometimes I’m looking to connect with the calm spirit inside me. Yoga helps me abide all the ups and downs of life and withstand the daily stresses of parenting. Yoga makes me feel grounded and peaceful.
There are many long-term health benefits, too. I had chronic, severe lower-back pain as a teenager, due to so much time spent doing gymnastics, which I loved. Once I embraced yoga in my early 20s, the back pain disappeared. Flexibility in my spine has increased significantly in the last five years as I have devoted more time to yoga practice.
I also suffered from migraines in my teens and 20s, but those have become infrequent and much less severe than before. Getting older and changes in body chemistry may have something to do with that, but I believe that yoga was the biggest factor in helping my migraines.
My experience is not unique. Ask any yoga teacher, and you’re likely to hear about a pain, injury or emotional problem that healed through consistent practice. New scientific research proves how yoga can improve symptoms of pain, depression, hypertension and PTSD.
Yoga is not a panacea. I firmly believe there are many health conditions and injuries that require medications, surgery and/or physical therapy. I wouldn’t want my students skipping those interventions in favor of yoga alone. Often, yoga can be a fantastic compliment to the medical treatments that your doctor recommends. For example, someone with insomnia might benefit greatly from a combination of sleep hygiene techniques, medication and a mindfulness practice like yoga or meditation.
So what’s your story? Why do you do yoga or other mind-body practices?
I often arrive at class simply wanting some stress relief and relaxation. Sometimes I’m looking to connect with the calm spirit inside me. Yoga helps me abide all the ups and downs of life and withstand the daily stresses of parenting. Yoga makes me feel grounded and peaceful.
There are many long-term health benefits, too. I had chronic, severe lower-back pain as a teenager, due to so much time spent doing gymnastics, which I loved. Once I embraced yoga in my early 20s, the back pain disappeared. Flexibility in my spine has increased significantly in the last five years as I have devoted more time to yoga practice.
I also suffered from migraines in my teens and 20s, but those have become infrequent and much less severe than before. Getting older and changes in body chemistry may have something to do with that, but I believe that yoga was the biggest factor in helping my migraines.
My experience is not unique. Ask any yoga teacher, and you’re likely to hear about a pain, injury or emotional problem that healed through consistent practice. New scientific research proves how yoga can improve symptoms of pain, depression, hypertension and PTSD.
Yoga is not a panacea. I firmly believe there are many health conditions and injuries that require medications, surgery and/or physical therapy. I wouldn’t want my students skipping those interventions in favor of yoga alone. Often, yoga can be a fantastic compliment to the medical treatments that your doctor recommends. For example, someone with insomnia might benefit greatly from a combination of sleep hygiene techniques, medication and a mindfulness practice like yoga or meditation.
So what’s your story? Why do you do yoga or other mind-body practices?